Steal My Breath (Elixir 1)

I know this is her way of telling me she doesn’t want to discuss her problems anymore. Avery hates going over problems incessantly. She’s a fixer rather than a grumbler, and I always respect that. I never try to force her into talking about something she’s not ready to tackle.

I reach into my bag and pull more lollipops out. Smiling, I say, “I came prepared.”

A smile slowly spreads across her face. “I love you.”

We spend the next five hours sorting through her orders and packaging them up for shipping. Avery sells a wide range of women’s products from hair accessories to make-up tools, handbags, clothes and phone accessories. Over the last few years, she has amassed a large customer base and sources anything they ask for. If she didn’t have the expense of caring for her family members, she’d be able to live off her earnings from the eBay shop alone.

“I think that’s all for today,” she says after collapsing onto the couch once we finish packing the last order.

I join her. “Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do to help? I’ve got the whole day off.”

“No, I’m all caught up now. Thank you so much for helping. It feels like a huge weight off my shoulders.” Her lips curl up into a smile. “What you can do, though, is tell me how things are between you and Luke.”

“Oh, God, I tried to cook him a roast last night. Epic fail. And when I say epic, I mean fucking epic with a capital E.”

Her smile morphs into a frown. “What, the date was a fail? Or the roast?”

“The roast! You know I can’t cook to save myself. I don’t know what I was thinking when I told him I could cook.”

She laughs and doesn’t stop. Tears are soon streaming down her face again, but these ones are happy at least. “This is too funny, Callie. Thank you for the laugh. I needed it.”

“I’m pretty sure Luke was holding his laughter back last night.”

“So what did you eat instead? Or did you starve the man?”

“He resurrected the roast and then cooked the gravy and veggies. It’s so embarrassing. I’m never cooking for a man again.”

She’s still laughing. “It will go down in your history. You guys will remember this for years to come, and that’s something pretty special. But yeah, maybe let him cook in future.”

I love the way she talks about our future as if it’s a given. “I hope we’re together that long for it to become a favourite memory,” I say softly.

“Am I allowed to know Luke’s big secret yet?”

Smiling, I say, “Yes. I asked him last night if it was okay to tell you. He was kind of weird about it at first; he muttered something about women having to know everything. But he did agree that so long as you don’t broadcast it around the bar, he’s okay with it.”

Her eyes light up, and she practically bounces on the spot. “So spill!”

I share everything I know about Luke and his family with her as she sits in complete silence. It’s unlike Avery not to butt in with questions, but she doesn’t. I think I’ve stunned the shit out of her with this story.

When I finish, she says, “Fuck me. If you weren’t the one telling me that, I’m not sure I’d believe it. That sounds like something off a TV show more than real life.”

“You’re telling me. It’s taken me ages to wrap my head around this. And besides the wife stuff, I was almost speechless when I met his son. Luke never struck me as a father.”

“Me either, but I can see it now. He’s a bossy man. I can imagine him bossing a kid around.”

My phone sounds with a text, interrupting us.

Luke: Are you free for me to call?

Me: Give me a minute. I’ll call you.

Looking up at Avery, I say, “It’s Luke.”

She moves off the couch. “You go, babe. I’m going to take a nap before I have to head over to Helena’s and check on her. Thank you so much for today.”

I hug her goodbye. “Stop thanking me. I’m here whenever you need me.”

We finish up our goodbyes, and I head outside, dialling Luke as I walk. The cold air catches me by surprise, and I pick up my pace so I can shelter in the warmth of my car. This winter has been colder than usual. We’ve also had a lot more rain, and I almost slip on the muddy driveway.