Page 107 of All That We Are Together
“It is. You needed someone to lean on and I needed to hold you up. I knew from the beginning you’d never forget him, but even so, what we had was enough, feeling useful to you, and it was all so easy…”
“Too easy,” I said.
“Yeah, probably.”
We stayed quiet so long that I thought he’d hung up, but no, he was there, breathing on the other line.
“Even though you’re so far away, it’s like I’m seeing the dawn with you. I’m up on top of the hill; you can’t imagine how beautiful it is when the whole city wakes up and fills with noise. There’salways noise here, you know. It’s weird. This constant, unceasing murmur.”
“Will we see each other when you get back?”
“As often as you want, Landon.”
“Okay, Leah. See you soon, then.”
I didn’t hang up for a while after that. I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I’d been to run into Landon that night so long ago. Maybe not every story is destined to be forever, but that doesn’t mean the road wasn’t worth it. I liked thinking we could hold on to all the things we encountered on the way before reaching into the bottom of one last drawer and finding out it was empty.
96
Leah
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much every time someone went over to my painting. I was trying to be agreeable with all the visitors, but I could hardly understand anything anyone was saying to me except when Hans or Scarlett came over to give me a hand with the language.
I looked at the other artists. All of them seemed comfortable in their own skin, proud, calm. I forced myself to stop tapping my feet and stand up straight. When I looked up, I found a pair of dark blue eyes looking at me from one corner of the room. Axel looked so uncomfortable in that tight suit, so repressed, so unlike himself…
The part of me that wanted to walk barefoot and paint without thinking wanted to go over there and whisper some joke to him that only the two of us could understand. The other held back and feigned a bright smile when William, Scarlett’s husband, came over to say hello and ask me how the afternoon was going.
97
Axel
I was relieved when at last the exhibition was over and we could leave. It was getting harder and harder for me to pretend I didn’t want to bolt whenever I was around those people. I was tired of boring conversations and trying to keep up appearances when everyone seemed to be acting in a low-budget movie with their constant insincere compliments.
“You all right?” Leah grabbed my hand as we walked down the street looking for somewhere to eat. “You didn’t seem especially comfortable in there.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Are you comfortable around those people?”
“I don’t know. Yeah. Sometimes.”
I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t know what else to say. I went on walking until we saw a decent-looking place where we grabbed a table and a couple of drinks.
“Come on,” she said, “tell me what’s up.”
“I’m really not sure. I’ve just got this weird feeling, thisinstinct, like when something creeps you out. I get it whenever I’m around most of those people. Don’t worry about it. This is our second date, and we’re going back home in less than three weeks. I want to enjoy the evening.”
Leah smiled, but her lips were trembling. I knew there was something she wasn’t saying, but I decided to let it go instead of pressing her. I knew all this was dazzling her and I wanted to let her enjoy that if it made her happy.
The tension dissipated when we ordered dinner.
“Where should we go tonight?”
“I’ve got a plan this time.”
“You, making plans?” she asked.