Page 82 of Don't Leave
My brows knit together as I stare in shock. “You’re kidding, right?”
She points to the solemn expression she’s wearing. “Does this look like the face of someone who isn’t a serious Black Friday shopper? My advice is to wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers, and pack a few snacks in your bag.”
My mouth drops open as she closes the door behind her with a wide smile. I stare for a few seconds before remembering the message from Cole.
Hope you had a good turkey day with your family.
Something in my heart warms as I read over the text half a dozen times. It only reminds me how much I miss him. It takes at least ten minutes and roughly thirty drafts before I get my message just right and hit the send button.
Had a great turkey day with the fam—thanks to you. Hope yours was just as good.
As soon as the message is rocketed into space, I wonder if I should have written something else. Maybe I should have played it a little cooler.
Ugh. I really hate this kind of stuff.
I’m not good at it.
When fifteen minutes drag by, I consider chucking my phone across the room. Just when I figure he won’t respond, the cell chimes with another incoming message.
Glad everything went well. Mine was good too. Playing hockey tomorrow. How about you?
A smile tips the corners of my lips as I flop onto my bed. Again, I compose about twenty different responses before I actually hit send. It’s tortuous.
Shopping with my mom and sisters. Not sure what I just got myself into :0
I release a pent-up breath when he responds within a few minutes.
It’s kind of unbelievable that after a full week of silence, Cole and I are conversing through text messages. What I don’t know is if it means anything. Cole is such a nice guy. I could see him wondering if everything’s going all right for me after not speaking to my family for almost a year. When I think about it like that, it makes perfect sense that he would reach out.
Which probably means I shouldn’t read too much into this gesture.
It’s Cole just being…well…Cole.
I’m glad the break is going well. Have fun tomorrow.
I nibble at my lower lip and debate what to write. It’s completely obvious that he was just concerned how I was faring.
Have fun playing hockey. See you when?—
I’m about to finish the sentence with—I get backbut I have no clue if I’ll see him. Are we going to start talking again?
I don’t know and I really don’t want to put myself out there by implying it.
Instead, I end up composing a friendly—yet not too friendly—message in return.
Have fun playing hockey and enjoy the rest of your break.
My thumb hovers over the send button for a moment as I read the message at least a dozen times before firing it off into the atmosphere.
With a huff, I collapse onto the mattress and wish everything could be different between us.
CHAPTER 24
CASSIDY
It’s slammed home Friday morning that getting up at the ass crack of dawn to fight an overzealous crowd of crazed shoppers for a few sweaters and cute pair of ankle boots is not my idea of a good time.
Not only do we hit a few malls but then I’m dragged against my will to Target and Wal-Mart for more of this tortuous thing called Black Friday shopping.
