But if these flowers were in fact for me, who would’ve left them? I mean, sure, I’d love for them to be from Colby but I knew they weren’t. We were barely working on rebuilding our friendship, plus I would’ve recognized his handwriting. Like everything else about him, I had it memorized.
I glanced down at the card again and confirmed that wasn’t Colby’s handwriting. Who else would leave me flowers—Gabe? He lived about twenty minutes from here in a neighboring town, and after I’d bailed on the bonfire, I couldn’t imagine he’d put in the effort. But maybe? There was only one way to find out.
I picked up the phone and called Colby.
“Hello?” He sounded confused by my call.
“Sorry, I’m driving and couldn’t text. Is Landon around or is he working?”
“Oh, um, he’s here. Want to talk to him?”
“Can you just ask him something really quick?”
“Sure.”
“Would Gabe drive all the way to Port Lucia and leave flowers on my car?”
“I already know the answer to that.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t realized Colby knew much about the guy. “Well, would he?”
“Actually, I’m not sure if he would, but I know those flowers aren’t from him.”
“What? How do—”
He cleared his throat. “Because they’re from Landon.”
“Landon?” I glanced at the yellow daisies. They were like packaged sunshine. But yellow was the color of friendship, right? And also my favorite color. “Um, why? I mean thank you, or thank him, of course, it’s so thoughtful but, you know, just wondering why?”
“Guess you’ll have to ask him.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll, um, do that.” What in the world was going on? It had to just be a friendly gesture. I couldn’t imagine it was anything else because wow, would that be awkward. “I guess I’ll call him or something.”
“Yeah, you should definitely talk to him.”
“Okay, well, I’ll talk to you later then?”
“Sure.” His voice lowered. “I’m always here if you want to talk.”
We hung up and I stared at the flowers then back at my phone. How did I even ask about this? It would be so much easier to text but I was sure Landon had heard me on the phone with Colby. A text would be way too impersonal. And rude, considering he got me freaking flowers.
I pulled Landon’s name up on my phone, took a deep breath, then called him.
“Hey.” He sounded the same as usual, nothing weird or awkward in his tone, so maybe I should try to also sound normal.
“Thanks for the flowers!” Okay, way to sound normal. That was overly enthusiastic. “They’re really pretty.”
“You’re welcome. You looked like you could use some cheering up today.”
“Oh, you saw me?”
“Just for a minute, but you were busy and I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You could’ve said hi. And the flowers were so sweet but you didn’t have to do that. Thanks though.”
“I know. Just wanted to.”
There was a pause in the conversation and I wasn’t sure what else to say, mostly because I was still a bit perplexed over the gesture and didn’t really know what to say besides thanks. I wondered how bad I looked today. I mean flowers from Landon who just saw me in passing? I must’ve looked like crap. I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror.
“You gonna come hang out sometime soon?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Cool.”
The conversation was getting more awkward by the second. “Okay, well, I just got home for dinner with Grandma.”
“No problem. Have a nice night.”
“You too. And thanks again.”
He chuckled. “You’re welcome. Talk to you later, Isla.”
“Okay, bye.” I hung up and stared at my phone for a second.
What exactly had just happened?
—
A couple more days passed without hearing from Colby, and I was starting to suffer from serious withdrawal. On a good note, I was caught up on all my assignments for school, but my social life was sinking into pathetic new lows. I’d gone back and forth on whether to call Taylor, because unlike me, she had a boyfriend and I figured if she wasn’t busy, she’d call me. But I decided to just give it a shot. Maybe she’d want to grab lunch or head to the beach. Anything. Port Lucia was a tiny town without much to do as it was. Add in my lack of friends to hang out with, and my relationship with Netflix was becoming questionable. When it asked if I was still watching, I’d gone from Thanks for caring to Quit judging me! I needed to get out of my apartment.
I shot Taylor a text and asked if she wanted to get lunch. She responded fairly quickly.
