Fall from Love

to spend all this time with you. I was wondering when you were gonna leave. I’ve got to say that it’s been a pretty painful day, I think you owe me another breakfast now.” Actually, it’s the best day I can remember having in a long time.
    “Got it, another breakfast.” She laughs. “Well, I guess I’ll head home.” She stands up and I stand with her, emptiness filling me.
    “Instead of breakfast, how about dinner... tonight?” The words come out of my mouth before I even have a chance to really think about them.
    “Really, you’re not sick of me yet?”
    God, if she only knew how much I’m not sick of her. “Nah, you’re not that bad.”
    She swallows hard and licks her lips. “Okay, dinner sounds good. I am kind of hungry.”
    After she agrees to stay, my heart relaxes and I feel like I can breathe a little easier… for just a few more hours anyway.
    “This time I’ll cook. I’m not sure what, but I’m sure Josh has something in here I can throw together.” I make my way over to the pantry.
    I scan the pantry shelves and then the refrigerator. There are a ton of different ingredients, but I’m not sure what to do with any of them. “Uh, how’s macaroni sound?
    She laughs. “Perfect. Macaroni sounds perfect.”
    When she takes a seat at the barstool in front of me, I turn the box over and actually read the directions. The last thing I want to do is make an ass out of myself and ruin a box of freaking macaroni.
    “So, are you going home for Thanksgiving break?” she asks me while I measure out the water.
    Hearing the word home and knowing what’s waiting for me when I get there causes my shoulders to tense. “Yeah, I’m actually headed back a few days early… probably tomorrow morning.” I relax a little and pour the water into the pot.
    “So, you seem pretty close to your sister. What about your mom and dad?” she asks. This time the tension is felt all over my body and I’m not sure how to answer her. I wish it didn’t hurt so bad to talk about my family, but it does. It’s full of death and other depressing shit. I know all too well that Holly doesn’t need any more of that in her life.
    “Yeah, my sister and I are pretty close.” I don’t mention my parents. “How about you? Are you going home to New York?” I ask, hoping she won’t want to talk anymore about my family.
    She shakes her head. “No, I’m actually going to spend Thanksgiving with Jenna in Colorado Springs. I’ll go home to New York for Christmas and stay there through New Year’s, though.”
    I nod and then something hits me, hard. I knew this was coming, but it doesn’t seem real until she says it out loud. After tonight, I won’t see her over Thanksgiving break… an entire week without her.

 
     
    Chapter Fifteen
     
    It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know that it has begun.
    ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
     
    HOLLY
    Carter sets a big bowl of macaroni down in front of me and I can’t help feeling like a kid again. I can’t remember the last time I ate macaroni out of a box.
    He sits back in the chair he’s been sitting in all day. It’s crazy to me that we’ve actually been in the kitchen talking since breakfast. Today is about as close as you can get to perfect and I can’t help wishing it would never end. I know that he’s going home tomorrow and it’ll be over a week until we see each other again. My heart aches just thinking about it.
    Without even thinking, a few truthful words slip from my mouth. “I lied to you earlier.”
    He doesn’t say anything at first and I’m too scared to glance up to see his reaction or questioning expression. The room is so quiet that I can actually hear him swallow his mouthful. He clears his throat and asks, “What about?”
    Forcing my eyes up, I see him staring down into his bowl, refusing to meet my gaze. Deep down, I’m pretty sure he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
    “When I said I wouldn’t care if you and Kelly were together.” I look back down, taking in a large breath. “I would care.”
    Using my spoon, I swirl the macaroni around in my bowl, too scared to look up at him. After a few seconds, the silence is too much to bear and I find the courage to glance up at him through my eyelashes. It startles me to find him looking right at me.
    “For the record, I knew you were lying, but hearing you say it, it means a lot.” His face is serious and his voice calm. Me on the other hand,