really well, then opened Bib’s a year and a half ago. “It does okay,” he
says with modesty.
I glance around his kitchen and then look back at him. “Looks like
it does more than just okay.”
He shrugs and takes another bite of his food. I don’t talk after that
as we finish eating, because my mind wanders to his restaurant. The
name of it. What he said in the interview. Then, of course, those
thoughts lead me back to thoughts of Ryle and the anger in his voice
as he yelled the last line of the interview at me.
I think Atlas can see the change in my demeanor, but he says
nothing as he clears the table.
When he takes another seat, he chooses the chair right next to me
this time. He places a reassuring hand on top of mine. “I have to go in
to work for a few hours,” he says. “I don’t want you to leave. Stay here
as long as you need, Lily. Just... please don’t go back home today.”
I shake my head when I hear the concern in his words. “I won’t. I’ll
stay here,” I tell him. “I promise.”
“Do you need anything before I go?”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
He stands up and grabs his jacket. “I’ll make it as quick as I can. I’ll
be back after lunch and I’ll bring you something to eat, okay?”
I force a smile. He opens a drawer and pulls out a pen and paper.
He writes something on it before he leaves. When he’s gone, I stand
up and walk to the counter to read what he wrote. He listed
instructions for how to set the alarm. He wrote his cell phone
number, even though I have it memorized. He also wrote down his
work number, his home address, and his work address.
At the bottom in small print, he wrote, “Just keep swimming, Lily.”
Dear Ellen,
Hi. It’s me. Lily Bloom. Well . . . technically it’s Lily Kincaid now.
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve written to you. A really long time.
After everything that happened with Atlas, I just couldn’t bring myself to open
up the journals again. I couldn’t even bring myself to watch your show after
school, because it hurt to watch it alone. In fact, all thoughts of you kind of
depressed me. When I thought of you, I thought of Atlas. And to be honest, I
didn’t want to think of Atlas, so I had to cut you out of my life, too.