Sunset In Central Park (From Manhattan with Love 2)

“There’s nothing wrong with you.” He looped his arm around her shoulders, trying to push his own pain to one side so that he could focus on hers. “You’re one of the best people I know.”

“I live in this amazing city, surrounded by all these people and I’m on my own. That’s sad, but what makes me even sadder is that you’ve met the right person and it still isn’t working out.”

“Some things aren’t meant to work out.”

“This shouldn’t be one of those things.”

“If you have any words of wisdom, I’m listening.”

She handed the bag back to him. “I don’t have words of wisdom. Just a shoulder for you to lean on. And coffee and calories.”

He smiled, touched. “You’re a generous person, Ev. And a good friend. Somewhere out there in Manhattan there is a hot guy waiting for you.”

“I’m glad you mentioned the hot part.” She peeled the top off her coffee and blew on it. “I definitely deserve someone superhot.”

“You do.”

“With great abs.”

“Great abs are important.”

She sipped her coffee. “Good shoulders would be nice, too.”

“Shoulders.” He nodded. “Anything else?”

“Stamina, because I haven’t had sex in a long time.”

Matt hadn’t thought he was capable of smiling right now, but he found himself smiling. “Stamina. Is that it?”

“He has to not mind that I still have the stuffed kangaroo Grams gave me when I was five.”

&n

bsp; “So he needs to be either visually impaired, CEO of a soft toy company or tolerant.”

“And he needs to be kind,” Eva said softly. “I don’t want a player who is going to break my heart. I’ve cried a lot this year since—well, you know. My New Year’s resolution is not to cry once.”

“It’s only September.”

“Which means I have a little over three months to get my crying done. Then that’s it. Oh, and I bought a new condom to replace the one that expired, so I need to use that before it goes out of date like the last one. Because I’m a person who hates waste.”

“Naturally. It’s the eco-friendly thing to do.” He stirred. “Just the one condom?”

“That’s all I carry. And I probably won’t even need that one. I have so much love to give,” she said gloomily, “and no one wants it.”

“Some lucky guy is going to want it.”

She roused herself and nudged him in the ribs. “He’ll probably use my condom and then leave me with a broken heart.”

“If anyone breaks your heart, Jake and I will take him down.” He lifted his arm away from her shoulder and finished his coffee. “You deserve someone special.”

“Trouble is we don’t always get what we deserve.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Matt. You’re the brother I never had.” She said it easily, wearing her emotions as comfortably and effortlessly as she wore her clothes. There was no embarrassment. No awkwardness. No qualification. Just Eva, whose heart was big enough to fill the whole of Manhattan.

“I love you, too, honey.”

“When you hurt, I hurt.”

“I’ll survive. I’m big and strong.”