Buried secrets, two girls with the same face, and a boy who loved too much.
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When Travis and Nicole meet on a bus for the first time, he thinks she's his ex, Rachel, who broke his heart two years ago. But he doesn't understand why she's pretendin...
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WALKING INTO THIS DINER WAS LIKE walking right back into the past; the scents and sounds were all too familiar. The place Cornelia had chosen for us to meet was the same place I'd been with Dylan the night Maudie had stormed in here and my world had been tilted on its axis.
I spotted her immediately. She looked out of place in this diner. Her auburn hair was tumbling around her pretty face in long waves, eyes fixed intently at the door, as if worried I wouldn't show up. She spotted me at once too, and her eyes lit with surprise and relief.
Her makeup was impeccable. She wore an expensive purple turtleneck and white pants, her wrists adorned in bangles.
I slid into the seat facing her. "Hi."
"Rebecca, I'm so glad you came!" She beamed. "What would you like to eat?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine, thanks."
"You don't want to drink anything either?" She raised her brows. "Not even a vanilla milkshake?"
I stifled a smile. "Fine, vanilla milkshake it is."
"Great!" Proud of herself, she beckoned for a waiter.
While she ordered, I leaned back in my seat, trying my possible best to stay calm. Today has been a very long day. I'd made an important trip with my family to Minnesota, and I was exhausted, nerves strung tight.
I'd even thought of canceling with Cornelia even though just yesterday I'd agreed to meet her. But I didn't want her to feel awful, so here I was.
Cornelia turned her attention to me after the waitress left with her order.
"You look..." I got the same look of surprise mixed with admiration courtesy of dyeing my hair black. "You look good. Really. It suits you."
"Thanks."
Cornelia sighed. Tilted her head at me. "How are you? Really?"
"I'm fine," I said lightheartedly. "You?"
Her eyes widened a fraction as if surprised I cared enough to ask. "Well, yeah. I'm fine too. Though, to be honest..."
I waited.
"We miss you." She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes darting away from mine. "It's hard, you know, trying to respect your boundaries and all."
I was unable to think of anything to say.
"My mom's constantly telling Mabel to find you good deals that do not involve me," she went on, chuckling sadly, "so as to respect your wishes and need for distance. To know that you don't want to see me at all anymore..."
Her vulnerability was like a punch to my heart.
"She still stocks the fridge with vanilla milkshakes and orange juice, though no one touches them." Another little chuckle. "At this point, it just feels like a ritual."
