Chapter Twenty-Eight
JANE
Thea stared at me, her lips twisting to the side. “Okay, I have tried to stay out of this, but you're being stupid,” she said pointedly.
“What do you mean?” I ground out.
“You're in love with Ian, and he’s in love with you. Now, just go fucking see him. Or maybe, communicate your feelings. I don’t know.”
I stared at her. Obviously for too long because she circled her hand in the air impatiently.
“Just admit I'm right. You're miserable. He's a stress ball.”
“He is?”
“He said he talked to you yesterday.” One brow rose in an arch as my friend eyed me. “I would think you would know that.”
I sighed. “You're right. I guess I didn't expect this.”
My heart pinched in my chest. Merely thinking about the level of stress he was under and, suddenly, all of my worries softened. I couldn't imagine how stressful this was for him. Thea was right.
“You're right,” I announced. I knew Thea well enough to know she liked to be told when she was right.
She practically beamed. “I know I am. Now, I think the ball’s in your court.”
“Why is it in my court?”
“Look, I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert at romance because I'm not.
But you're the one who got upset and wanted some space.
Logically, you're the one who has to fix this.
My brother's not perfect. I mean, my God, he used to be so annoying.” I choked back a laugh as she continued, “But he's a good guy. With everything that happened with our dad, this is like stress times a thousand. You need to make him feel better.”
Normally, my train ride down to Washington, DC, was productive. I worked and stayed focused. I got plenty of those small, tedious tasks done. Today, I wasn't focused. I was impatient.
I'd almost considered driving, but then I realized that was pointless because driving definitely wasn't going to get me there faster. My fingers kept twitching. I wanted to text him and tell him I was coming, but I also wanted to surprise him.
Restless, I drummed my fingers on the seat and kept crossing and uncrossing my legs. Eventually, the man sitting beside me glanced my way. He was an older man with kind blue eyes. “How’re you doing over there?” he asked with a slight smile.
“I'm fine. Sorry.” I laced my fingers together in my lap.
“No need to apologize. What are you doing in DC for the weekend?”
“Visiting my boyfriend.”
“Well, then, I hope you have a good weekend.”
“How about you? What brings you from Boston to DC?”
He was quiet for a few beats and his smile faded. “I wish I was your age and visiting my girlfriend, although this train wasn't here back in those days.”
“Oh?” I queried, my curiosity piqued.
“I used to work in politics. I wasn't a politician, but I worked in DC for many years. I met my wife there. She was a reporter.”
“Where is she now?” As soon as that question came out, I realized it was the wrong question.
The man’s eyes softened. “She's not with the world anymore, but I miss her every day.”
“I'm so sorry,” I said hurriedly.
His smile was wistful this time. “Thank you.
I can't complain. We were married for almost sixty years.
I don't know what's going on with you and your boyfriend, or if he's the man for you.
Everything with romance is different these days.
People meet on the computer or their phone.
I don't even understand that. But if you love him and he's a good man, it's worth it.”
I mulled those words over after I got off the train. It was only then I realized I’d forgotten to plan how I was getting from here to Ian’s condo. He usually picked me up.
I pulled up a car service app when I heard, “Jane.”
Ian’s voice felt like a light tap on my heart, sending a ripple through my entire system. Spinning around, I found him approaching on the sidewalk. My hand flew to my chest when he stopped in front of me, his smile wide.
“Hey there.”
“How did you know I would be here?”
“Thea told me. Actually, she didn't know for sure, but she thought you might be here. I decided to chance it and come find you. No need to order a ride.”
My eyes stung with salty tears, and my throat felt suddenly tight. A sense of intense emotion and joy rose swiftly. His hands were in his pockets when he stepped closer, leaning down until his forehead rested against mine.
“I forgot to mention something when we talked yesterday.” His voice was low, the sound of it vibrating through me.
I swallowed. “You did?”
“I love you.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I was frozen for a moment. It wasn't exactly a shock. More as if I needed that moment to absorb the words and the meaning contained within them. When I could breathe again, I whispered, “I love you too.”
My voice was thick with tears. He lifted his head slightly, his eyes searching mine. He swiped one tear and then another away from my cheeks with his thumb. “I didn't mean to make you cry.”
I shook my head, taking a sniffling breath and dragging my sleeve inelegantly across my nose. “It's just a lot of feeling. Not bad, though.”
Then he was wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. I tucked my head into the curve of his neck and breathed him in.