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“The guy is in a coma!”
“That’s the brother. You need to pay attention. What’s your pick?”
“The Silence of the Lambs.”
“That’s a horror movie.”
“I know, but Hannibal Lecter is really into Jodi Foster.”
“He’s a serial killer! He wants to eat her! We’re not watching that one. Paige?”
Paige realized she hadn’t even heard what they were saying. Something about the best proposal. In her book any proposal would have worked. “Er—Best Proposal Ever has to be Richard Gere climbing up the fire escape with flowers in his teeth.”
Eva sniffed. “Now that is unrealistic.”
“It’s all unrealistic.” Frankie put her spoon down. “Expecting happy ever after is unrealistic.”
Paige was inclined to agree. No, she wasn’t going to do that. She wasn’t going to pretend that Jake’s fear of relationships extended to all men. She knew it didn’t. “Pick a movie, Frankie. No horror.”
“Crazy Stupid Love,” Frankie muttered. “Because at least the title is honest. And I get to see Ryan Gosling naked from the waist up. That’s always a bonus.”
Paige rummaged in her brain for something. Anything. “When Harry Met Sally.”
“And you’ve picked that one because Billy Crystal makes you laugh, right?” Frankie pushed her hair away from her face and gave her a fierce look. “Not because he’s a commitment phobic guy who sees the light in the end?”
“I picked it because the dialogue makes me smile.” And because she really didn’t care what the hell she watched. “Those two have chemistry.”
“Good. As long as you know real life isn’t like a movie, and Jake isn’t going to show up here on a white charger waving his sword.”
“I know that.” And she felt as if a heavy weight was crushing her chest. A few weeks ago Paige would have pinned on her Brave Face but now she didn’t bother. She missed him. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get through the next few hours, let alone the days and weeks ahead.
Matt was looking at her. “We’re going to distract you. In time, you’ll get over him.”
“Maybe you could just knock me unconscious and wake me up when that time comes. Alternatively you could knock Jake unconscious and hope when he wakes up he sees sense.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to hit him?”
“I don’t.” Paige sighed. “Ignore me. I’m a sorry mess.”
“The most comfortable place to be a sorry mess is up on the roof terrace watching movies and drinking tequila.” Matt walked to the door. “Call me if you need me. Not that I’d give you advice or anything, but I could listen.”
He closed the door and Frankie stared after him.
“Considering he’s a man, your brother isn’t awful.”
* * *
JAKE HAD A sleepless night.
He couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt this bad.
Or maybe he could.
He’d been six years old, waiting for his mother to come home. The sun had set, the sky was inky dark and still there was no sign of her, and he’d known, deep in his gut, that she’d gone for good. He’d sat there, wondering what he’d done. What he’d said, feeling a bone-deep emptiness and an aching sense of loss.
He felt the same way now.
As the first bright shards of sunlight shone through the windows of his apartment, he gave up on sleep and got up, thinking about the last thing Matt had said before he’d left the night before.
