Page 115

“Kaitlyn.” She stands and smiles at me when I say her name, while the pair of nurses behind the counter with her stare at me. I’ve been coming here almost every day for over a month now and haven’t so much as looked at any of them. “What are you doing here?” It comes out sounding much more paranoid that I meant it to.
“It’s my first day.” she laughs, glancing at our audience. “Are you here for—”
“My brother.” It’s the quickest way to describe what Ryan is to me. “I’m here visiting my brother.”
“Oh…” her voice trails off and her mouth twitches to the side. “You’re probably have to get back to work.”
I look down at myself. I’m wearing the usual, a pair of peeled down coveralls over worn jeans and a T-shirt. At least it’s clean. I had the good sense to change it out in the parking lot before I came in. “Yeah, we’re pretty backed up so…” We had two cars in the bay when I left and if I know Tess, she’s already torn through one and is starting on the other.
“Do you want to have coffee sometime?” It comes out of nowhere and as soon as her says it, she presses her lips closed like she’s afraid of what else might come out of her mouth. When I don’t answer her, she frowns. “I mean… I know you’re kind of seeing someone but I thought maybe—”
“I’m not.” I shake my head and try to ignore the fact that when I say it, it feels like a lie. “Seeing anyone.”
“Oh, okay.” She smiles again. “Then coffee?”
No.
No coffee.
Not ever.
But this is what moving on looks like. It looks like coffee with a cute brunette, and even though I hate it, even though it feels shitty and fucked-up and the words threaten to choke me, I say them.
“Sure. Coffee sounds great.”