Read The Silver Lining for Free Online Page B

a frozen waffle, and I would have liked her just as much. I cleared my throat to get her attention.
    “Oh good, you’re up,” she said, as she turned around.
    “Must have been the smell of the food.” I winked at her and stood up.
    “How do you feel? You hungry?” she asked and nodded for me to come sit down.
    “I have a raging headache, but I’m okay.” I watched her bend over as she poured a glass of juice. Oh, I’m hungry alright. Hungry for you, but that last part I’ll keep to myself. “Very hungry.” I smiled.
    “Here let me find you some aspirin.” She began to rummage through the drawers until she found a bottle. She slid me a glass of water and an aspirin.
    “Thanks.”
    I watched her pace back and forth trying to gather napkins and forks and whatever else she was getting. She gently slid the plate in front of me and placed hers down at the same time.
    “Sorry, I didn’t know what you liked to eat. I hope this is okay.”
    “It’s great. Thank you,” I said digging in.
    She sat down in silence and stared at me. I looked up just as I took a huge bite.
    “I think we should talk about last night.”
    “I know. I was drunk and sloppy. I apologize,” I said, swallowing the ball of food in my mouth.
    “No. Not that. I mean the conversation you might have heard on your way to the bathroom last night.”
    “I didn’t hear anything,” I lied.
    “Do you always lie to people, James?”
    I put my fork down and stared at her. The girl could see right through me.
    “No. I just didn’t want to get into your business and make you feel awkward about anything.”
    “So you did hear something?” she questioned.
    I placed my hands up and sort of shrugged my shoulders.
    “I heard you crying that’s all,” I lied again.
    She looked at me in such a way it made me feel bad. I knew I wasn’t a good liar, because I never did it. I had always been straight forward, but I felt like I had to be careful not to cross boundaries. She was being nice enough to let me stay here. The last thing she needed was some random stranger suffocating her. Maybe she was the type of girl that wanted to be alone when they were upset. If I would have busted through her door with open arms, it would have scared the shit out of her. She picked up her fork and gently stabbed it into her eggs.
    “My mother, she’s in Mexico. She’s really sick.”
    “I’m sorry to hear of that.” I leaned my weight against the table.
    “The doctors don’t know what she has. They keep telling my family that it could be fatal. Medical bills are piling up and my brother, Gabriel, down there has spent every penny he had. I just started working for your mother last month. Lucky for me she fired the other two maids, so I get plenty of hours. I send pretty much everything I get from work, back to my family so they can treat her. That’s what that phone call was about last night.” Her eyes trailed down to her plate and then back up to me.
    “You don’t owe me any explanation,” I said.
    “No. I know. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I guess it just feels good to talk about it with someone other than my family. It’s probably more for me than for you. It’s like everyone is looking at me to save her, and if I fail, she dies.” She paused. “God, I’m sorry. I’m totally ruining your breakfast with this. Let me stop right now.”
    I watched the life drain out of her face, and it broke my heart. I leaned back, dug into my pocket and took the wad of money out. I slid it across the table to her. She looked at me with wide eyes.
    “I didn’t tell you all that so you would feel sorry for me.”
    “I’m just paying for rent. Whatever you do with it, is your business,” I said.
    “This is way too much. Don’t you need money for clothes or food?” she asked.
    “I’m good. Take it.”
    She smiled and tears filled her eyes. I wanted to grab her hand. I wanted to grab her, but I didn’t.
    “Can I show you something?” she