揌e loves you enough not to pursue that relationship, if you don抰 want it. Because he can抰 stand the thought of hurting you more.?She pauses, a thin smile appearing. 揑 just write sappy poems, but that sounds like a hell of a foundation to work with. I抎 call it love, Eliza.?
I snort, my inner pessimist rising up. 揕ove? You think he loves me??
揈liza, Eliza…hold still.?Her hand hovers over my face.
Then she flicks me between the eyes.
揙w, what the hell??I jerk back. 揥hat was that for??
揟hat抯 me, waking you up. You抮e welcome. And not to be the pushy, overbearing best friend from every bad rom-com here, but he loves you, silly. After Derek, I know this scares you,?she lays her hand on my shoulder. 揙n paper, Cole seems similar, but we both know he抯 not. He抯 proven it a thousandfold. If you抎 just be honest with yourself for one minute, you抎 know I抦 right. You抎 have to admit you love him, too. There抯 also something else to consider.?
揥hat??
揥ell, until he hears from the police or reads your statement, he can抰 know everything Troy said, right? Don抰 you think he deserves that closure??
Oh, crap.
A hot tear escapes my eye.
Why am I even crying?
Because Dakota is right. I might just be the dumbest, most stubborn woman in Seattle.
揅losure, yeah. Everything else…maybe,?I whisper. 揃ut if he loves me enough not to pursue anything, then maybe I love him enough to let him.?
揟hat抯 stupid,?she clips.
揥hat can I say? We抮e People of Inaction. So full of love we抮e too paralyzed to actually make each other happy.?
揑 think you need another brain scan. I can抰 believe what I抦 hearing.?She gives me a skeptical look.
揧eah, yeah. I know.?
揥hen you抮e on your feet again without your spine falling out, you need to find him, Eliza. Talk, before this gets even more ridiculous and one of you starts training messenger ravens or something.?
That wins her a laugh. 揙h, no. You抮e still the only woman ever who gets a guy groveling with a trained raven.?
A huge smile stretches across her face and she blushes. 揑t was nice. But I want you to stop being your own worst enemy. Go get your happily ever after. Do not mess this up, Eliza, or I抣l brick you up in the nearest wine cellar.?
Big words when your best friend is a Poe and a poet.
My stomach flips over. I抦 woozy and dizzy and I can抰 even blame it on the painkillers.
I don抰 want to lose Cole.
I don抰 want to lose Destiny, either, and they抮e a package deal.
But what if they抮e already gone?
What if I make the effort and Cole decides I抦 not worth it? If he tells me to get lost?
揈liza, are you okay??Dakota asks.
I drain my coffee and set the empty cup on the nightstand beside my bed.
揥hatever. I guess I抣l call him.?
揘ope.?She smiles so sweetly I almost die. 揟his is a conversation you抮e having in person.?
揃ut棓
揘o buts, Eliza. We both know you抎 never forgive me if I let you do this over the phone.?
God, she抯 right. But I can抰 just up and do it in person, either.
揇akota, I抦 scared,?I whisper.
揑 know, honey. But I don抰 think you need to be.?
I grit my teeth, imagining something awful. 揥hat if he tells me to get lost??
She snorts. 揌e won抰， but you抣l never know if you don抰 try.?
I shake my head.
揑抳e already told my parents I抎 move home. They totally freaked out after棓 After Troy tried to kill me, I抦 about to say, but I can抰 find the words. It makes it too real again. 揂fter the incident. And maybe he should call me first??
揟oo easy. He抯 waiting on you, girl.?She sighs, looking up at the ceiling before she glances at me again. 揕ook, if one of you doesn抰 make a move ASAP, you抮e both going to lose. Guaranteed. I抦 not his best friend, so I can抰 advise him. You抮e the only one I can talk any sense to梚s it getting through??
揌is best friend can抰 get bail at the moment,?I say glumly.
揋ood, neither of you have anything else to worry about then. I vote you抮e going to have to listen to your friend this time.?
揑抣l take the leap, but if this ends badly, I抦 blaming you, Dakota.?
揈nds badly??
揗eaning, if I humiliate myself and he抯 as uninterested as we think棓
揑f that happens, I抣l sign over Evermore to you. Lincoln might be kinda pissed梑ut I know there抯 nothing to worry about. One thousand percent.?She stands. 揝peaking of Evermore, I抎 better go squeeze in some writing while she抯 down for her nap, but I抣l be back for lunch.?
揟hanks.?
She grins. 揥hat are friends for??
I look down at my arm, still in the sling. 揌ey, Dakota??