I know I'm not alone

 

"Well, if you think about it," Maddie remembered Boone saying during their first real meal together. "Were you two really official?" He said about the matter of Rainy. After all, it was only a short few weeks of dating.

"I don't know." She'd shrugged then.

"Did he give you anything?" Boone wanted to know.

It left Maddie in a pout. The first thing she thought was Rafe's bracelet. And she still had it, deep in her undie drawer. She knew she'd wanted to throw it in the river on a few occasions, but it was safely there at the bottom of the drawer.

She told him about the bracelet. "Do you think you could give it to him?"

Boone almost smiled, but shook his head, no. "That's something you have to do."

She sighed heavily then. Now she wondered what Boone had given Lily. Did he want it back?

Of course, she wouldn't ask. It was none of her business. 

"It's OK to keep it," Boone told her, but she didn't think it was right to keep such a keepsake. Someone dear might want it. Although, she didn't want to make an effort to go and see him. She just couldn't. She knew she would be at a loss for words. 

She hated the idea of Rafe taking up her time. And she felt bad for making Rainy so miserable. She never wanted to be in this kind of dilemma again. 

It was only a few days later, but it felt like a month or two that she got up the courage to march into the place where Dory worked. She'd gotten word from him who was working there now. Ruby. Ruby and Rafe were now Dory's new neighbors. Truly, it was a small world. 

She never spotted them together, but every time she saw Ruby out and about, it was like taking a double take. She thought of Harley and of course, neither had gone out of their way to be good friends this summer. But she knew it took time. Maybe they were still friends if they both stayed away from KC.

The math of relationships was getting complicated and still, Maddie felt very alone, even if she did have Boone to talk to. 

Finally, she met Ruby at the front desk. It felt like the perfect time. Maddie handed over the little box to Ruby.

"What's this?" Ruby looked up to her.

"Something of Rafe's," a certain emotion brought tears. Truly, Maddie didn't see that coming. "His grandmother gave it to him." She cleared her throat. "I thought he might need it back. Maybe, maybe it's been for you all along."

Ruby lifted the box lid and looked at the silver chain bracelet with Rafe's name. She almost smiled.

"This is really sweet of you," Ruby said, clasped the bracelet on, and took a good look at it. "Let's see if he notices."

Maddie looked at her wide-eyed. She hadn't expected Ruby's response.