my girl. This way, friends.” He shuffles toward the back of the restaurant. “Where is my Charlie?”
“She had to work late. She told me to give you a big kiss on the cheek for her.”
“Oh, I will pack up her favorite before you go. Here, take seat.”
“Thanks, Bo.”
We start with the crab rangoons, and I have to admit, they are the best I’ve ever tasted.
“Good, right?” Lily questions as she dips her rangoon into the pink sweet-and-sour sauce.
“The best,” I agree.
We keep the conversation light over kung pao beef, sesame chicken, and lo mein—all of which we keep in the center of the table while we sample bits of each dish. Lily tells me about her responsibilities at the marketing firm. We talk about some of her side work as a photographer away from her job. She fills me in on her time with Charlie over the past year.
I tell her about work and my daily life at home, which doesn’t consist of anything too exciting. I talk about my frequent visits from Amy and Landon and, of course, about Buddha.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t picture you with a cat!” she exclaims.
“I know. I thought I hated cats. Actually, Buddha is the coolest creature ever. He has this hilarious personality. He’s so funny. He’s so sweet, too. No matter where I am in the house, he’s by me, purring up a storm. He likes to sit on my feet when I make dinner. He’s entertaining, to say the least.”
Lily stares blankly at me for a moment.
“What?” I say.
“Since when has Jax Porter become a bona fide cat lady?” She laughs. “I’m kidding. I can’t wait to meet him.”
We say good-bye to Bo and take Charlie’s takeout back to their apartment.
“Wow.” Standing at the entry door, I can see the entire space.
The apartment is the smallest living space I think I’ve ever seen. Our college dorms were bigger.
Lily drops the takeout on the small countertop. “This is New York living for ya. It’s small, but we love it. Let me give you the extensive tour.” She stands in the middle of the main room. Pointing to one side, she says, “Kitchen.”
Their kitchen consists of a little countertop against the wall, a few cupboards, a single sink, and a mini fridge.
She pivots toward the other side of the room. “Living room.”
The room contains a love seat, a recliner, an end table, and a flat screen TV against the wall.
She points behind her. “Bathroom.” Then, she extends both arms, indicating the doors on either side of the bathroom. “Bedrooms.”
She walks to the door on the right, and I follow to see a twin bed and a dresser, the two items taking up most of the space in Lily’s room. On her dresser are five framed photos of her and me and one of her family.
“I like your decorating style.” I grin as I hold a picture of Lily and me from prom. The night that started it all.
“Yeah, well, I have good taste. What can I say?”
I put down the picture and pull Lily into a hug. I stare down into her eyes, soaking up the feeling of having her in my arms again. What an amazing sensation. I cradle her jaw with my hand, feeling her soft skin with my touch. “God, I’ve missed you.”
She leans into my hand. “I’ve missed you, too. It’s almost surreal, isn’t it? Being here, together, no awkwardness between us for the first time in years.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely different. It’s going to take some getting used to. I keep feeling like everything’s going to come crashing down again.”
“I know. Me, too. But it’s not. We’re done with all of that. From now on, it is you and me—always. No matter what life throws at us, we need to stand strong together. As long as we have each other, we can get through anything, right?”
“Right,” I agree. “Do you need to pack a bag?”
“Yeah, just give me a minute.”
It’s Friday night, and Lily and I are spending the weekend at The Plaza. Lily insisted it wasn’t necessary. Although I’m sure Charlie is a great person, I don’t want to share Lily this weekend. I want to have an entire weekend to ourselves where we can do what we want and be as loud as we want. I have a lot of making up to do, and I’m sure the walls of this apartment are not the most soundproof. Our own space at The Plaza will be so much