Taylor: Sounds good! I’m working today. How about tomorrow?
Taylor: Sucks Colby and Landon have been sick and we haven’t had a chance to hang out.
They’d been sick? So that was why I hadn’t seen or heard from Colby. That made me feel better, but also bad, because why didn’t I already know that? This was my Colby after all. I’m sure Matt told Taylor, but still I should’ve known.
Me: Yeah that sucks. And actually I’m working tomorrow.
Taylor: Oh bummer. Tomorrow is my only weekday off.
Me: No worries. Maybe we can head to the beach this weekend? I’m off Saturday.
Taylor: Me too.
Me: Text me when you have some free time and we’ll figure it out.
I tossed my phone on the bed and lay across it, tucking a pillow under my head. It sucked Taylor couldn’t get together all week, but if Colby and Landon were sick…Another idea crept to mind. One that would allow me to get my Colby fix. Just knowing he wasn’t feeling well made me want to run to him and see what I could do to make it better, but obviously that was pushing the just friends boundary. But if both guys were sick, there’d be no one to take care of them and it would seem like a friendly gesture to help them both out.
I sat upright and grabbed my phone. Should I text first? Or just stop by? Maybe I’d give them a quick heads-up when I was nearby. I slipped on my shoes and tucked my phone in my back pocket.
“Grandma?”
She leaned her head out of her room.
“Is there anymore caldo de res from last night? Colby and Landon aren’t feeling well. I thought I’d take some over.”
“Oh, well, I can make a fresh pot.” She started to step into the hallway but I put my hand out to stop her.
“No, I don’t want to trouble you. If we had leftovers, I was going to take some.” I opened the fridge door and saw a large Tupperware container still filled to the brim with soup. “This is a lot. Probably too much as it is.”
“Well, take it all. I know how those boys like to eat.” She chuckled and joined me in the kitchen, peering into the fridge as well. “Look, we haven’t even opened the orange juice I bought. Take that as well.”
“Oh, that’s okay.”
“Mijita, I can buy more. Just take it.” She reached in and handed it to me. “Do you think they need anything else?” She glanced around the kitchen, like she’d willingly hand over any item in it if it meant helping them to feel better.
I leaned over to hug her and gave her a peck on the cheek. “This is more than enough. And I’ll pick up more juice on the way home.”
“I go to the market tomorr—”
“You do too much as it is. I’ll get the juice and dinner for us. You don’t need to cook tonight. Let me pick something up.” I placed the juice and soup into a bag. “I’ll be home soon. Call me if you need anything else from the store.”
She nodded. “This is why you are my favorite granddaughter.”
As I walked to the front door, I laughed. “I’m your only granddaughter.”
“Y mi favorita.”
“Well, thank you. I know how stiff the competition is.”
Grandma’s laugh followed me out the door, and I smiled as I locked it behind me. I was grateful that she’d off
ered to let me move in with her and finish out high school after my parents divorced and decided to leave Port Lucia, but I was even more thankful for the time it allowed me to really get to know her. I’d always loved Grandma, but now she was the most influential person in my life. In her own words, she lived every day of her life with a smile on her face and a good deed in her heart, and I aspired to be just like her. Obviously, I was still a work in progress, but she was a constant reminder to not just live for myself but for others as well. It was one of the reasons I’d decided to go into nursing.
Colby’s place wasn’t far from mine, so when I was at the stop sign to enter his neighborhood, I shot him a quick text.
Me: Gonna drop something off at your place.
I wasn’t even sure if he’d see it, considering he was probably bedridden, but a moment later my phone chimed. I’d just pulled up in front of his house as I lifted my phone.
Colby: Hey. Landon and I are sick. Hate for you to catch it.
Me: Already here! Try not to cough on me.
Colby: Germs to myself. Got it. Door’s open.
