Read Online A Bird on a Windowsill by Laura Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Miller
Ads: Link
around my neck and falls against my chest while I wrap my arms around her. She feels just as good as she smells. I breathe her in, and my senses fill with the sweet, familiar scent of her perfume, laundry soap and that vanilla-scented lotion she always wears.
“Wow, I didn’t realize how much I missed you.” Her voice is muffled in my chest.
I want to say I missed her, too, but I’m afraid my voice might crack before I get it all out.
“But it looks as if time has been good to you,” she says, pulling away from me.
She smiles and then walks over to the porch swing. “Come on, sit down with me.”
“Okay,” I say, slowly bobbing my head.
I take the couple steps toward the swing and then sit down. I make sure there’s some, but not too much, space in between us.
“So, how’d you know I was back?”
“Oh, Dillon overheard your uncle talking about you.”
“Aah,” she says, nodding her head.
“How come you didn’t tell me you were coming back?”
“I wanted to surprise you. I was going to go tap on your window in the middle of the night.”
I can’t help but smile at that. “I probably would have liked that.”
She laughs now, too, and it reminds me of how much I missed her laugh.
“Well, are you back for good?” I ask, when our laughter grows faint.
“No, just for the summer. I’m helping Uncle Lester out at the paper. But mostly, we’re just spending time together. That’s what Mom said anyway.”
I reach for her hand. I don’t know why I do it. I just saw her hand, and I felt like holding it. But just as quickly as my skin touches hers, she pulls her hand back.
“Eben.”
“What?”
“I have a boyfriend.”
My forehead wrinkles, and my heart sinks deep inside my chest.
“You do?”
She nods once. And slowly, my eyes find the floor. I don’t want to give away to her what I’m thinking. But after a little while, I can tell she’s looking at me. So, I give in and look at her.
“But you’re my friend, and that’s never gonna change,” she says.
My gaze goes straight back down to those weathered boards. Maybe, subconsciously, I’m looking for my heart down there.
“Eben?”
She’s silent after that, and I know she wants me to look at her.
“Yeah?” I finally ask, lifting my eyes.
“Can we just pretend I never said the boyfriend part? Can we just be us ?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Somehow, a small smile finds my face. And at the same time, her expression softens.
“Who is he?”
She lets out a sigh, and then she rests her head on my shoulder. “His name is Aaron.”
Aaron . I try not to roll my eyes, or at least, not let her catch me doing it. I don’t know why it’s worse when they have a name.
“He plays football. And he’s good at it. But he also has a level head, you know?”
I nod, habitually, but I don’t care what kind of head this guy’s got.
“Are you happy?”
She tilts her face and finds my eyes.
“Yeah,” she says, nodding against my shoulder. “I am.”
“Okay.” I take a breath in and then force it out slowly. “Well, it’s getting late. I just wanted to see you with my own eyes.”
“Come back tomorrow night.”
Something makes me hesitate, but I also know, without a doubt, I’ll be back here tomorrow no matter if she’s got six boyfriends.
“Okay,” I say. And then I stand, refit my baseball cap back over my head and make my way back to my truck.
“Eben.”
I turn back toward her.
“You find my star tower yet?”
I chuckle softly to myself.
“Getting close.”
“Good,” she says, smiling her same, sweet, comfortable smile back at me.
Chapter Fifteen
Salem
(Seventeen Years Old)
Day 4,563
I pull up to Vannah’s uncle’s house the very next evening—just like I said I would.
I knock on the door, and after a few moments, Lester’s standing in front of me with the door wide open.
It seems as if each time I see him, he’s getting older and thinner. But still,
“Wow, I didn’t realize how much I missed you.” Her voice is muffled in my chest.
I want to say I missed her, too, but I’m afraid my voice might crack before I get it all out.
“But it looks as if time has been good to you,” she says, pulling away from me.
She smiles and then walks over to the porch swing. “Come on, sit down with me.”
“Okay,” I say, slowly bobbing my head.
I take the couple steps toward the swing and then sit down. I make sure there’s some, but not too much, space in between us.
“So, how’d you know I was back?”
“Oh, Dillon overheard your uncle talking about you.”
“Aah,” she says, nodding her head.
“How come you didn’t tell me you were coming back?”
“I wanted to surprise you. I was going to go tap on your window in the middle of the night.”
I can’t help but smile at that. “I probably would have liked that.”
She laughs now, too, and it reminds me of how much I missed her laugh.
“Well, are you back for good?” I ask, when our laughter grows faint.
“No, just for the summer. I’m helping Uncle Lester out at the paper. But mostly, we’re just spending time together. That’s what Mom said anyway.”
I reach for her hand. I don’t know why I do it. I just saw her hand, and I felt like holding it. But just as quickly as my skin touches hers, she pulls her hand back.
“Eben.”
“What?”
“I have a boyfriend.”
My forehead wrinkles, and my heart sinks deep inside my chest.
“You do?”
She nods once. And slowly, my eyes find the floor. I don’t want to give away to her what I’m thinking. But after a little while, I can tell she’s looking at me. So, I give in and look at her.
“But you’re my friend, and that’s never gonna change,” she says.
My gaze goes straight back down to those weathered boards. Maybe, subconsciously, I’m looking for my heart down there.
“Eben?”
She’s silent after that, and I know she wants me to look at her.
“Yeah?” I finally ask, lifting my eyes.
“Can we just pretend I never said the boyfriend part? Can we just be us ?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Somehow, a small smile finds my face. And at the same time, her expression softens.
“Who is he?”
She lets out a sigh, and then she rests her head on my shoulder. “His name is Aaron.”
Aaron . I try not to roll my eyes, or at least, not let her catch me doing it. I don’t know why it’s worse when they have a name.
“He plays football. And he’s good at it. But he also has a level head, you know?”
I nod, habitually, but I don’t care what kind of head this guy’s got.
“Are you happy?”
She tilts her face and finds my eyes.
“Yeah,” she says, nodding against my shoulder. “I am.”
“Okay.” I take a breath in and then force it out slowly. “Well, it’s getting late. I just wanted to see you with my own eyes.”
“Come back tomorrow night.”
Something makes me hesitate, but I also know, without a doubt, I’ll be back here tomorrow no matter if she’s got six boyfriends.
“Okay,” I say. And then I stand, refit my baseball cap back over my head and make my way back to my truck.
“Eben.”
I turn back toward her.
“You find my star tower yet?”
I chuckle softly to myself.
“Getting close.”
“Good,” she says, smiling her same, sweet, comfortable smile back at me.
Chapter Fifteen
Salem
(Seventeen Years Old)
Day 4,563
I pull up to Vannah’s uncle’s house the very next evening—just like I said I would.
I knock on the door, and after a few moments, Lester’s standing in front of me with the door wide open.
It seems as if each time I see him, he’s getting older and thinner. But still,
Similar Books
