Page 16 of Love Unwritten
“I should get to sleep then. Nico needs me to stop by the market tomorrow before school to get his friend some cupcakes for her birthday.” She rises from her spot and reaches for her incomplete music sheet.
“Wait. Do you have a second?”
“Sure.”
“I need your advice.”
She points at her chest. “Mine?”
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth.
She stares at me for a few seconds before nodding. “Um…all right.” She reclaims her spot on the couch and places her guitar on the coffee table. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Hell yes,” I say without thinking twice.
She heads toward the bar cart and tops a glass off with my favorite bourbon without me even having to point out the bottle. When she holds the glass out for me to grab, the tips of our fingers brush against each other, sending a few sparks bursting across my skin.
She yanks her hand back.
“Thanks.” I take a sip of my drink.
“Better?” She sits again.
“No.”
“On a scale from one to ten, how painful was that to admit?”
“At least an eight.”
That mischievous glint in her eye returns. “Better than a ten.”
“Give it time. I’m sure we will get there.” My lips twitch, but I catch myself before Ellie adds it to that ridiculous smile counter of hers.
“So, what sort of advice do you need from me?”
I release a heavy breath. “I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m struggling to connect with Nico.”
Her amusement dies along with the light in her eyes. “Right.”
I thought she would have a hell of a lot more to say than right.
You knew it was a bad idea to ask her for help.
Julian was wrong. Ellie doesn’t know how to help me when her relationship with Nico is completely different.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She looks away for a few seconds before her gaze returns to me.
“Has he talked to you about it?”
“Not much.”
“But he has mentioned something?”
She takes a few seconds to respond, adding to my unease.
Maybe things are worse than you thought.
She wraps the hoodie string around her index finger three times before speaking. “Have you asked him about what’s wrong?”