Free The Other Side of Someday by T. K. Leigh Page A

laughed.
    “The Ice Queen isn’t in town, is she?” Marcel shivered dramatically.
    “No. She refuses to believe there’s a world outside the concrete jungle of New York City. And she’s not that cold once you get to know her.”
    I remained fixed in place, feeling as if I were a fly on the wall, observing old friends conversing about people I knew nothing about.
    “I’ll believe that when I see it,” Marcel said, disbelief evident in his voice. “Come here. I want you to meet your new neighbor.” He ushered Eddie out of the crowd, his face coming into view.
    I wish I could rewind time and remember every precise thought that entered my mind as that tall physique slowly faced me and I took in those familiar gray-blue eyes, full lips, and smile, but it all happened so fast.
    “Nosebleeder?” I asked, incredulous. His facial hair had grown out a little over the week he had been gone, but there was no mistaking who it was.
    “Baylee? What are you doing here?”
    “Wait a second,” Marcel interrupted. “You two already know each other?”
    “He’s Nosebleeder,” I said, my voice low.
    “Holy shit, Miss Dixie!” Marcel exclaimed, his hand covering his mouth. “This is a twist I certainly wasn’t expecting!”
    “You and me both,” I responded. “I thought you said his name was Eddie.”
    “We have nicknames for everyone,” Marcel explained. “We started calling him that after going to that midnight showing of Rocky Horror. ”
    I nodded, my eyes fixed on Sebby as I ran through the past month in my mind…the morning coffees, the questions, everything I had learned about him from Sophia and Marcel. I never would have imagined the Eddie they all spoke of was the same man with whom I spent my mornings. And who was this “Ice Queen” I heard Marcel mention? The way she was referred to made me believe she was his girlfriend…or worse.
    My Irish temper rising, I grabbed Sebby’s hand and pulled him out of Sophia’s condo into the deserted hallway. I had questions I needed answers to and I didn’t want the entire party to overhear.
    Spinning around to face him when we reached the vacant bank of elevators, I prodded, “Did you know?” I could feel my cheeks turning red. I wasn’t sure if it was due to anger or embarrassment. Or perhaps the wine.
    “Know what? That you were my neighbor?” He stepped back, raising his hands in defense. “I’m just as surprised about this as you are!”
    Pinching my lips, I studied his face, wishing I could see some sign he was telling the truth. I didn’t know what to think anymore.
    “But I told you about game night!” I shot back. “You must have put two and two together!”
    “Truthfully, it did cross my mind,” Sebby admitted. “Then I shook it off. I mean, you have to agree that the chance of us meeting and you being my neighbor is pretty slim.”
    “Yes, but…” I tried to come up with something to counter his argument, but I knew he was right. There was nothing about me mentioning game night that would make him think I was his new neighbor. If I were in his shoes, I would have done what he did…consider it briefly, then wave it off as a coincidence.
    “Baylee, you—”
    “And what about this ‘Ice Queen’, as Marcel called her? Is she your girlfriend?” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
    “Yes, she is,” he said. I expected to see the telltale signs of a guilty conscience — shifting from foot to foot, lowering his eyes, stuttering, running his hand through his hair — but none of that happened. His gaze remained unwavering, his stance firm.
    “When were you going to tell me about her? Or were you just going to lead me on and hope to have a little something on both coasts?” I fumed.
    “Whoa, Baylee,” he soothed, his voice softening as his brow furrowed slightly. “I meant what I said. I genuinely enjoy hanging out with you, but I never led you on to think I was interested in you as anything other than a friend who gave me a