Page 296 of Mountain Grump
We stand before each other, inches apart. But there’s still so much between us. An invisible barrier that keeps us from moving closer.
Tilda is still wearing the aviators, and I wish I could see her pretty eyes instead of my reflection.
I watch her press her lips together. Watch her prepare herself to speak.
“Why did we never go to your house?”
Her question isn’t what I expect. But I answer honestly. “Because I like yours better.”
“The view?”
I shake my head. “I liked being surrounded by you.”
She bites down on her lip.
And after a moment, she lifts one of her hands toward her face, like she’s going to take the sunglasses off.
But then she lowers it, leaving them on as she steps back.
And hope floods my chest.
“Ethan?”
“Yeah?” My voice comes out choked.
She takes another step back. “Tying ribbons to state park property is vandalism.”
Each word sinks into my heart, softening the stone into something… more.
Tilda watches me for another moment, then she turns and disappears.
Chapter 173
Tilda
I blinkdown at the bag of duck food on my front step.
Quackers flaps her wings and bites at the bag.
“Calm your feathers. You have food in your dish.” I point, proving myself to the duck.
She quacks. Loudly.
“Fine.” I lower myself to sit beside the bag, then I rip open the top and scoop out a handful of the food.
Quackers waddles closer and eats from my palm, making little grunting noises as she does.
I didn’t get a text from Ethan yesterday, but that was the day after he flew me to see Stephen.
And he didn’t send me a message today but…
I stare down at the disappearing feed in my hand.
He left this here.
He had to have left this here.
With my free hand, I pull my phone out of my pocket, checking to see if I missed any notifications from the trail camera on my driveway.
