Page 76 of Make Me Love You

Chapter Twenty-One

The first thing Eli noticed when he pulled into his driveway was that Emma was sitting on his front stoop, her back resting against the door, her elbows wrapped around her knees.

Of course she was.

Because he had been looking for her all day, starting with her house. When she wasn’t there, he had checked Town Hall. Then Hot and Wired, Sweet Things, Suzie’s house, the food truck, Kate’s house, and Goat’s Tavern. He had checked every damn spot in Hart’s Ridge except his own house. So yeah. He should have known, because there was literally nowhere else she could be.

He approached slowly. His futile search had left him hungry and grouchy, and there was a very real danger that he was going to throw Emma over his shoulder and carry her into the house caveman-style.

She scrambled to her feet. “Hey. There you are.” She smiled brightly. “Want to get a coffee?”

Coffee? He stopped. What the hell was she talking about? Why would they get coffee? Why would they do anything except fall into bed and tear each other’s clothes off?

“I guess it’s a little late for coffee.” She squinted at the sun, low in the western sky, and frowned. “We could go to Goat’s. Hang out with Luke for a bit.”

He stared at her.

“Or if you don’t feel like going out, we can stay here. Watch a show and order pizza. Whatever.”

“I...” He looked at the sky, at the trees, to his left and right, trying to make sense of it. “Coffee? Luke? Pizza? What are you...what’s going on?”

She blinked innocently. “I’m trying to be your friend.”

“Friend.” He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that at all.

“Yes. Because you love me in some way or other, and I want you in my life any way I can get you. And I think...I think being friends would be pretty great, because you’re pretty great. But I realize you weren’t expecting me, so if today doesn’t work for you, then how about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” he echoed.

“Tomorrow,” she said firmly.

His heart bounded like an exuberant puppy. Tomorrow. She said it like she meant it. Like a promise. Maybe his mom broke promises, but Emma never would. Even if she did, he would be okay. He would. He would live. What he couldn’t live with was never giving it a chance.

It was worth the risk. She was worth the risk. Although, he had to admit, it was a very small risk.

“I love you,” he said.

“Yeah. I know.” A smile bloomed on her face, slowly at first and then all at once, like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud.

He laughed with pure joy. Bounded up the steps, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her off her feet, making her laugh, too. He kissed her lightly, not allowing himself to take it too deeply. If he started he might not stop for a good long while, and there were things he had to say first.

“I haven’t said those words to anyone in a very long time. Not since my mother. And I hadn’t heard them either, because she was the last person who said those words to me. It was what she said, when she left. She loved me. I think...I think somehow those things got twisted together in my mind. Love and goodbye.”

She held on tight, squeezing him closer in sympathy. Not saying anything, just listening.

“It wasn’t that I wasn’t loved. My dad loved me. He did. As much as he was capable of. He never said it, and he showed it in odd ways. Looking back, he took better care of me than of himself. That isn’t saying much, I know, but it was love just the same.”

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