He shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
Setting my beer back down and reaching for one of the piping hot onion rings, I say, “You know you can talk to me, Elliot.”
“I know. It’s just…not important right now.”
“Well, it seems like it is if your mood can change that fast.”
“I’m fine, Dilynne,” he grates out, avoiding my gaze.
“Okay…”
“Let’s just eat, all right?”
I nod, taking a bite of my onion ring, but inside I’m so confused. How can we go from nearly stripping each other naked in this booth to him shutting me out?
“Why won’t you just tell me? What are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything from you. I promise, I will tell you, but not now, okay? This week is about you, not me. What matters right now is being here to support you.”
He’s putting me first, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be there for him too.
My confidence from earlier has evaporated in one interaction, and it just serves as a reminder of why I’m hesitant to jump all in.
There’s something else I’m missing. And I hate being in the dark.
***
“Oh my God, you guys are really here!” The octave of my voice is off the charts as I run across the floor of the exhibit hall to Laney, my brother, and the rest of my friends.
Herarms wrap around me tightly. “I told you that we wouldn’t miss it. And look who we found on our way inside,” she says, pointing to Carol and Nick standing behind the group.
“So proud of you, sweetheart,” Nick says, reaching for me and kissing me on the temple.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“This place is insane,” Carol adds, scouring the room. “I didn’t realize there were so many car enthusiasts in the world.”
“I felt the same way yesterday,” Elliot chimes in from beside me. “And our girl has had quite the crowd around her already this morning.”
The public car show has been open for less than an hour, and several collectors have already been intrigued by Betty. One guy has returned to ask me questions three times, which could be a good sign, or it means he’s skeptical of my abilities. But the biggest compliment I’ve received is the color I chose for the car—gun metal gray. It was a risk, but I think it’s paid off.
Either way, I’m proud of the Porsche and the attention she’s already received.
But in the back of my mind, I keep wondering what’s going on in Elliot’s head that he’s not telling me.
When we got back from dinner last night, I tried to ask him about it again, and he brushed me off once more. Told me that nothing concerning him is worth stealing my focus. Little does he know that wondering what he’s not telling me is doing just that.
Elodie comes up to me now, shaking my shoulders. “You’re famous around here, Dilynne!”
I laugh at her. “Not so sure about that, but…”
“No, we heard several people talking about you on the way inside,” a girl standing next to her says.
Elodie turns to her friend, holding her hand out. “Oh, sorry. This is my friend Lennon from back home in Garnet Valley. She’s on break from nursing school, so they made the trip.” Then she points to the two girls standing beside Lennon. “And these are two of her sisters, Nora and Blair. They decided to come out here with us!”
“Cars aren’t really our thing, but we’re happy to support,” Blair says, flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder. “Lord knows I needed a break from the fire station.”
“You’re a firefighter?”