Been There Done That (Leffersbee #1) - Hope Ellis Page 0,139
What he did with the school? I agree, it was overstepping. But I can’t fault him too much. Not when I had thoughts of burning that place down when you started sleeping in your office.”
“Where are you going?”
“I decided to talk to him. I figured, what could it hurt?”
“Wait, you what?” I glanced between her and the unfamiliar path we drove along. “Where are we going? You talked to him?”
“And I decided you needed to have at least have one more conversation with him.”
The car slowed and rounded a bend.
Ahead of us sat the hangars for private flights.
We pulled up to a fence and checkpoint. Leigh showed the uniformed guard a folded slip of paper from her jacket and he waved us forward.
“Leigh. What have you done?”
“You’re my best friend and I love you. Just trust me. Please.”
She pulled to a stop.
“Get out. I can’t go any farther.”
I looked around. Small, private planes crouched in the distance. The dark, open mouth of a huge hangar loomed ahead.
My heart beat a wild, unsteady rhythm. “What’s going on?”
She leaned over. “Give me a hug.”
I stared at her. “Who are you?”
“I’m your friend. And I want you to go hear him out. Please. Be brave.”
I opened the door. Nausea sloshed through my stomach. I looked back at her.
“How will I get home?”
“I don’t know. I did my part. Now get out of my car. I don’t want to be late for my spin class.”
I glared at her as I collected my purse and got out of the car.
She hit the gas as soon as I closed the door, executed a smooth three-point turn, and returned to the exit.
With my luggage in the back of the car.
I was stranded.
Just as I worked up the courage to walk ahead, I heard a familiar sound.
Barking.
Sir Duke.
He streaked out of the hangar, tongue lolling, legs a blur as he raced to me. I was relieved when he finally stopped in front of me. I petted him, cooed to him, as he did a joyous reunion dance.
“I missed you, boy.”
“And I missed you.”
Startled, I looked up. Nick stood less than five feet away.
He wore a dark suit, the crisp white shirt open at the throat.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Nick.”
“Zora.” He smiled, but something in his eyes . . .
I went to him.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Zora
In all the world, there existed no better place than the circle of Nick’s arms.
I went to him, easily, naturally, without thinking.
Just as I’d always done.
He caught me up in his arms before I’d reached him, boosted my sweatpants-clad legs around him.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed, his breath tickling the shell of my ear. “For everything. Can we talk?”
My breath stuttered. “Yeah.”
He carried me to the hangar, Sir Duke trailing along.
Once on my feet, I turned in a circle. And gasped.
The massive space was filled with huge, life-size photos. Of me, of him, of us together.
He took my hand in his. “A few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit my old house.”
I held onto his arm. “Did you? Are you okay?”
He nodded. “It was a good thing. I’m glad I did. I had some realizations. Important ones, I think. Sometimes it helps to remember the past when you want to find your way forward.”
He gave a subtle nod.
Music from an unseen speaker filled the air. The opening strains of Coldplay’s “Yellow” filled the air.
The smile he gave me was so slow, so tender, I thought I might die from it.
“May I take you on a tour of our past?”
I nodded.
He led me by the hand to the first photo. It was of the two of us. God, we were tiny. We both stood grinning at the camera, dressed in stained smocks with paintbrushes in hand. My two front teeth were missing. He was missing three on the bottom.
“That’s third grade. Mrs. Beyer’s class. Remember?”
I nodded.
“I went home and told my mother you were the most beautiful girl in the class and I was going to marry you.”
I sniffled. “What did she say?”
“She said I wasn’t allowed to get married until I learned how to do all my chores.”
I cracked up. That sounded just like his mom.
We walked a few feet farther until we met the next picture. It featured middle-school aged versions of us. We sat at the kitchen table in Nick’s house with a pizza and Monopoly board in front of us.
“You know what happened right after this picture?”
“No.”
“You went to the teacher and the counselor and tattled on me.”