not.”
I sit frozen in my seat, stunned. “That’s insane.”
Liz shakes her head. She lifts her now tear-streaked face and grabs for her napkin. “He’s been in love with you for ages. That’s what he told me.”
I’m dumbfounded. There’s no way this is true. Nothing has ever happened to suggest that Travis had feelings for me. In fact, a few years ago, I had a mad crush on Travis that gradually softened into friendship. But he was always way too interested in fucking anything in a tight pair of pants to give me the time of day. At least not in that way.
“I’m sorry,” I say slowly, my mouth suddenly dries. “I just don’t believe that. He’s too much of a player to hide something like that from me.”
Liz shrugs, wiping at her eyes with the napkin and blowing her nose. “Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. And when he told me, he hadn’t even seen the new you.”
My head is reeling and I have no more words to say. My best friend in the world, the only soul besides old Captain that I’ve leaned on and trusted in my entire screwed up life has been in love with me. Geeky, homely, awkward me. It’s too much to take in. I stare at my half-eaten sandwich, not wanting it anymore. There’s a tight knot in my stomach that won’t let anything else through.
Liz tries to smile. “I’m really sorry about that, Mickey. I couldn’t imagine you didn’t know. I was hurt and angry. But it’s obvious you had no idea.” She pulls out another napkin and gives her nose a dainty blow. There’s a strange expression on her face, like someone bracing for bad news. She fixes her eyes on the table. “Do you love him, too?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Of course I love Travis. He’s like family to me. But am I in love with him? Are any of those old flames still smoldering somewhere inside? I’m not sure, but I don’t think they are.
“I’m not in love with Travis, Liz.”
She lets out a gushing half-laugh, half-sob and nods quickly. “I didn’t think so. I really didn’t.” The answer seems to make her a little hopeful. She gives me a weak smile, her eyes still shining with tears. “I hope we can still be friends with each other, Mickey.”
I reach across the table again and touch her arm. This time she doesn’t recoil. “That has never changed.” I look at my phone to check the time. It’s an hour from my appointment with Nathan Klein. “I’ve got to go. Call me soon, okay?”
Liz nods and wipes at her eyes. “Okay.”
When I leave the café, my head is spinning and I feel strangely drugged. Life has never been easy for me, but at least it’s been predictable. Now it’s like the whole world has been shaken like a snow globe and nothing makes sense anymore. All I want is a little stability, a baseline of normal where I can just chill out for a while. I unlock my bike and head in the direction of downtown.
And this time I’m going to watch out for doors.
Chapter Twelve
Nathan Klein’s building looks nothing like Lazarus & Smith’s gleaming tower. His is in a funkier part of town, with elegant, red brick buildings and old growth trees. Mixed in with the smaller design and architecture firms are fancy cafes, tapas restaurants, and a movie theater that shows foreign films.
When I step through the doors, a friendly woman immediately turns to greet me. She has very short black hair, a nose ring, and a completely tattooed right arm. She’s wearing a casual-but-funky tank top, crazy pants full of zippers, and chunky-heeled platform boots. She gets to her feet and walks toward me with her tattooed arm extended.
“Hey!” she calls, as if I were across the room. “Michaela, right?”
I smile and nod. She shakes my hand with a grin. “I’m Devon. I work with Nate. He told me about your work. Stoked to meet you!”
I’m completely thrown. It could not be more different from showing up at Lazarus & Smith for my
I sit frozen in my seat, stunned. “That’s insane.”
Liz shakes her head. She lifts her now tear-streaked face and grabs for her napkin. “He’s been in love with you for ages. That’s what he told me.”
I’m dumbfounded. There’s no way this is true. Nothing has ever happened to suggest that Travis had feelings for me. In fact, a few years ago, I had a mad crush on Travis that gradually softened into friendship. But he was always way too interested in fucking anything in a tight pair of pants to give me the time of day. At least not in that way.
“I’m sorry,” I say slowly, my mouth suddenly dries. “I just don’t believe that. He’s too much of a player to hide something like that from me.”
Liz shrugs, wiping at her eyes with the napkin and blowing her nose. “Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. And when he told me, he hadn’t even seen the new you.”
My head is reeling and I have no more words to say. My best friend in the world, the only soul besides old Captain that I’ve leaned on and trusted in my entire screwed up life has been in love with me. Geeky, homely, awkward me. It’s too much to take in. I stare at my half-eaten sandwich, not wanting it anymore. There’s a tight knot in my stomach that won’t let anything else through.
Liz tries to smile. “I’m really sorry about that, Mickey. I couldn’t imagine you didn’t know. I was hurt and angry. But it’s obvious you had no idea.” She pulls out another napkin and gives her nose a dainty blow. There’s a strange expression on her face, like someone bracing for bad news. She fixes her eyes on the table. “Do you love him, too?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Of course I love Travis. He’s like family to me. But am I in love with him? Are any of those old flames still smoldering somewhere inside? I’m not sure, but I don’t think they are.
“I’m not in love with Travis, Liz.”
She lets out a gushing half-laugh, half-sob and nods quickly. “I didn’t think so. I really didn’t.” The answer seems to make her a little hopeful. She gives me a weak smile, her eyes still shining with tears. “I hope we can still be friends with each other, Mickey.”
I reach across the table again and touch her arm. This time she doesn’t recoil. “That has never changed.” I look at my phone to check the time. It’s an hour from my appointment with Nathan Klein. “I’ve got to go. Call me soon, okay?”
Liz nods and wipes at her eyes. “Okay.”
When I leave the café, my head is spinning and I feel strangely drugged. Life has never been easy for me, but at least it’s been predictable. Now it’s like the whole world has been shaken like a snow globe and nothing makes sense anymore. All I want is a little stability, a baseline of normal where I can just chill out for a while. I unlock my bike and head in the direction of downtown.
And this time I’m going to watch out for doors.
Chapter Twelve
Nathan Klein’s building looks nothing like Lazarus & Smith’s gleaming tower. His is in a funkier part of town, with elegant, red brick buildings and old growth trees. Mixed in with the smaller design and architecture firms are fancy cafes, tapas restaurants, and a movie theater that shows foreign films.
When I step through the doors, a friendly woman immediately turns to greet me. She has very short black hair, a nose ring, and a completely tattooed right arm. She’s wearing a casual-but-funky tank top, crazy pants full of zippers, and chunky-heeled platform boots. She gets to her feet and walks toward me with her tattooed arm extended.
“Hey!” she calls, as if I were across the room. “Michaela, right?”
I smile and nod. She shakes my hand with a grin. “I’m Devon. I work with Nate. He told me about your work. Stoked to meet you!”
I’m completely thrown. It could not be more different from showing up at Lazarus & Smith for my
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