Page 19 of Lovesick
“You’re lying,” I said.
“I swear it.”
“What happened?”
“Not my story to tell. Romance? Dating? That stuff just doesn’t reach him anymore.”
“Then what does?”
“Climbing.”
Mark’s enthusiasm for the topic would be borderline comical if my heart wasn’t the punchline. My nose wrinkled as I comprehended his subtext. Mark was warning me.
“Thanks,” I said.
I startled him by meaning it. He glanced at me twice for only quick flashes, keeping his attention on the road.
“Sure.”
“Think he noticed?” I looked out the window as he pulled onto the canyon road.
“No.” He blew a bubble with his gum. “Your secret is safe with me.”
I groaned. A satisfied grin overtook his face.
Well, what a great plot twist that made.
Didn’t matter, anyway. JJ wasn’t the picket-fence type. He was almost a decade older than me and wanted to branch out to grasp at the unlimited freedom of untethered bachelorhood. Live life on his own terms. At least, that’s how it had sounded.
We fell into silence for the rest of the trip back to the Frolicking Moose.
8
JJ
After Lizbeth left, I shuffled through my gear half-heartedly, my mind far away. A yellow notepad lay next to me. Quiet reigned over the office, but it wasn’t as deeply refreshing as usual. Normally, I yearned for some distance from Mark’s prattle. He was always making some kind of noise, as if he couldn’t stand the quiet.
I pulled a pen out of my hair and scribbled a few notes. Thoughts of Lizbeth and her deep loyalty to romance kept intruding on my thoughts.
Whoseriouslybelieved that?
And owned it?
Maybe she just equated safety with romance. I’d bet half my ropes that the moment she had any experience with heartbreak, her mind would change. Anyone with real-world know-how would be far more jaded. Or at least less...
Idealistic.
With a growl, I pitched the pen to the floor. It landed on the notepad with athud. I leaned back, let out a long breath, and rubbed my hands over my eyes. This shouldn’t bother me so much, but it did. The thought of her figuring out the dark side of romance—like I had—set my teeth on edge. I didn’t even know her, not really, but I still didn’t want that for her. She deserved better.
Crimson hair, soft as silk, flashed through my mind.
Why couldn’t I just focus?
Daylight waned outside. My stomach growled, reminding me that I’d forgotten to eat lunch. There were a lot of things I hadn’t done yet. Boredom had a way of doing that. The utter lack of direction in my life used to be thrilling. When we had ten different countries to hike through and no return ticket.
But now?
Now, I couldn’t peg it. Something restless had awoken inside me. Like a slow gnaw from the inside out.
