Chapter 63
Miles
Friday
Ella called me yesterday. She’s meeting me at my apartment in less than an hour.
I’m nervous and excited to see her. My legs can’t stop moving as my brain analyzes what she might have to say.
When she called me, her voice was shaken and faltering.
She greeted me sweetly, then said, “Can we meet? It’s important.
” I still asked what happened, but after a moment of silence, she said she would prefer to talk to me in person.
“She broke off her engagement!” Asher speculates, pacing around the apartment, too excited to leave. “She’s coming to tell you she can’t live without you! That would be a great birthday gift.”
“We have no idea what happened.” I can’t help but chuckle at his exhilaration.
“Man, can I stay here? I’ll hide in my bedroom, she won’t know I’m here.”
“You’re leaving,” I tell him as I open the front door. “And we’ll talk about what she said later.”
Asher drops his arms like a disappointed kid who’s just been told there’s no more ice cream in the freezer. The “later” part is killing his curiosity. I laugh at him. Truthfully, his reaction is distracting me, helping me keep my own emotions under the surface.
When he steps out of the apartment, he taps my shoulder and wishes me good luck.
The moment I’m left with my thoughts, a frame of possible options explodes in my mind.
Could it be something wrong with her life?
Has something serious happened in Evermere?
What if she has ended her engagement? What will I say?
I don’t want to overwhelm her, but can I tell her that I’ve missed her terribly?
I glance at the kitchen clock. It’s 4:03 p.m. when she rings the doorbell.
“Ella, hey, come in.” I smile at her, and she smiles back, for a little too long. Long enough to tell me something important is on her mind. Not that I didn’t already know. But now I’m sure it hasn’t faded since yesterday.
“Your place is lovely,” she says, stepping into the open kitchen-living room space.
“Thank you.” I keep smiling back at her. “Let me take your coat. You can put your purse down wherever you’d like.” She thanks me and hands me her coat, which I hang by the entrance.
“Is this your band?” she asks, pointing at a picture of me and the guys, held up by a fridge magnet.
“Oh, yeah. That’s me, Asher, Finn, and Elliot.” I list the names in order so she can match them to the right faces, though she’s already met Asher.
She smiles at the picture, lingering on it for a moment. Then she glances at the blender resting on the counter next to her, momentarily distracted.
I know Ella. She walks around rooms and circles around topics when she’s nervous or when something is difficult to say. There’s a very specific reason why she’s here. But she’s having trouble getting to it.
“Is everything ok?” I ask, easing us in.
She meets my eyes. Something tense building between us almost pulls me closer to her.
“Can we sit?” she asks, glancing toward the couch.
“Of course,” I say, and she heads to it. I follow.
“Miles…” She lets out a breath and lowers her head. “I don’t know how to start this conversation.”
“Ella…” I gently place my hand over hers. “It’s me. You know you can tell me anything.”
Her face looks hesitant, apprehensive, for a few silent seconds. We stare into each other’s eyes once again, but this time, there are tears in hers.
I feel restless.
She realizes it.
And after another deep breath, she tells me.