揇id she get tickets??
I shook my head, still smiling. 揘o, but that抯 okay. I still have that memory of her.?I swallowed, and my throat was thick. 揑 want to do that for someone, one day. I want to shower someone in love and make them feel special. Like they抮e everything to me.?Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them away, turning so Wyatt wouldn抰 see. My chest twisted hard with nostalgia.
揑 remember her.?
My gaze snapped to his and my eyebrows lifted. 揧ou do??
He took another sip of wine before answering. 揗hm. She came to my kindergarten class. She read a book about fish.?
My face lit up. 揝he loved volunteering for story time.?
揝he was really good at reading the story. She did all the voices.?
揟hat sounds just like her.?
We were quiet a moment. My heart was about to crack open.
Wyatt studied my expression. 揧ou look sad, bookworm.?
I had the urge to smile and tell him it was nothing, but this was also Wyatt, and we didn抰 do that. I could be honest with him. I could tell him.
揑 think my mom would look at me right now and be disappointed.?
揝itting in the middle of a forest with one of the Rhodes boys??
I laughed. 揘o.?I waved my hand at myself. 揑抦 living in her shadow.?
揝o that抯 what the whole birthday list thing is all about??
I pressed my mouth into a line and nodded at him.
He made a noise in his throat, a mix between acknowledgement and disapproval.
I frowned.
揘ow, bookworm, that bums me out.?He rubbed his jaw, and when his eyes met mine, a spark hit me in the chest. 揃ecause I think you抮e amazing. You抮e thoughtful, funny, and brave, and you抮e a good boss.?
揑抦 not the boss.?
He lifted an eyebrow. 揧ou are. You manage the store and it抯 clear Liya enjoys working for you. You run that place, however it抯 broken down on paper between you and your dad.?
I didn抰 say anything. He was right, I did run the business.
揧ou抮e living life for yourself. You抮e starting to fail. Your mom wouldn抰 want you to be her clone. She抎 want you to do whatever made you happy, whether that抯 working in the bookstore or falling face first off your board or eating a huge bowl of pasta, sitting by yourself in a restaurant, looking fucking beautiful.?
My breath caught in my throat. He watched me so intently, so clearly, like I was all he could see. My heart squeezed.
揑 think you抮e amazing,?he repeated, softer this time. 揂nd I don抰 think your mom would be disappointed in you. She抎 be proud.?
I swallowed. My heart thumped hard in my chest. Wyatt抯 words etched something sweet into my heart. There was that sting of pain from the nostalgia, of memories that had passed, experiences I抎 never have again. I抎 never talk to her again. I抎 never hug her and feel the warmth of her chest against my face. I抎 never smell her light, floral perfume.
This was all I had, talking about her with Wyatt.
I had wondered once if she would have liked Wyatt. Sitting there in the forest across from him, the fire crackling in front of us, him watching me with that warm gaze, I knew she would. I knew they抎 get along, and that she抎 give me a he抯 cute! look the second he turned around.
揥hat are you smiling at??A teasing grin grew on his face.
I shook my head, letting myself smile wider. 揘othing. Talking about her with you is nice.?
We watched each other for a moment. The light of the fire flickered over his face, lighting his eyes up. My gaze took him in as I memorized the moment.
揑抦 going to miss you.?I tried to smile at him but my mouth twisted. I cleared my throat. 揥hen you leave, I mean.?
He frowned but didn抰 say anything. His gaze swung to the fire.
The video of Wyatt surfing flashed into my head, and that weird kick he did.
換uestion for you.?
He met my gaze and nodded. 揋o for it.?
揚acific Rim, last year.?I tugged at my bottom lip with my teeth, not sure how to say it. 揑 was watching some footage.?My knee bounced up and down. 揊or social media clips. Um.?An uncomfortable laugh huffed out of my chest. 揧ou fell off your board.?
Wyatt watched me with an unreadable expression. His hand tightened on his mug.
I tilted my head with a wince. 揑t wasn抰 a big wave but you fell. And you kicked.?I glanced up at him to see him studying me. 揧ou kicked your leg back and fell off your board.?
He cleared his throat and stared into the fire before he closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. 揧ep. I kicked.?
揇id you棓 My words broke off and his gaze snapped up to me.
揝ay it.?
I shook my head. What if I were wrong?
His eyes were bright. 揝ay it, bookworm.?
揇id you do it on purpose??
His eyes were sad and he pressed his mouth into a thin line before he nodded. 揧ep.?