Page 98 - It Ends with Us

Chapter Ten

“Can I ask you a pers ona l question?”
Allysa nods as she per fec ts a bouquet of flowers about to go out for
del iver y. We’re three days away from our grand openi ng , and it just
keep s get ting busier by the day.

“Wha t is it?” Allysa asks, facing me. She lea ns int o the count er and
starts picking at her fing erna ils.
“You don’t ha ve to ans wer it if you don’t want to,” I warn.
“Wel l I can’t ans wer it if you don’t ask it.”
That ’s a good point. “Do you and Marsha ll dona te to cha rity?”

Conf usion crosses her face and she says, “Yea h. Why ?”
I shru g. “I was just curious. I wouldn’t judge you or any thi ng . I’ve
just been thi nk ing latel y about ho w I might like to start a cha rity.”
“Wha t kind of cha rity?” she asks. “We dona te to a few different ones
no w tha t we ha ve money, but my favorite is thi s one we got inv olved
with last yea r. They build schools in other count ries . We’v e fund ed
three new cons tructions in the past yea r alone. ”

I knew I liked he r for a reas on.
“I don’t ha ve tha t kind of money, obviously, but I’d like to do
somethi ng. I just don’t kno w wha t yet .”
“Let ’s get thro ugh thi s grand openi ng firs t and then you can start
thi nk ing about phi lant hro py. One drea m at a time, Lily.” She walks
around the count er and grabs the trash can. I watch as she pulls the

full bag out of it and ties it in a kno t. It makes me wond er why —i f she
ha s peo ple for ev er ythi ng —s he would ev en want a job where she ha d
to take out the trash and get her ha nd s dirty.
“Why do you work here?” I ask her.
She glances up at me and smiles . “Bec ause I like you,” she says. But
then I no tice the smile complet el y lea ve her ey es right bef ore she
turns and walks toward the back to thro w out the trash. When she

comes back, I’m still watchi ng her curiously. I say it again.