Page 68 of The Attack Zone
Hazel lets out a sigh, grabs her phone off the table, and rapid-fire types out something before placing her phone back on the table.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Don’t worry about it,” she says. “Anyway, why do you think he’s avoiding you?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Things were ... well, they were good. Really good. And I was getting scared but now I just really want him to at least let me help handle this.”
“He’s probably embarrassed, hun,” she says. “They said some really awful stuff in that post.”
“But none of it was true,” I say. “That’s what I don’t get. All he has to do is call them out for spreading stigma.”
“You and I know it isn’t true, but maybe he doesn’t,” she says.
“What do you mean?” I ask. “He can’t possibly believe anything they said.”
“Maybe not consciously,” she says with a knowing look.
“Oh,” I say. “Right.”
Our server appears with our waters and takes our order. The last thing I want is to order a salad, but I could probably use a vegetable right about now so that’s what I do.
When he’s out of earshot, I turn back to Hazel. “So, what am I supposed to do?” I ask. “I can’t just wait around until he comes to his senses.”
“That’s exactly what you have to do,” she says. “He has towork this one out on his own. Mitch isn’t good at needing people, that’s why he’s such a planner. It helps him keep people at arm’s length.”
This woman is really wise beyond her years. Must be the whole mom thing.
“So I just ... wait?” I say.
“Yep,” she says. “And be ready to be there for him when he realizes he does actually need you, and that that’s okay.”
CHAPTER 34
MITCH
THE NEXT MORNING
It’s the first Thursday in over a year that I don’t get a delivery confirmation email from the florist I used to get flowers delivered to Stacey.
Not that that matters now, because it definitely doesn’t. And it’s the least of my problems.
Besides, I’m sure she’ll be glad to get rid of me. She didn’t even want to be friends with benefits with this whole thing started. What had she said?Frenemies.That’s right. Maybe we can get back to that one day. Just annoying each other in the periphery of our lives.
But like I said, that’s the least of my problems.
I walk into the diner on East Colfax grateful that Caleb and Thomas asked to meet somewhere where people will leave me alone, even if they do recognize me from the article. To say it went viral would be an understatement. Thomas finally gave me my phone back last night and my notifications were completely unruly. I’m still working my waythrough my email; I haven’t even gotten to my social media yet.
I find Thomas and Caleb in a booth in the corner of the diner with a pot of coffee sitting between them.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Morning,” Thomas says. Caleb just glares up at me. He’s not exactly a morning person. But he is the one who said we should get breakfast together like we do during the regular season, so he can’t be mad at me about this for once.
I take a seat and notice there’s a fourth place setting at the table.
“Who’s this for?” I ask.
“I invited Matti,” Caleb says. “I hope you don’t mind.”