This Spells Love(68)

She nods curtly and smooths the hug wrinkles out of my blouse with her hands. “I talked to your sister last night. We’re both very proud of you. Why don’t you grab your purse? I’ll walk you to the train.”

The walk to the station takes five minutes instead of three at Aunt Livi’s flower-smelling pace. Still, by ten after nine, I have my ticket in hand with the train platform a mere step away. I settle onto a wrought-iron bench next to my aunt to wait.

It feels like I’m back in elementary school, waiting for the school bus to arrive on my first day. Uncertain what will unfold. Unsure if I want to smile or throw up.

I slip my phone from my purse and discreetly check it for messages.

“Are you checking the time or something else?” Aunt Livi’s eyes stay on the train platform as she asks.

“I was hoping for a message from Dax,” I answer honestly. “We left things a little weird yesterday. I asked him to come with me today, but he couldn’t. I think we’re good now, but I’m not exactly sure.”

Aunt Livi doesn’t say a word, but I watch her eyes follow the green-and-white GO train slowly chugging its way into the station.

Finally, she turns to me. “I know you think you know everything about Daxon. But you have to remember that in this life, he has spent four years on a slightly different path. There’s a lot of life that can happen in four years.” She leans over and places a kiss on my cheek, then stands and holds out her arms, completely ignoring the fact that she just dropped a weirdly cryptic message. “Knock ’em dead today, kid.”

I hug her again, trying to absorb some of her confidence in me. I point to the waiting train. “I’m going to go get a seat.”

I grab my purse, and when I stand, Aunt Livi is holding out another coffee cup.

“If I drink that one too, I’m going to pee my pants.”

She presses it into my hand anyway. “Then sit near the bathroom, poodle.”

I take the cup because I learned long ago not to disobey my aunt. However, I can tell by the smell and the slosh of the black liquid onto the lid as I walk that it’s coffee. A bit counterintuitive to the chamomile.

I find my track and walk to the very back of the platform. I’ve never lost the childhood thrill of riding in the caboose. GO trains have two levels, and I choose a compartment on the lower one. I find a seat by the window and settle in. A female voice comes over the PA system announcing that the train will depart in two minutes and arrive in Toronto on time. I check my phone one last time for a message. There’s nothing.

The PA system repeats the message in French, and the doors ding and then close. The train pulls slowly away from the station, and my heart sinks in my chest at roughly the same speed. Maybe I’ve watched too many romantic movies in my life, or, as Aunt Livi said, maybe I’m clinging to a different Dax who doesn’t exist in this world. Still, a part of me hoped to see him running down the platform. A last-minute change of heart.

My phone vibrates. My heart slingshots upward toward my throat until I pull it out and see the 1-800 number. Just a scam call. Not Dax. I need to calm down and focus on my meeting. Aunt Livi’s right. Dax and I are different here. We’re not yet morally obligated to support each other in the big moments.

I lean my head back against the seat. The one upside of this trip is that I have the whole train car to myself. No annoying house music blasting from someone’s earbuds. Or weird smells from an on-the-go breakfast. Or worst of all, a non-commuter who has yet to learn the first rule of the GO train: Don’t make unsolicited conversation with strangers.

No sooner do I think it than I hear the familiar thump-de-thump of heavy feet coming down the stairs.

Way to go, Gemma. Have you not learned your lesson? The universe lies waiting to fuck with you at any moment.

Shoes appear in my line of sight first. White Nikes with a thin strip of brown leather above the sole and a matte black Swoosh.

Custom Nikes.

As the shoes come farther down the steps, the next thing I see is a pair of black jeans. Jeans that leave nothing to the imagination.

He smiles when he sees me.

And suddenly, I know. We are the same here. The universe could make us live a thousand different lifetimes, and we’ll always find a way to be there for each other.

“You came.”

He doesn’t get the chance to answer because the moment he sits down next to me, my lips are upon his. Screw my feelings on PDA. This is an emergency. I kiss him, long and hard, until I’m out of breath and need to break for air.

“I managed to sort things out.” He plants a slow, soft kiss on my lips.

“You got someone to cover the store?”

He swallows. “Nah. I closed up shop. You were right. One day won’t make much of a difference.”

He glances at my extra coffee. Before I can explain why I have two cups, it hits me.

This coffee wasn’t meant for me.

Aunt Livi, sometimes I wonder about you.

“Need some caffeine?” I hand him the untouched cup. “I have a strong suspicion this is dark roast.”

Dax raises an eyebrow but doesn’t argue as he takes it from my hand.

“This is going to be so much fun. We haven’t been to Toronto together in ages.”

Dax takes a long sip of coffee, then closes his eyes and lets out a satisfied exhale. “Pretty sure we’ve never been to Toronto together. Must be thinking of your other boyfriend.”