“Shit, Alana. I had no idea about your mom.” Cal places his hand against my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. The warmth of his palm works like a balm, warding off the chill seeping into my bones.
"I thought you knew.” And chose not to show up for her funeral anyway.
His head shakes hard enough to ruffle his hair. “Of course, I didn’t. If I had— Fuck. I forbade my brothers from mentioning…this place.”
My breathing becomes increasingly difficult with every inhale.
“I’m so sorry.” His grip tightens. “I wish…” He pauses, as if considering whether he should speak or not. “I should have been there for you.” The way he says it with absolute certainty makes me believe him.
Our gazes connect. Something unspoken passes between us before he wraps his arms around me and tucks me against his chest. My body relaxes instantly in his hold, and a feeling of rightness consumes me. Any anger, frustration, and heartache from the last few days melts away like it never existed in the first place.
I know the relief is only temporary. That the moment he lets go, reality will come crashing down around me.
Just a few more seconds, I promise myself as I press my cheek against his chest. I forgot how right it felt to be held in his arms. Or the comfort that overwhelms me as I listen to the beat of his heart, pumping rapidly in his chest.
I ignore the voice in the back of my head nagging at me and allow myself to enjoy being taken care of.
Why do the things that feel the best always hurt us the most?
“What about your sister?” He runs his hand through my hair, making my spine tingle from the intimate gesture.
“What about her?”
“Is she…” His voice trails off.
“Dead? God no, although sometimes I go to bed worried that she might be.”
“But Cami—”
I don’t let him finish his train of thought. “Is mine in every way that counts. Anto signed the paperwork and made it official soon after she was born.”
His hold tightens, as if he senses me gearing up to pull away. “You never cease to amaze me.”
I burry my face into his chest. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“Of course, you did. You just happened to make the most selfless one because that’s the kind of person you are.” He chips at whatever control I have left over my emotions as he holds me in his arms.
A car honks nearby. His grip slips as I jump backward, ending the embrace. My cheeks flood with color as I take a second step away from him.
His hands fall to his side before forming fists. Frustration pours from him in waves, hitting me in the face with the power of a blowtorch.
“Let’s go inside.” I turn toward the entrance.
Cal follows behind me in silence as we walk into the diner.
“Look who finally decided to stop by.” Isabelle grabs two menus from the hostess stand.
Cal’s cheeks turn pink. “It’s nice seeing you again, Isa—”
Isabelle completely ignores him as she throws her arms around me. Her salt-and-pepper hair brushes against my cheek, giving me a fresh inhale of hairspray and pancake batter. “I missed you last week when the girls stopped by for brunch.”
“Cami caught a bug, so I had to skip out.”
“Oh, no. How’s she doing?”
“Better and back in school. She didn’t want to miss any more days before the summer break.”
Isabelle’s brows pull together. “But it’s only the second week of May.”
“Every day matters according to Cami.”
She laughs. “That girl adores school more than anyone else I know.”
Cal clears his throat, and Isabelle looks over at him.
“Who’s this?” She gives him a once-over.
Cal’s brows rise toward his hairline. “Come on, Isabelle. You’ve known me since I was a little kid.”
“Oh.” She strains her eyes. “What’s your name again? Mal?”
“Cal.” He smiles wide despite his right eye twitching.
A few people look up from their tables. Whispers spread through the diner, making my skin flush. Isabelle saves me from any more embarrassment as she leads us to a corner booth far from the gossiping geriatrics on the other side of the diner. They might be far away, but that doesn’t stop them from looking over at us and whispering behind their menus.
“Could you all be any more obvious?” I call out.
Beth, the head of bridge club, looks like her head might snap off from how fast she turns in her seat.
“Say the word and we’ll kick him out for you,” Cindy, the reigning shuffleboard champ and Cami’s previous pre-k teacher, offers.
I throw her a thumbs-up.
Isabelle pulls out her notepad before reaching for the pen behind her ear. “What can I get you both started with to drink?”
“Chocolate milkshake,” Cal and I say at the same time.
“Glad to see some things haven’t changed.” His smile returns at full blast, and I look away to prevent myself from struggling with temporary blindness.
Isabelle scribbles on her notepad. “Two chocolate milkshakes coming right up. Do you know what you want to order, or would you rather I come back in a few?”
“Will you give us another couple of minutes?” Cal asks.
“No problem, Al.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze before disappearing into the kitchen.
“She hates me, doesn’t she?”
I only offer a noncommittal shrug.
“Why?” he asks.
Because you broke my heart.
Silence settles over our table again as we both pretend to assess the menus in front of us. I’ve been visiting Early Bird Diner since I was a kid, so I can recite the whole thing from front to back without looking. There was once a time Cal could do the same thing, although it doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
My heart squeezes at the reminder.
Cal fidgets in his seat for a whole minute before gaining the nerve to speak again. “Do you know what you’re going to order?”
“I’m good with a milkshake.” I slap my menu shut.
“I thought you would at least order the most expensive thing on the menu just to spite me.”
“If I wanted to spite you, I’d aim for something a little better than your wallet.”
“Like where?”
“A kick to the balls is always a good place to start.”
His head drops back as he laughs. The sound is hearty and loud, drawing everyone’s eyes toward our table. Even I find myself staring at him. I blame Cal’s ability to draw everyone in like he is the center of our solar system. Because if Cal is the sun, then the rest of us are aimless planets revolving around him, tragically trapped in his orbit.
Isabelle must sense my desperation as she interrupts us with our milkshakes and taking Cal’s order.
I clasp my hands in front of me. “Let’s get to the real reason why you asked for this meeting.”
He fidgets with his hands. “We need to sell the place by the end of the summer.”
My heart rate picks up at the very idea. “But I don’t want to sell it.”
“Do you have the money to buy me out of my half?” The way he asks the question without a hint of condescension makes me wonder if he actually thinks I can.