Page 76 of SnowBound

I nodded. “Oh. Huh, okay.”

The golf pencil he pushed across the table rolled over the surface and fell into the space between the seat and backrest cushions. “Oops, sorry.”

I waved him off. “No biggie.” I pushed my hand into the space and felt something metallic as my fingers closed around the pencil. “What’s that?” I asked no one but myself.

The coin looked like a regular quarter but upon closer inspection, it was fake. It was adorned with the image of a green frog on one side, and the word Luck was engraved on the other. My pulse increased as I turned the coin between my fingers. Even though it sounded silly, it reminded me of Andy. Being here, in this town, in a bar he might or might have never frequented, and the frog. A rush of memories from the night we shared back then resurfaced.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ellie asked from beside me as Jonah kept giving instructions.

I bobbed my head and swallowed. “Yeah. Sure.” My fist closed around the small object, and I forced a curl on my lips. “Let’s do this.”

She touched my arm and pulled me closer. “I’m glad we’re doing this. Together. You deserve some fun.”

“Me too. Thanks for coming, Elles.”

“Always.”

I placed the coin in my pocket, not sure why, but felt like I had to hold on to it. Like it would mean something. One day. A treasure someone lost and I was lucky enough to find.

* * *

Eating a late snack in our hotel room, Ellie and I lay in bed, talking, with the television playing in the background. My friend reached for my hand and squeezed it in hers. “I know my timing sucks, but I want you to know the truth.”

I angled myself to face her, waiting for her to explain.

“Tom and I are dating. Officially.”

A high-pitched shriek left my mouth, and I hugged my friend. “Ohmygod, I knew it. That whole friends-with-benefits thing you got going was just a shitty excuse to avoid putting a label on your relationship. I’m so excited for you.”

She cleared her throat, pulling away. “You’re okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s the best news. You guys have been dating for a while, and only the two of you were ignoring it.”

She tilted her head back and laughed. “No, we weren’t.”

I joined in her laughter. “Yes, you were. Stop denying it. The guy is head over heels in love with you. That much is evident.”

Her laughter died down. “You think?”

“Oh, Ellie, you’re even more blind than I thought. And I know for a fact you love him too. It’s written all over your face when you talk about him.”

Her cheeks turned crimson. “Well, I don’t—I—It’s just… Okay, fine. I love him.”

I pumped my fist. “Knew it. Have you told him yet?”

“Nah. I’m not one to disclose my feelings first. I’ll wait until he says it, then I’ll reciprocate.”

“Suit yourself. Anyway, I’m so happy for you. You guys fit together.”

She blushed darker. “Thanks.”

I was truly happy for my friend. If someone deserved love and happiness, it was she. She was the most selfless person I knew and often forgot about her own needs while prioritizing everyone else’s.

For the rest of the night, we chatted like we used to when we were in college and fell asleep beside each other. Even though our stay in Memphis didn’t go as planned—and by that I meant, we didn’t cross paths with Andy—we still had a good time, and I was thankful for having my best friend along with me for the ride.

* * *

The next day, after we ate breakfast on the deck of a little restaurant downtown, scanning each male about our age walking by for one last time, Ellie and I made our way back to Nashville.