I grabbed my bag and headed to his front door, glad that he didn’t have to get up to answer it. My plan had seemed like a great idea, but now I worried I’d just be imposing more than helping. With a deep breath and a smile on my face, I turned the knob and stepped inside and was immediately greeted by each brother strewn along a couch, blankets piled on top of them, watching TV.
“Hey,” Colby called out, his voice a bit on the hoarse side.
“Isla.” Landon shifted to see me. “Welcome to the lair of death.” He sounded congested and his words nasally.
“Oh my god. You guys look awful.” I stood near the coffee table and examined them both. “Does your mom know you’re sick?”
“No!” They practically shouted in unison.
I laughed.
“It’s just—yeah, we feel bad, but having Mom here, hovering over us, really isn’t going to make it better.” Colby pushed himself into a semi-sitting position. “Plus my fever broke yesterday. I’m hardly even sick anymore.”
I gave him a once-over. Disheveled hair. Nose raw and pink. Eyes watery. Skin pale. Yet still completely gorgeous. “Hm, if you say so.” I raised the bag in my hand. “I heard you were sick and brought you some of Grandma’s caldo. Oh, and orange juice, per her request.”
“You. Are. The. Best.” Landon stared at the bag, looking like I could pull out a live chicken and he’d still eat it.
“Have you eaten anything?”
“Didn’t really feel up to cooking. Pizza didn’t really sound appealing. But your grandma’s soup? That I’ll take.” Landon began shifting to stand, but I stopped him.
“Just keep resting. I’ll heat you both some up and bring it to you in here.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Colby shook his head. “I’d honestly hate for you to get sick.”
“I’ll take some vitamins when I get home. Now just lie down and I’ll be right back.”
The guys didn’t put up much more of an objection, probably because they were equal parts hungry and lethargic. I found a pot and heated Grandma’s soup on the stove, since I knew for a fact it was best warmed the traditional way versus a microwave. And while I waited for it to warm, I went ahead and loaded their dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen.
“Isla, if you’re cleaning in there…”
The warning in Colby’s tone only made me smile. “Nope, just looking for dishes.”
“Uh-huh.” He clearly wasn’t buying my story.
“Almost done.” I reached into the cabinet for two glasses and poured them each juice. Nothing about beef soup and orange juice sounded good together, but Grandma knew best, right? Then I got two bowls, filled them up, and set a spoon in each one. I carried the soup out first.
“It’s a little hot. Be careful.”
I handed Colby his and his eyes met mine. “Thank you.” And I felt the sincerity to my core. Little did he know how much I wanted to take care of him.
I moved to Landon and he gave me the widest grin. “Thanks.”
I smiled back, knowing exactly how much he loved Grandma’s cooking. “No problem. I have juice for you too.” I grabbed the juice and set one near each guy, then settled in the recliner. “How long have you guys been sick?”
“About three days,” Colby said. “But I really am starting to feel a little better.”
Landon blew on a spoonful of soup. “I’m a day behind him. He got me sick.”
Colby shook his head. “Nobody told you to eat my leftovers. The way I see it, that’s what you get.”
Landon chuckled. “Lesson learned.” He glanced at me. “So how did you know we were sick?”
“Taylor mentioned it.”
“Are y’all hanging out more?” he asked.
“Not much. We were trying to make plans but seems like our work schedules don’t want to cooperate. I think we may hang out at the beach Saturday.”
“Maybe we’ll join you. We should definitely be better by then.”
“I sure as hell hope so,” Colby muttered. “But I may have to work. Dad promised not to tell Mom I was sick if I ran this weekend’s charter and picked up a few more shifts at the Bait ’n’ Tackle.”
“I’ve noticed the boat isn’t moving much lately. Has it been pretty slow?”
He shrugged. “The fall always slows down to weekend-only runs, but add in the weather we’ve had lately and we’re getting a lot of cancellations and reschedules. People even hear the word hurricane and they freak. But the stormy season is almost over. Then, of course, it’ll be winter. It probably won’t pick up again until spring.”
