Текст книги "The Redemption of Callie and Kayden"

Автор книги: Jessica Sorensen

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

who’s ever lived.

Doug drags the chair back to the corner and then tucks his

notebook underneath his arm as he heads for the door. “I want

you to see you a few times over Christmas break, and then we’ll

find you a therapist to talk to in Laramie when you go back to

college.”

A measured breath eases from my lips as I clench my hand

around his card and bend it in half. I get a paper cut and it

momentarily stills the stirring inside me. “What if I don’t want to?”

He offers me a positive smile. “You do, otherwise you would

have just said no.”

I don’t say anything and it’s a silent agreement. I’ll see a

shrink in Laramie. That is if I make it back to school.

Shit. I’m suddenly reminded of the bigger picture. I have

more problems than just dealing with my father. How the hell am I

going to get out of that mess? Let my father buy Caleb off? Then

what? I owe my father for life? And carry his secrets—our family’s

secrets forever.

Doug exits the room and I let my head fall into my hands. I

drag my fingers through my hair roughly and pull hard on the

roots. For once, I wish that things were easy. That I could relax.

Breathe.

Really, what I wish for is Callie.

Callie

I wake up early the next morning, before the sun has

completely risen over the curves of the mountains. I slept terribly

last night, tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. I kept

having this dream where I’d run into Kayden’s house and find

blood on the floor and knives, but he wasn’t there. I searched the

whole house but all I kept finding were piles and piles of leaves. I

woke up dripping in sweat and ended up throwing up in the

bathroom.

I lie awake in bed, and Seth is snoring next to me, content in

his sleep. I listen to him breathe until I can’t sit still any longer and then get up and grab my notebook from my bag. I take a seat in

the makeshift windowsill that looks out at the snowy driveway. My

mom’s car is buried in a foot of snow and my dad’s truck has

chains on the tires.

I pull my knees up and station the notebook on them before

pressing the tip of the pen to the paper.

I dream that I get to have cake before Caleb takes me into

my room. When I blow out the candles and make a wish, I wish to

have the happiest and best birthday in the world and the wish

comes true. Caleb never shows up that day to hang out with my

brother, and I get to play hide-and-go seek outside with the other

kids. I rip open paper and smile at my presents.

Lately in the dream, instead of making a wish for myself, I

make a wish for Kayden. I wish that he never met me and that he

never learned my secret. I wish that he never had any reason to

beat up Caleb and that he never ended up on the floor, bleeding

to death.

I wish for happiness in a world full of sorrow.

There’s always so much pain and I wish for all of it to be

gone.

Of course, wishes are just wishes, just hope for a speck of

light in a dark field.

When I analyze my wish for Kayden, I get terrified at what it

means. If I’m willing to take brokenness and shattering of my

childhood in exchange for the removal of his, then how deep are

my feelings for him? And am I ready to handle them?

I pause to think about what I wrote and I spot my mother

walking out the side door of the house as she tromps through the

snow toward the garage. I let go of the pen and it falls to the floor.

I glance over at Seth sleeping in the bed and then I panic, hop up,

grab my jacket and phone, and run out the door. She’s reaching

the top of the stairs when I shut the door.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” She hugs her arms around herself

and bounces up and down as she shivers.

I slip my arms through the sleeves of my jacket and flip my

hair over the collar. “Yeah, I was just getting ready to head inside.”

My mom glances out at the mountains and the sky is tinted

pink from the sunrise and reflects in her eyes. “You’re up early.”

Her brown hair blows in the breeze as she looks at me. Even

though it’s been only about a month since I’ve seen her, she’s

aged a lot, but that might be because she’s in her pajamas and her

hair and makeup aren’t done. “I don’t remember you being a fan

of getting up early.”

I shrug as I zip up the jacket and then pull the hood over my

head and hug my arms around myself and shiver. “I slept in the

truck during the drive over here,” I lie. “So I wasn’t very tired.”

She eyes me over with skepticism. “Who gave you a ride

here?”

I’m wary to answer. “Um, Luke.”

“Luke who?”

“Luke… Price.”

Her shoulders stiffen and she wraps her robe tighter around

herself. “Kayden’s friend?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

She thrums her fingers restlessly against her hips as she

clenches her jaw and stares at the door to the garage, trying to see

through the frosted window. “Callie, I don’t want you hanging

around Kayden.”

The wind decides to kick up and snowflakes sting my skin as

they swirl around us in a flurry. The wind howls against my

eardrums and the reflection of the daylight discomforts my eyes.

“Why?” I chatter, rocking my body to attempt to keep warm.

“Because I don’t want you having any association with

Kayden.” She looks at me and I see loathing in her eyes. Or maybe

it’s fear. “He’s obviously got a temper and even your father said he

was trouble when he was on the team.”

“I doubt dad said that,” I argue. “He always liked Kayden. And

besides, you talk to Kayden’s mother.”

