Strangely Normal - By Tess Oliver Page 0,85
She’d changed into a very small tank top and shorts. Her long nails were gripped around one of the guy’s arms.
“Ooh, look what the diner coughed up,” Megan sneered.
I ignored her and focused on my phone booth destination. She muttered something to the guys, and they all had a good round of laughter over her clever comments, whatever they were. I tucked myself into the booth and took a surreptitious glance toward the bar. Thankfully, they’d gone back inside.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Edie! Is everything all right?”
I’d worked up an enthusiastic yes, but there was no way I could fake feelings with my mom.
“Edie,” she repeated in a tone that assured me she knew everything was not fine.
“I’m lonely, Mom, but I think I’m going to try and stick this out for a bit longer. But . . .”
“But, nothing. Edie come home now. It’s so nice up here. The cabin is small, but we can take turns sleeping on the floor.”
The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. “How are Janie and Sophie?”
“Janie took a walk with your dad and Sophie’s sleeping. She got stung by a bee, so she’s sleepy from the Benadryl.”
“Is she all right?”
“She’s fine.” She chuckled into the phone. “But by the way she howled, I was sure she’d lost a limb or something. Scared the crap out of me. She went to pick a wildflower and the bee surprised her.”
“Sounds like she surprised the bee.”
Mom chuckled again, and I realized I totally missed our laugh sessions. There was a long pause, and even though we were both silent, it felt as if we were speaking to each other.
“Mom, I’ve got to try this being on my own thing for awhile longer.”
“I know, Edie. But come home if it doesn’t work out.”
“I will. Kiss everyone for me.”
I skirted back past the bar as quickly as possible. Something about Megan’s two unsavory buddies had me feeling uneasy. Suddenly, I was acutely aware of how alone I was, and Charlie’s warning about Megan splashed through my mind. I quickly unlocked the door, scooted inside, and turned to shut the door but a boot stopped my process. I froze in alarm until I recognized the green eyes staring back at me through the opening.
“Shit, Jude, you scared me.” He stepped inside. I locked the door behind him and pressed my face against the window to peer down the sidewalk to the bar. There was no one out front.
“Who are you looking for?” Jude asked.
“Megan, the girl I work with. She hates me, and now she really hates me, so the last thing I need is for her to see me talking to you.”
He sat on the stool at the counter. “How did I get involved in this?”
“Really? Oh my gosh, guys are so clueless. Megan is so nuts about you, she’s ready to pick out a china pattern.”
“You mean that chick who waits on me in here? I’ve hardly ever said hello to her.”
“Well, you leave her generous tips, and she seems to have decided that that means a serious commitment.”
“I always leave big tips.” He pulled out his phone, sent a text, and then leaned his elbows back on the counter. “Anyhow, I didn’t come here to talk about her.”
“Why did you come?”
He stared at me with that expression I could swear he spent time working on in the mirror. “I’m an ass,” he said.
“No argument here.”
“I was upset and I lashed out at you and it was wrong. I was pissed at myself, and for some stupid reason, I took it out on you.”
“You could have just reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. It would have hurt less.”
He leaned forward. “Come back, Eden. Finley’s been asking for you. She really tore me a new one when she found out why you left.”
“So, this is just a ploy to save your own ass.”
He jumped off the stool and took hold of my arm. “No, this is a ploy to save my heart.”
I stared down at his fingers wrapped around my arm. His face was near mine, but I was not going to give in. I was not going to look up at him because if I did, anything could happen. His phone rang and he released me to answer it.
“Hey. Yeah. Hold on.” He stretched out his arm to hand me the phone. “It’s Finley.”
I had no idea the impact just hearing she was on the other end of the line would have on me.