The Life We Almost Had by Laura Miller

Author:Laura Miller [Miller, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-09-18T18:00:00+00:00

After Isaac drops Natalie and me off at Natalie’s house, I help Natalie to her room.

“You know, I don’t have a thing for Isaac, despite what everyone says,” she says, kicking off her heels. “I mean, not a serious thing, anyway.”

“I know,” I lie.

“I mean, he’s cool,” she says. “It’s just ... He’s Isaac, and I still remember him as that scraggly, little boy that cried his eyes out the whole first week of kindergarten.”

I watch her collapse, with all her clothes on, into her bed.

“Well, I’d say he’s probably grown up a lot since then,” I offer.

“Yeah,” she says, pulling the covers up over her shoulder. “Maybe.”

She slides her hands under her pillow and closes her eyes, and I quietly make my way back to the door.

“Iva.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

Her eyes remain closed, but her expression is happy.

“Yeah,” I say.

“I love Isaac,” she whispers.

I smile. I’d tell her I already knew that, but part of me doesn’t want to burst her bubble.

“Iva?”

“Yeah?” I say.

“Have you told him?”

“What?”

“Have you told Berlin, yet?”

I breathe out a sigh she probably doesn’t hear.

“No,” I say.

“He’s in love with you.”

I don’t think I hear her right.

“What?”

“Berlin. Is. In. Love. With. You.” This time, she pauses after every word, as if that will help me understand.

Her eyes are closed. I’m half-wondering if she’s dreaming.

“Isaac told me,” she says. “He said Berlin is in love with a girl he used to know from the town he used to live in. And he said that town is Sweet Home.” She breaks and yawns. “And that girl is you.”

I shake my head in disbelief, as my heart crashes against my chest. I want to tell her it doesn’t really matter, based on the conversation we had tonight, but I can tell she has already drifted off to sleep.

I carefully turn, and as I leave the room, I switch off the light.

When I get back to the guest bedroom, I notice I have a text message.

It’s from Berlin.

Instantly, I feel a wave of excitement rush through me, but then just as quickly, that wave turns to dread. And I find my finger anxiously hovering over the phone.

I take a deep breath and then click on the message: I’m still here tomorrow. You wanna hang out?

I’m a little taken aback. I thought he just said he didn’t want to hang out ... or ... Or maybe he thinks he still has to finish the conversation. Or maybe this is his way of saying he still wants to be friends.

Either way, I’m relieved. I thought once he figured out that seven years was too long a time to make up that I would lose him for good. I can barely get my fingers to type fast enough.

Natalie goes to work at noon.

I send it and stare at the phone.

A moment later, it lights up.

I’ll be there at noon, the message reads.

I smile and then set the phone down. But I can’t stop thinking about what Natalie said. Had he really

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