Lady in Stone

seven.

 ADELIA ROSE

Atlas had gone into the covers and I could hear him mumbling, possibly talking to me. I asked him to repeat what he had said, and he sat up.

"Could you love Jake?" He asked more clearly. It wasn't a hard question to answer, but I knew he wouldn't like what I had to say.

But I said it anyway. "No. He's not someone I could love." He slurred his words a little, but I think he may have cursed.

"Who do you love then?" He said, he sounded a little angry but his tone was just funny to me.

"I used to love a man, but even then I didn't love him quite enouTruthtruth.

"I think you're pretty." He said and I think I may have laughed. Drunk idiot.

"Everyone thinks I'm pretty." 

"Do you want me to lie then? Fine, your the ugliest girl I've laid my eyes on." He sighed, and I scoffed.

"You're quite the charmer, I wonder how you ever got that girlfriend of yours."

"She's moving to Montana this fall, I don't think I'll see her ever again." He said honestly, I don't know if he would have told me this if he wasn't drunk.

"Why's that?"

"Long distance relationships never work out."

"If you love her can't you try?" There was an awkward pause.

"I wouldn't want her to be stuck with me. When we were first dating, she told me her ex moved and long distance was the worst experince of her life."

"If she won't try for you, really worth it?"

"Yes."

"Could you be with someone different?" I tip-toed this question, trying not to cross the line. I think I failed.

"I don't know. She'd have to be someone impossible."

Another awkward pause, but this time he spoke again saying something even more unexpected.

"Ya know, I'm sorry for doubting you, Adelia."

"It's okay," I said softly.

There was a flutter in my stomach and a soft beating in my stone heart. Maybe truly loving him won't be as hard as I thought.