Page 45 of Last Letters to Ara
I take a deep breath and look out my window. Theo is right. I’ve got this. I’m going to figure it all out, but if I sit in this comfortable bubble forever, I never will. It’s time I take the first step.
Grabbing my keys, I head in to face Jabba the Hutt herself, for the last time.
With a smile on my face.
• • •
Joel and Dan attempted to bake me a going away cake and I’m here for it. It looks absolutely terrible, which makes it mean even more to me. I engulf them both in a hug and ignore the look of shock on their faces at my affection.
I pull back and look around before whispering, “Where is the demon?”
The boys look around conspiratorially and whisper back at the same time, “We’re not sure.”
That’s strange. I pull out my phone and see an email from Karen, reading it out loud.
Sarah,
It seems I must have caught your bug. I am unwell and won’t be coming in. The new trainee will be there for this shift, teach her the ropes.
No slacking.
-Karen
We look up at each other in disbelief, getting to spend my last shift enjoying each other’s company without Karen breathing down our necks? It’s almost too good to be true. The boys erupt with gleeful cheers, and I can’t help but join in with a smile.
“So, guys? How’s life?” Even though I see them almost every day, we’ve never gotten to know each other personally. Mostly due to my aversion to establishing personal connections, but also because of Karen acting like an ogre.
“Nope,” Joel says. “We’ve been working with you for what? Two years now?”
Dan pipes up then, “And we know almost nothing about you.”
“Then that boy shows up out of the blue…” adds Joel.
“And we want answers,” Dan finishes.
I look between them both and can’t help my giggle. “Did you guys rehearse that before I got here?”
“You’re deflecting.” Joel looks back to Dan. “This is what my teenagers do when they want me off their back.”
I roll my eyes, and only because I’ve been dying to talk to anyone about Theo, I tell them. “His name is Theo, and he’s nice.”
They both raise their eyebrows, glancing at each other, telling me how nice they believe a young man can be.
“No, really. He’s experienced real shit, so he treats people well and doesn’t take things for granted. He’s a published writer, intelligent... and sometimes I think that he can read my mind.” I stop talking because I realize I’mgushing. I’mfucking gushing. And I could go on for much longer.
I haven’t even mentioned the way his stormy green eyes feel as they brush over my skin, leaving me feeling as though I’m made of nothing but flammable materials, just waiting to be ignited. I could tell them about his smile, which leaves me disarmed and ready to offer up my heart, despite my greatest fears. I could tell them about his soul, so deep and honest, which grounds me in a way I’ve never experienced.
The guys look at me knowingly.
“You’re in deep shit,” Joel says with a waggle of his brows.
As if I didn’t already know that. “We are strictly friends, nothing more.”
Dan rolls his eyes. “You can say whatever you like, but you’ve got it bad for that boy.”
“No one has it bad foranyone.” I sound defensive even to my own ears.
“Dan, we better clear our calendars, there is a wedding in our future,” Joel teases.
