Thick & Thin (Thin Love, #3)(24)
“Yeah.”
Something moved between us that I didn’t recognize. My gut told me to hug her, kiss her in greeting, but I couldn’t be sure how she’d react if I did. This engagement made me feel out of my element, like I wasn’t sure how to act around her anymore.
I f*cking hated that.
“I know we had plans for lunch this afternoon, but I had to go to Baton Rouge this morning, and now I have some other errands to run,” she said, fighting a grin.
I smiled, stepping right up to her without thinking when her impassive expression turned quickly into amusement then, seconds later, pure joy. I knew what was in Baton Rouge and I knew why that place would make her smile. “You finally got the second location?” She looked beautiful grinning like that, dimples denting deep.
A quick nod and Aly’s smile went even wider. “Bringing the papers to my lawyer when I leave here.”
“Nani, that’s great.” I couldn’t help myself, bent down and kissed her cheek, stepping back before I did something stupid.
“Thanks,” she said shrugging like this success wasn’t a big deal. I knew better. She’d wanted to branch out for a solid year but the studio’s owners were dragging their feet, unsure if someone so young could handle their large school.
“Really, that’s amazing…” Watching that smile, seeing the pride that warmed her skin made me itch to be close to her again. Another kiss? A quick hug that would linger? But she didn’t want that. Not from me. Besides, touching her wouldn’t be enough. The awkwardness rose between us and I nodded, wiping the sweat from my neck, hating that we seemed so distant, so shy with each other despite her good news. Aly adjusted on her foot, keys rustling in her hands and I decided to break the awkwardness with kindness. “You…you didn’t have to drive all the way out here to tell me about missing lunch.”
“I know, shoushou, but you were on the way back and I…” When I frowned, stared off down the road, across the neighborhood away from her attention, Aly tilted her head, as though she wondered why I hadn’t liked her using that endearment. “I…guess I wanted to tell you the good news.”
My chest tightened a little when she said that. “Yeah…I mean. That’s good. That’s…” There had been so many times I’d said the same thing to her; my accomplishments were great, they made me feel like I hadn’t wasted years running and tackling and each time I ticked off another goal from my list, Aly was the first person I wanted to tell about it.
It hit me, just then, that this was the first time since getting into college that Aly had the chance to share really good news with me. Blinking, I forced another smile at her, disgusted with myself, with the reality of how often she’d been pushed aside in my climb to success.
“Come on,” I told her, wanting a distraction to pull my thoughts back toward Aly and away from my knuckleheadedness. “I’ll fix you a celebratory coffee.” She started to shake her head and I flashed a grin at her. “Mom picked up dark roast this morning.”
That got her, I knew it would. “Well I can’t turn that down, now can I?”
She followed as I jogged up the walk toward the lake house. The cold air from the AC chilled my wet skin and, without thinking, I stripped off my shirt as soon as we cleared the foyer. It was old habit, me not thinking that maybe she was uncomfortable with me being half naked, but as I moved into the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot, I caught Aly’s distracted expression as she looked around the room, seeming unbothered by me or my naked chest.
“So when will you be able to set up the school?”
She was animated, beautiful when she used her hands, laughing at how fast she spoke, giving me details I’d never remember. Watching her, listening to her talk about her plans, her hopes for the new school reminded me how long it had been since I’d seen her lit up like a Christmas tree. Like she couldn’t contain her excitement or the bubble of joy that floated around her.
As she continued, I had another realization—not once while we were in Miami had Aly ever been this excited about anything she did. Not the camps she taught or the classes she gave at the Y. In fact, she hadn’t been this excited, I realized, until she’d come back to New Orleans. Until Leann had sold her the dance studio and Aly took over the school like a fearless champion, refusing to listen to anyone that told her she couldn’t do it on her own. Until she had won two state championships when everyone told her not to expect to win anything.
But she’d done it—every damn thing she attempted, she’d accomplished.
Without me.
The coffee sizzled as I took the pot from the base and the thick scent of dark roast filled the air. Aly stood next to me, fixing her coffee, stirring in creamer and sugar absently. “You don’t want any?” She frowned when I put the sugar back in the cabinet.
“Nah. Still too hot from my run.”
She glanced at me, the lingering smile still on her face as she sipped from her cup. Something clicked off in my brain; it was dark and a little possessive but nothing that urged me to be destructive. Aly had moved forward with her life, I knew that. Clearly. And I wasn’t stupid. I knew she’d probably slept with Ethan. I knew she might care about him a lot. But what coursed inside my head just then was a myriad of emotions I wasn’t sure how to analyze or sort into any real sense.