“I bet you miss the summer.”
He opened his mouth to say something then glanced at Landon. “It’s nice to have a little break. And Dad has plans to keep me busy at his store. I’ll be back to waking up early every morning and being out on the water before sunrise in no time.”
He was guarded with his answer in front of Landon, though I had no idea why. I decided to file that away as something to discuss later with him. “Well, you’re both welcome to meet us at the beach on Saturday if you want. Maybe you can mention it to the other guys and we can have a bonfire or something.”
“Hell, if you want we can just do it here.”
“Will your neighbors mind a bonfire? It can get pretty smoky. And they’re, like, old.”
Colby and Landon both burst into laughter.
“God, that sounded awful! I meant they are elderly and the smoke might bother them, breathing-wise or something.” They were still grinning at me. “You know what I mean.” I settled back in my chair, deciding silence was my best argument at the moment.
“I know, and you’re probably right.” Landon set his empty bowl down on the coffee table. “Let’s just stick to the public beach.”
“If I can make it, I’ll bring you s’mores stuff.” Colby smiled at me.
“Oh my god, that would be perfect.”
Landon glanced at Colby. “I can pick it up, just in case.”
Colby looked at him, his smile faltering slightly. “Yeah, that’d be good. Never know.”
“Or I can bring the stuff myself?” I glanced between them, trying to figure out the unspoken words they were exchanging with those looks.
“No.” Colby was quick to shoot down my suggestion. “Let me…us do this. After all, you brought us soup. We can at least provide your favorite food.”
“It’s your favorite?” Landon asked.
“Second to french fries,” Colby and I said in unison.
“Whoa.” Landon laughed. “That was creepy. Word for word. Exact same timing.”
“I talk about food a lot. Half the town probably knows how much I love to eat.”
“Yet I had no clue.” Landon studied me. “Clearly, I need to pay better attention.”
This time I laughed. “It’s okay, Landon. I don’t care if you know my favorite food.”
“But maybe I do.”
And there it was again. The awkwardness I’d sensed on the phone. Problem was, it seemed one-sided. Like only I felt uneasy with our conversation. My gaze flicked to Colby, hoping I could find something in his expression that also suggested the confusion I felt, but instead he had that look again, that weird sad-and-defeated combo, as he stared at Landon. Then his eyes shifted to mine and he smiled. It was like déjà vu from the other night. The expressions were exactly the same. What in the world was going on?
“I guess I’m going to let you two get some more rest. There’s plenty of leftover soup in the fridge.” I stood. “If you need anything else, call me.”
“You’ve already done too much.” Colby stood and I considered telling him to sit but decided against it. “I’ll walk you out.”
Landon, looking guilty over not offering, started to rise.
Colby pointed at him. “You still have a fever. Lay your ass back down.”
“And I thought Mom would be annoying.”
Colby smiled and nodded for me to walk ahead of him.
“Bye, Landon. See you Saturday.”
“I’d hug you but, you know, germs.”
“Please keep them to yourself. But I hope you feel better.” I made my way down the short hall to the front door and pulled it open. I stepped over the threshold then glanced back at Colby. “I hope you feel better too.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Isla. Really, you didn’t have to, but it means a lot that you did.”
“No problem.” I stared at the ground then looked back up. “So, Saturday, can we talk? If you make it to the beach, of course.”
“You can always talk to me.” His chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “But yeah, let’s talk Saturday.”
I nodded, and stared into Colby’s eyes a second too long. Not that it was my fault. I mean they were such the perfect mixture of blue and gray, kind of like the sky after a rainstorm but before all the clouds had passed. But staring into them always made me mentally relive our night together, which was never a good thing. It’d be a great thing if it didn’t carry so much baggage, but unfortunately it did.
I forced my gaze to drop. “Okay, well, I’ll see you then.” I peeked back up and his eyes were still locked on me.
Addicted to You Page 8
