get over it. Once she’s calmed down enough to realize how it looked, she’ll get over it.”
“Promise?” I asked.
“I promise.”
And when I looked into those green eyes, I believed him, so I exhaled all the pent up frustration in one whoosh. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“You know, just being here.”
“Anytime, Liz. Anytime.”
How’s that for a guarantee?
Chapter Seven
The now familiar electrical buzz swept through my body, casting an odd glow from me to the mixer to the bowl. I didn’t jump away from the energy; I basked in it, opening my body to the power swirling thickly around the room. When the last tingle disappeared, I switched off the mixer and poured the batter into the prepared cupcake tins.
“I thought everyone left, and then I heard you banging around.” Alice padded into her kitchen, opened a cupboard, and pulled out one of the few glasses that were still in one piece.“Everyone else took off, but I wanted to stay. Even if you don’t want to talk yet, I didn’t want you to be alone.” After sliding the pan into the oven, I noticed her eyes were still a little puffy but not nearly as bad as before. “Do you mind?”
Sipping the orange juice she’d poured, she shook her head, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re wearing my clothes.”
“I came here straight from the gym. When everyone left, I grabbed a shower. These were in the dryer,” I said, motioning to Alice’s lime-green polka-dotted pajamas.
“They’re too long on you.”
I wanted to hug her, but by the way she held herself, it was fairly obvious she didn’t want to be touched, so I resisted the urge. “Are you hungry? I have cupcakes baking for dessert, but I can make us some dinner if you want.”
“Pizza. I want pizza with everything on it and regular soda. No diet.” She looked at me as if I would argue. Not likely, I love pizza.
“Where do you usually order from?”
“Vito’s. I’ll get the number.” Swiveling on her heel, she gave me a hug. “I acted like an immature brat. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You should be. I’m relieved you’re okay. You’ll need to call the folks tomorrow, you know.”
She frowned. “Yeah, I will. That will be fun.”
“Feel like talking about what happened yet?”
“Nope. You order the pizza, and I’ll find a movie. You’re staying the night, right?”
I’d already called Jon, and he’d ordered me to take the next day off to hang with Alice. “I planned on it, but if you’d rather I leave, you can kick me out.”
“Stay. I could use the company. Just no nagging. Deal?”
“I never nag.”
“Yeah, right.”
The next several hours passed quickly. We watched an older Steve Martin flick, ate pizza, drank sodas, burped from the sodas, and laughed at Steve Martin and Martin Short. When the credits rolled on the movie, Alice clicked the TV off and angled herself on the couch so she could face me.
“I feel really silly,” Alice said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m a fool and, when I tell you this, you’ll know I’m a fool.”
“Now you’re being silly. Look at who you’re talking to. Like I haven’t made a complete idiotic mess out of my life with some of the choices I’ve made?” I squeezed her hand. “I’m the one person you don’t have to worry about coming off as a fool to.”
A smile skimmed across her expression, quickly gone. “Well, that’s true.”
“Hey! You didn’t have to agree so fast!”
“You said it.” Some of the tension dissipated. If she could smile, it couldn’t be too horrible.
“I’m listening.” I curled my legs beneath me and leaned back against the cushion.
“You remember when I told you I met someone? And that he was staying here for a while?”
“Yes. You didn’t tell me anything else, though. I wish I’d pressed you more for details.”
“It sounds stupid now, but I thought I was protecting something special. I didn’t want to bring in the craziness of our family until we had a chance to settle a bit.” Alice’s eyes glazed over. “It all happened so fast.”
“He?”
“His name is Troy. I met him at the club almost a year ago.”
“That long?”
“Well, that’s when things started becoming serious. But we dated for six months before he started staying here a lot. You were having a rough time with Marc, and I didn’t want to make you feel worse because I’d found the love of my life.” Alice fidgeted. “What a joke that is.”
“I don’t understand. Where does the broken glass come in? And your phone call to me today?”
“I’m getting there.