Page 26 of Love You Still
“I always thought it was weird your parents never used the dishwasher,” I say, placing the dishes in my hand next to her at the sink before making my way around to the other side.
“A dishwasher is for dishes. Anything else needs to be cleaned by hand. Mom’s orders,” Selina grumbles as she continues scrubbing furiously at the casserole pan from dinner. “And the cook never cleans up after themselves. Doing the dishes is how we show our thanks for the food.”
“I didn’t forget,” I murmur, my eyes shifting to Leia, looking for a hint as to what the right thing to say is, but she remains silent. The only thing I get from her is a shoulder shrug, letting me know her guess is as good as mine.
The three of us stand there in silence, none of us knowing exactly what to say. After a few moments, Allen and Patricia come into the kitchen, carrying the rest of the dishes from the table and the uncut pie that was meant for dessert. “Anyone want pie?”
“We need to head to Bristol’s once we finish up here. Audrey needs help figuring something out.” Selina doesn’t even look at her mother as she finishes the last pan before handing it to Leia to dry.
I haven’t heard much about Audrey in the past, but I know she’s one of Bristol’s childhood friends. Bristol moved back to town with Leia after they graduated college. I know from chatting with Leia that they all became fast friends, having video call gab sessions and movie nights, as if they weren’t miles away from each other. Selina even joined in while she was away in New York, but I never dared to ask anything more.
“Oh, no. I hope she and Love are okay,” Patricia responds, her voice filled with concern.
Leia bends over, shoving the pan into the cabinet next to the stove before hanging the damp towel over the bar on the oven. “Everyone is okay, but some big decisions need to be made, and soon. The moment we finish loading the dishwasher, we are going to leave, but I doubt Bristol would turn her nose up at a piece of your pie.”
“You got it.” Mrs. G winks at Leia as she places the pie on the counter and pulls the saran wrap out of the drawer. “You make her promise to share with you and Selina.”
“You can bet on it,” Leia retorts as Patricia finishes wrapping the pie and slides it toward her.
“You two be safe on the roads tonight. The news said there is a storm rolling in,” Allen says as he threads his fingers through Patricia’s and leads her to the living room, taking a seat and turning on the television.
“No need to worry, Papa G. If things get too bad, we’ll bunker down at Bristol’s for the night.”
My eyes slide back to Selina, taking in her rigid posture. Her entire body seems to vibrate with emotions as if she could explode at any moment. I’m not sure if she is angry about not getting my letter or the fact that I brought it up in the first place, but I have to smooth things over with her.
“I can load the dishwasher so you two can leave for Bristol’s. I need to show the cook my thanks for a wonderful dinner, too.” I wink at her before rolling up my sleeves and making my way to the other side of the island.
Selina’s shoulders sag slightly as she wipes her hands on the towel hanging from the stove and heads toward her parents in the living room. She whispers something into Patricia’s ear before giving her a hug, followed by her father, and heads toward the front door.
“Thanks for dinner, Momma and Papa G! It was amazing, as usual. I’ll make sure Selina texts you if she isn’t coming home tonight.”
“Thank you, Leia,” Patricia replies over her shoulder before shifting her attention back to the television.
“Thank you for loading the dishwasher,” Selina says quietly before trying to slide past me, but I grip her wrist in the hand, pulling her to a stop.
“I’m sorry for bringing up the past tonight. This wasn’t the place for declarations of love, but I meant every word I said.”
Selina pulls her hand from my grasp and continues to the door without another word. I watch her go, willing her to comeback and talk to me, but I’m met with the sound of the door clicking shut softly as she leaves the house.
“Don’t worry, Vance. She hears you, but I have a feeling she’s scared to let you in again.” Leia sighs as she grabs the pie off the counter.
“She has nothing to be afraid of,” I grumble as I pull the dishwasher open and rinse the dishes before placing them neatly inside the dishwasher.
“That’s where you’re wrong. She has everything to be afraid of,” Leia replies as she follows Selina out the door.
Chapter 12
Selina
“Thank goodness you two are finally here.” Bristol sighs as we walk through her front door and into her spacious living room. “Audrey will be calling any minute now.”
Bristol lives on the other side of town from my parents’ house in a single-story brick home. Most people would think it was small, but for Bristol, it’s the perfect size. The living room is the first room you walk into, with light-colored wood floors and a fireplace by two oversized windows, which brighten the room significantly during the daylight hours, giving her the perfect place to complete her daily yoga routine before starting her day.
“How is she doing, by the way?” I ask before flopping down onto the large beige couch facing the fireplace.
“As well as expected when your entire world comes crashing down around you.”
I hold up the two bottles of wine we brought over. “Good thing we stopped and grabbed these before coming over. Where are the glasses? I’m in desperate need of a drink.”