Page 85 of Touch in the Dark

While I’m chatting with him, Brooke and Meg say they have an appointment at a spa and say their goodbyes, I wave them off without a second thought. Archer has been intermittently on and off his phone, which isn’t unusual for him, so I don’t think anything of it when it rings, and he excuses himself to take the call.

When Remi gets up to go to the bathroom, Elsa and I glance at each other, then turn to Jenna. Who promptly pours a drink all over herself.

“Oh No!” She shrieks and pushes her chair back. “Oops.”

The server comes over to help and she goes way over the top about how she’s ruined her shorts. She tells us she’ll be right back and hurries away.

“God, their subterfuge needs work,” Elsa shakes her head.

“Jenna definitely needs some tips from Remi. That was awful. Think they left us with the bill?”

“Oh, I never thought of that,” she glances around for a server, but I put a hand on her arm.

“Relax, they planned this, someone will have paid, if not, it’s no hardship for me to buy.”

“Okay, so do we leave or…”

“Jenna has to be somewhere spying on us and we’ll only upset her if we do that.”

“You’re probably right,” she waves for another mimosa, so I get one too. “Might as well enjoy it. It’s gorgeous today.”

I can’t disagree. I moved around a lot as a kid, but I’d never been happier than I was when we settled in White Plains, and I met three boys who would become the brothers I never had. L.A. was home for a decade, the easy, slow paced way of life here suited me, the warm weather was a bonus of course, but this place felt like home too. Moving to NYC was a band decision and one that worked really well, given the album we just put out is one of the best we’ve done in years. That is partially down to the move, mostly down to the fact Adam is so deliriously happy, the creative mojo pouring out of him.

I’d been questioning whether Archer is happy in New York, if his mini break down is due to moving away from our homes. If it came down to choosing, we will split down the middle. I already know Adam won’t leave Jenna, and Jordan is tied to Alessa and Red Alert, who are based in New York. I’ve always gone along to get along, but what do I really want? And if I choose to go after Elsa, am I being fair to either one of us if it means someone has to leave their home?

I love New York though. Both places have their pros and cons. Doris is and will always be the biggest pro for me of being on the East Coast. It’s a no brainer. The guys might have their women there now, but Doris is my heart and soul. And then I look at Elsa. Her eyes are closed as she lets the sun warm her skin. She’s more sun kissed than she was a few days ago. She has that dewy, untouched look to her skin, so naturally beautiful it hurts.

I almost ask her if she is coming back to L.A. for good, but I don’t want to put that idea in her head. I can’t stop it but bringing that up might make her think getting involved in anything with me isn’t worth her time. Chances are, we’ll be on opposite sides of the country.

She doesn’t know Jenna filled me in on the asshole in New York, who she might have been getting close to, but he left for Florida. That shit pissed me off. I have no right to bring it up or be angry.

We aren’t together.

Yet.

So now I’ve got this opportunity, it’s time to turn on the charm.

But what I need to talk about right now is the furthest thing from charming. This is more about the truth, about letting her know why I’m the way I am.

Opening up. And I’m terrified.

Chapter Twenty-One

We make small talk as the servers clear our dishes, then decide not to take up one of their valuable tables and head over to a more intimate one outside with an amazing view across Downtown. I’m still shocked at the coordinated exodus. Never in a million years did I think Remi would agree to something like this. They’d planned it to precision, there was nothing slow about it. Within the space of five minutes, they were all gone, and neither Nick nor I fully grasped the situation until Jenna did her horrendous act of spilling her drink.

I don’t know if I’m going to give them hell or congratulate them when I see them.

Despite that, and the fact we have yet to mention our situation, it’s been pleasant. The three mimosas I’ve downed haven’t hurt. Nick somehow keeps the conversation going, never turning it to what we really ought to be talking about. When there is a lull in the polite chatter, I take a deep breath to fortify myself, then turn slightly in the chair so I’m facing him better.

Damn he looks good, I can’t help but let my eye drop to that chest. Why does he do this to me? Seriously. Focus, Elsa.

“We should probably talk about what happened in New York.”

My lips part, he took the words right out of my mouth, like he knew just when to say them.

“What you said about me is right,” he sits forward slightly, angling towards me too. “There are things going on. Things that have been sitting on my chest for years. And a lot of the time I let it take up more space in my head than I should,” he frowns, looking away for a moment. “I did some thinking after we… You know,” he looks back and gives me a suggestive smirk.

“We what?” I decide to rattle him right back, being nonchalant.

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