Entangled Moments (Moments in Time) Read Online Free

isolated during the
week?”
    “Well, not today.”
    Melisa rose and went to lie on her own bed, hands clasped at
her chest. “So, what happened?”
    “He heard me crying and asked if I was okay. I told him I
was, then I walked out.”
    Melisa propped herself up on an elbow, facing me. “So, it
was a him? Was he handsome?”
    I bit my lip and nodded.
    “And you still ran away. How many men are you going to run
from?”
    Averting my gaze, I fluffed my pillow, even though it didn’t
need it.
    “Carlene,” Melisa said slowly. “This man you met was
different, wasn’t he?”
    “What do you mean?” An involuntary smile spread across my
face.
    She tossed her pillow at me, and I giggled. “You like him.”
    “What makes you say that?”
    “He made your day a little easier. This time last year, as
soon as your tasks were completed, you locked yourself in the bathroom. Your eyes
were so swollen they looked like golf balls. He comforted you.”
    I tossed the pillow back at her and laughed. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about.”
    “I can read you from a mile away. Stop denying it. You’re
smitten, you little kitten.”
    “What if I am? It doesn’t change anything.”
    “Yes, it does. For as long as I’ve known you, I haven’t seen
you smile like this. This man changed something inside of you.”
    I concealed a grin with my hand. “He kissed me.” I couldn’t
help it—I had to tell someone before I burst.
    Melisa clapped her hands. “He liked you too. How romantic.
How did he kiss you? Did he just come up and smooch you?”
    “He invited me for a coffee. We talked for a while, and when
I was leaving, I slipped on a banana peel. He caught me and we kissed.”
    “Like in the movies.” Melisa’s eyes lit up. “Love at first
sight. I’m sure he can’t wait to see you again. Please tell me you gave him
your number.”
    “I didn’t get the chance to give it to him. We parted so
suddenly. Anyway, maybe he just felt like kissing a random girl.”
    “Find out. Go to the chapel every day if you have to, at the
same time. See if he shows up again. If he wants to see you again, he might.”
    Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach. “I’m not going to
force anything. If we’re meant to meet again, we will.” After all, we lived in
a town called Serendipity, and with no more than two thousand residents, it was
more than likely.
    “Sometimes in life you have to make things happen yourself.
To hell with fate and all that nonsense.”
    “I’m not going to look for him, Melisa.”
    “Then do something else for me.” Melisa’s face turned
serious. “See this as a sign to move on. Go out there. Get a proper job and a
place to stay. Start over. Don’t let it be too late for you, too.”
    “It isn’t too late for you, Melisa. We can start over
together.”
    Melisa shook her head. “No, we can’t. I can’t. Now, come on,
do this for me. Try living a normal life for six months. If you don’t like it,
you can come back. I’m sure Lynnette will always welcome you back with open
arms.”
    Defeated, I threw my hands in the air. “Fine. Six months.
Just to get you off my back.”

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Lynnette fully supported my decision to move out. She
assured me, just as Melisa said she would, that there would always be a place
for me at Oasis.
    In the evening, as usual, I waitressed at Joe’s Steaks
across the street. This time, instead of disappearing after my shift, I went to
talk to Joe about giving me a full-time job. He’d proposed it on several
occasions, but working at Oasis had always been my priority. It was my
lifeline, the place that kept me sane, and I hadn’t been ready to cut that rope
just yet.
    Unfortunately, my timing was bad. Joe no longer needed an
additional full-time waitress, and I had to look elsewhere. After pounding the
streets for a week, I finally found a job waitressing at the Surry Hotel
restaurant. I’d have loved to work at the Serendipity Lux Hotel on the