8 Weeks

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter 34 -Shelly

I sat at my desk, barely hearing the soft music of Hunter Hayes coming from my speakers as I drifted off into a daydream about being at the concert with Cal. The last few weeks had been amazing, and I had to admit that I was impressed by the dates he had planned so far. I was eager to see what he would pick for our final date this weekend.

I couldn't believe that it had been eight weeks already. Eight weeks since that horrible night that changed everything about our relationship.

I still didn't know what I was going to do. I appreciated the effort that Cal had put into winning me over, and I knew that I did still love him; I just wasn't a hundred percent sure that I could forgive and forget what he'd done. And if I wasn't one hundred percent, there was no way that I could spend the rest of my life with him.

It was scary to think of my life without Cal. He'd done way more for me than just keep my gas tank full and my coffee stocked. He'd always been my partner in the truest sense of the word, and being apart from him over the past few weeks had really helped me realize that. I missed the way he'd buy my favorite snacks every time he went to the store, sometimes stopping by my office and leaving them on my desk, so I'd walk in to a sweet surprise. He's also kept a secret stash of chocolate at the shop for whenever I stopped by to see him.

I missed meeting him for lunch, and planning out special meals for us to try together. I missed hanging out with our friends, the group of us enjoying a drink or playing games together. Most of all I missed talking to him every night before I went to bed. We used to just lay in bed, talking about our hopes and dreams before drifting off to sleep.

As much as I loved Sasha and Gaby, Cal had been my best friend for the past eight years. I hated to imagine the rest of my life without him.

"Shelly?" I looked up to see Carlos hovering outside my door. Things had been pretty awkward between us since I'd turned him down, and I hoped we'd be able to move past it soon.

"Yes?" I asked with a smile, hoping to ease the tension a bit.

"Um, someone is here to see you. He asked me to come back and see if you had a minute," Carlos replied.

"Oh, yes.Please send him back," I responded, curious about who my visitor could be. I wasn't expecting anyone today. "Thanks,Carlos."

A few minutes later I grinned broadly, whenCraig poked his head around the corner.

"Hey, Shel, I hope it's okay for me to stop by," he said sheepishly as I stood up and rounded my desk to give him a hug.

"Of course it is," I said, genuinely happy to see him. "You can come by any time.I'm surprised to see you though," I said with a glance to the clock on the wall. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I'm on lunch. I only have a couple minutes," he replied as I guided him to the chair in front of my desk.

We sat therefor a moment, and when I realized he wasn't going to say anything without encouragement I asked, "So ... what brought you by?"

He flushed and looked down at his hands,before bringing his eyes up to meet mine.

"There's this girl ..."

"Oh goody," I said with a grin, leaning forward on my desk and clapping my hands together. "What's she like?"

"She's cool.She likes poetry and art and stuff. She's nothing like the girls that hang out at my baseball games; she couldn't care less about that stuff."

"What's the problem?" I asked. Craig was a catch, and I was sure I wasn't being biased; any girl in her right mind would be excited to catch his attention. "Have you asked her out?"

Craig ran his hands through his hair, his face baffled.

"She said no."

I tried not to laugh at his shock over a girl telling him no, but he was beyond adorable.

"Don't give up," I encouraged. "You said she isn't like other girls, so you can't expect her to throw herself at your feet just because you asked her out. If you really want to go out with her, you may have to work a little harder."

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know... Pay attention to what she likes to do, maybe show up at a place that she likes to go. You said she likes poetry and art. See if there are any open mic nights, or talk to her friends and see if she likes museums. Do a little research and show her that you are interested in who she is and what she likes," I suggested.

Craig nodded, his face breaking into a sunny smile. He looked so much like Cal at that age, it made my heart clench.

"Okay, I can do that. Thanks, Shel."

"Anytime, really. And let me know what happens!"

He stood up, so I got up and went around the desk to pull him into a quick hug before he left.

"Hey, Shel?"he asked before walking out.

"Yeah?"

"I know that you have to make a decision that's going to work for you, but I really hope you give Cal another shot. And if you don't, I hope you'll still see us as your family."

Touched, I brought my hands up to Craig's face and promised, "You'll always be my family."