Page 110 of Hang the Moon
Darcy’s eyes narrowed shrewdly and Annie looked away, unsure of what Darcy could see on her face but sure it was more than Annie wanted. She felt like her feelings were stamped on her forehead, like she was completely transparent. In that moment, she both loved and hated how well Darcy knew her. How well Darcy could read her.
“I’m not running away,” she reiterated. “I’m heading back to Philadelphia to think. I need time. You can’t honestly begrudge me that, can you?”
Of all people, Darcy, with her pros and cons and checklists and risk analyses, had to understand where Annie was coming from. That little more than two weeks wasn’t enough time to shift the entire course of her life. Annie didn’t know how much time was enough, but it had to be more than fifteen days.
Lips pinched tight and eyes wide, Darcy sniffed hard and threw her arms around Annie, enveloping her in a hug. Annie buried her nose against Darcy’s shoulder and squeezed her tight.
“I get it,” Darcy whispered. “I don’t like it, but I understand.”
Annie willed herself not to cry. “I’m going to miss you.”
Darcy squeezed her tighter, so tight it was difficult to breathe, but Annie couldn’t find it in her to complain. “Don’t say that.”
Annie coughed out a laugh. “You’re supposed to say you’ll miss me, too.”
“That makes it sound like you’ve already made your decision and you’re not coming back and I’m not going to see you for another year and a half.” Hands squeezing Annie’s shoulders,Darcy stepped back, holding her in place. The sheen of tears in her eyes did nothing to soften the glare Darcy leveled at her. “You’re my best friend, Annie. You’re irreplaceable. Of course I’d miss you. I just don’t want a reason tohaveto miss you.”
“Sound logic,” Annie joked. “Leave it to you to be rational about missing me.”
Darcy pursed her lips. The tip of her nose was red, as was the delicate skin beneath her eyes. “Quit using humor to defuse the situation.”
Annie dropped her eyes, cowed. “Sometimes I think you know me a littletoowell.”
“No, you don’t. You’re just saying that because it would be easier for you to hide how you’re feeling from anyone else. But I see through your bullshit.”
“Precisely why I said what I said,” Annie muttered.
Darcy shoved her arm. Hard. “I am going to miss you, Annie.” She ducked her head, forcing Annie to meet her eyes. “And so is Brendon.”
Hearing his name made her eyes burn. She felt a pang in her chest and she swallowed over the lump that had yet to disappear since he had left Darcy’s kitchen. “Maybe.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Darcy stepped back and crossed her arms, expression turning frosty, the glare in her eyes downright glacial. “You know what’s going to happen if you don’t come back, right?”
Annie drew her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Perhaps he’ll mope for a month, maybe longer. Who knows? He’ll move on, meet some other girl and take her to... I don’t know, karaoke.”
Annie clenched her back teeth, eyes burning, her vision beginning to swim.
Darcy cocked her head, lips pursed in contemplation. “She’ll be his date to weddings and he’ll bring her along to game night. They’ll wind up having all sorts of stupid inside jokes about television shows they both love.”
“Stop it,” Annie gritted out.
Darcy’s brows rose and Annie wanted to smack the smug, mean little smirk off her face. “He might even buy her Breathe Right strips, because he’ll definitely find out whether she snores.”
“Shut up,” she whispered. “Please just shut up.”
“He might buy her a houseplant and help her take care of it and one day—”
“Isaidshut up.” Annie swiped beneath her eyes angrily, pissed that Darcy had driven her to tears when she’d cried enough for one day. “Jesus, that wasn’t an invitation to be cruel.”
Darcy reached out and rubbed Annie’s arm. “I’m not being cruel. I was just making a point.”
“Well, congratulations.” Annie took a stuttered breath in. “You made it.”
And then some.
“You asked for a crystal ball, Annie,” Darcy reminded her. “I’m just giving you a glimpse into the inevitable future if you don’t come back. Some variation of what I just described? That’s what’s going to happen.” She paused. “But it doesn’t have to happen like that and you know it.”
