Page 20 of The One Who Got Away
“Maybe.” She shuffled sub rolls from the bottom of the bread case to the top for easy reach. “We’re down to just a few Italian Stallions.”
“Got it.”
“Maybe he’s just ready this time. Are you?”
I sighed. That was the million-dollar question.
The last run of the night started, and it was crazy enough to stop my spinning brain. We were out of sub rolls and down to thick cut sourdough sandwiches by the time we closed out. We had to actually lock the doors at five minutes before six because we were nearly out of food.
Jessie sagged against the door after she flipped the sign to closed and turned off the neon Open light. “I might actually have to hire another part-timer. Carly isn’t fast enough to deal with what we’ve got going on lately.”
“I know. I don’t know if it’s just the nice weather or what?”
“I don’t know, but works for me. I’m going to do a triple batch of bread for tomorrow.”
“Good idea.”
“Why don’t you take you and your luggage home. I’ll clean up.”
“I’m good.”
She shook her head. “I’ll just blast my music and get it done.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Get out of here.”
I was too tired to argue. She was right, my dark circles were crazy. Every time I tried to sleep my mom either came in to talk,her voice all watery with tears, or I stared at the damn glow-in-the-dark star stickers on my ceiling.
I couldn’t even blame it on my night owl status as a game designer. I actually worked better in the daytime.
I liked cuddling into my bed at night with my e-reader or a TV show.
My cozy aesthetic was top tier.
Well, it would be if my mom let me change anything in my room.
It was my room dammit.
Living in the past wasn’t good, but I couldn’t talk. For the last week I’d been living in nostalgia land with Gus. First with dinner then my dreams. Then him telling me to think about the kiss.
What was I to think about?
Did that mean he wanted to try us out now?
I wasn’t sure I could handle jumping from friends to bed friends with Gus. That would screw me up way too much when it stopped.
Or did he mean he wanted more?
Ugh. Annoyed at myself, I snagged the bags of trash on my way out the back. I tossed them into the dumpster and dug for my keys.
“You should know better, El.”
My heart slammed as I looked up, dropping my keys back into the bottom of my bucket bag. “Gus.”
He pushed off my car where he was leaning. “Can’t come out distracted like that even in Indigo Valley.”
I licked my lips. “Yeah, well I had stuff on my mind.”
