Page 45 of A Fine Line
“Uh,” I considered how quickly I could hide all of my evidence of crying but the mascara streaks going down to my cheekbones was hard evidence to merely wipe away. “Yeah. Hold on.”
I stood up, dusted off my cookie crumbs and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders before going to answer. “Hey.” I wiped at the corner of my mouth in hopes there wasn’t any leftover traces on it.
The sympathy on his face honestly cracked my heart into even more tiny pieces, till there was nothing left but dust sprinkled around it.
“Hey, sorry I know it’s a bad time, but I thought I’d check in on you.”
I didn’t even try to hide it anymore, I just opened the door wider for him and watched as he sank himself on to my one barstool against the marble countertop.
“They cancelled.”
“Yeah…”
“You said they wouldn’t.”
“Well, unfortunately, I can’t predict the future. But, I really did think they would just push through with it.”
I sighed with my shoulders slumped forward. “Do you want something to drink?”
“What do you have?” His quirked eyebrow told me he’s seen the inside of my fridge and knows well enough that there is very little beyond simple ingredients and tv dinners.
“Uh, water?”
“You know, I’m good.”
We both migrate over to my small couch, and I appreciate how he avoided any mentions of the tissues or crumbs or empty Oreo sleeves that sat around us.
“What do I do now? I mean it’s like I’ve put so much into this and I mean…is it worth even doing now? I can’t even visit home much less-” I was going to save move there but I had this feeling that I just wasn’t ready to say it yet. To admit I was leaving everything behind me. Not while Crew was sitting right there.
“What?” He leaned closer which, given the size of our seating arrangement, was only inches away from my face. “Winnie, come on, you don’t mean that.”
I heard myself sniffle. “I do. I really do.”
Crew sighed and tilted his head up to the ceiling, knee bouncing the couch cushion I was leaning against. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“I’ve got something I want to show you.”
I looked down where my hedgehogs covered him below the belt. “Please don’t just whip it out. At least buy me dinner.”
“Little perv.” Crew stood up and reached an offering hand down to me. “Come on, do you have anything better to do?”
I eyed my TV flashing cozy reruns and my warm blanket. The door was just so far and eh…
“Ouch.”
“I didn’t answer yet.” I defended.
“You didn’t have to, I saw the hesitation.
“Okay, fine, I’m coming.”
Over thirty minutes later, Crew had me in his truck heading off the interstate and straight towards a sign reading ENTRANCE TO TYLE STATE PARK.
“What is this?”
“You know how sometimes you call me and it goes straight to voicemail and I always say I’m in a spotty area?”