Page 50 of Don't Think
“Oh! I know, it’s so weird. But hey, the more the merrier!” Ana interrupts.
“So, you guys are joining us?” Nora asks from beside Allie, her eyes locked on Gareth.
My eyes meet Allie’s again, and I give her a small, hopeful smile. “Only if you’re okay with it.”
She looks at me, her eyes searching mine as if weighing the pros and cons. Then she takes her bottom lip between her teeth, fighting back a smile before she finally nods. “Yeah, that sounds fun.”
My grin stretches from ear to ear, but I try to hide it as best I can with a fake cough. “Perfect, lead the way.”
By the time we make it back to the main area, Nora is already bouncing on her heels. She has about as much energy as James, and I can’t help but steal glances at Allie while we watch her skip around like we’re proud parents.
If you didn’t know Allie from a bar of soap, you’d still be able to tell how much she truly cares for everyone around her. I can only imagine how she must be when having to stick up for her friends. I picture her wedging herself between whatever or whoever tries to mess with them, chest puffed out, putting them in their place.
“So,” I say, clearing my throat. “How have you been since we last saw each other?”
She turns to look at me and slips a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good! We’ve just been taking as much time as we can to relax.”
The lights might be practically off in the aquarium, but the blue glow from the tanks shines along her face, making her eyes look even more blue. This poor woman must think I’m crazy for staring at her so much, but I can’t help it, and I just hope she takes it as a compliment.
“What about you guys?” she asks, her eyes returning to the tanks as an angelfish swims by.
I shove my hands into my pockets and shrug. “Pretty much the same. We sort of just showed up here and are holed up in the hotel until we start recording, so all we really do is relax.”
She stops walking and tilts her head at me. “Wait, you guys came to Boston, can’t record for a few more weeks, and are just… sitting in your hotel until then?”
Heat prickles my neck while her eyes search mine. She almost looks… sorry for us?
I shrug again. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.” I chuckle. “It’s a pretty big hotel. We’ve got a bar and a restaurant in the lobby. Oh, and apparently an entire store.”
“Yeah, but still,” she says, continuing to walk at a slower pace. “That just sounds… boring.” She wrinkles her nose.
“What can I say? We’re easy to please.”
She lifts a paper from her hand, looking between that and the tanks when it dawns on me.
The damn scavenger hunt.
I’d been walking beside her, watching her face light up with every new fish we passed. When she saw a seahorse and started giggling, the scavenger hunt just slipped from my mind. All I wanted to do was keep finding things so she made that sound again.
She looks back down, reading it before looking up. “We need to find a clownfish.”
“So, Nemo?” I chuckle, scanning the tank in front of us.
She groans. “My girls have rewatched that so many times I’ve lost count, but yes.”
The second she mentions her girls, the memory of the last time we saw each other flashes in my mind. The heartbreaking cries on the floor of her room, her fingers digging into my forearms—all because she was worried about being a good mum.
You won’t know more if you don’t ask.
“Tell me about them.” It doesn’t come out like a question, but more of a request.
She looks at me over her shoulder, flashing a wide smile, then turns back to the tank.
“Well, Charlotte’s my fiery five-year-old who acts like she’s about to turn thirteen.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “But she’sveryhelpful. She asked me for her own cleaning set for Christmas this year.” She laughs.
“A five-year-old who enjoys cleaning?” I chuckle. “That’s unheard of.”
“Tell me about it!” She beams with a grin. “Then there’s Lydia,” she starts, and I can see a storm suddenly form behind her eyes. Tears start to build, but she takes a deep breath and holds them back. “She’s, uh, three.” She nods slowly, pausing to collect herself.