“Not by choice.” There’s judgment in my mother’s eyes like

she’s blaming Maci Owens for Kayden’s mistake. If that’s the case,

would she blame herself if I told her what happened to me?

I hide my hands in my sleeves and tip my chin down into the

collar of my jacket. I’m wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and the

fabric is thin and the cold air easily trickles through. “Can we go

inside and talk about this? It’s cold.”

She glances at the door of the room above the garage again

and then redirects her attention to me. “Is your friend in there? The one who…” She lowers her voice and her eyelashes flutter against

the snowflakes gusting around us. “The one who likes guys?”

I sigh, turn sideways, and squeeze between her and the

railing without uttering an answer. Thankfully, she follows me and

Seth is off the hook. At least for now.

When I walk into the kitchen, that night smashes into my

chest, the night Jackson sat at the table eating pie and Caleb

tormented me with my secret. The night Kayden found out who

broke me. The night where he let me cry and then slipped out of

my life as effortlessly as if he were made of sand.

I walk over to the cupboard and take out a bowl and a box of

cereal. I set the bowl down on the counter and open the box as my

mom walks in, letting the cold air and snow in. She slams the door

and then slips off her boots beside the door and winds around the

table, heading across the kitchen toward me.

“I was going to make you breakfast.” She reaches for the

drawer above the oven that holds the pans.

I shake my head as I pour cereal into the bowl. “That’s okay.

I’m not hungry enough to eat a big breakfast.”

She drops her arm to her side and scans my tiny frame. “You

look like you’re losing weight again.”

I look down at my short legs and my petite waist hidden

under my pajamas. “I’m just stressed out.”

“Stressed out over what?” she asks. “About school? Or about

what happened with your friend?”

I can’t hold it in. It’s too much and it’s pissing me off. “Oh,

now he’s my friend, but back when you first found out, you were

so excited we were a couple. In fact, I think you told everyone in

the whole damn town.”

“Watch your language.” She reties her pink rob and gathers

her hair out of her face. “Callie Owens, you will not talk to me that way.” She turns around and extends her arm toward the cupboard

that holds all her prescription medication. “This is my house and

while you’re here you will follow my rules.”

I close the cereal box, stirring in my fury. “I’m eighteen years

old and I can be friends with whomever I want.”

She grabs one of the bigger bottles and slowly turns around

to face me with her hand over the lid. “Even ones who beat up

your brother’s best friend.”

I dig my nails into the granite countertops as the pain of the

last six years chokes my oxygen away. “That’s all you care about?

Caleb?” His name tastes toxic in my mouth.

She battles to unscrew the lid from the bottle, pressing the

bottom against her hand as she squeezes the lid with her fingers.

“Callie, Caleb has been part of this family since he was six years

old. You know his parents barely talk to him. We’re the only family

he has.”

“I don’t give a shit about Caleb!” I shout and my lungs nearly

combust. But it feels good. Really, really good. I press my hand to

my chest, calmly let go of the countertop, and straighten my

shoulders. “I’m going to go out to breakfast with Seth.”

Her eyes are amplified and her lips start to part in protest,

but the look on my face quiets her. She cinches her mouth shut as

the lid slips off the bottle. “Fine, have fun.” The pills rattle as she pours a couple into the palm of her hand.

I put the cereal back in the cupboard, set the bowl in the

sink, and hurry out the back door. I run across the driveway and

jog up the steps of the two-story garage. When I open the door,

I’m surprised to find Seth sitting on the edge of the bed, awake

and dressed in a red T-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans.

“You’re up,” I say as I shut the door.

He tousles his hair into place with his fingers. “I woke when

you ran out of here like there was a fire. What was up with that?”

I shuck my jacket off, ball it up, and toss it onto the bed. “I

saw my mother heading out here and I didn’t want you to have to

deal with her.”

He hooks his watch onto his wrist as he wanders over to his

shoes that are at the foot of the bed. “Callie, no matter how many

jokes we make, I can handle your mom.” He slips his foot into his

boot. “Trust me, if I can handle my own mom, then I can definitely

handle yours.”

I frown as I sink down onto the edge of the bed. “But you

haven’t talked to your mom since you told her about Greyson.”

He shrugs as he laces up his shoe and fastens a knot. “She’ll

get over it. It’ll just take some time, just like it did when I told her I was gay.”

I flop back onto the bed and drape my arm over my

forehead. “How do you decide what’s worth telling your parents

and what’s not?”

He’s silent for a while and then I hear his footsteps as he

walks around to my side of the bed. He lifts my arm off my head

and looks down at me. “If you’re asking me if I think you should

tell your parents about what happened with Caleb, then the

answer is yes. I think you should.”

He releases my arm and I lean up on my elbows. “How can

you be so sure?” My mouth sinks to a frown. “She could get mad

at me. Or she could hate herself as much as I hate… hated myself.”

Seth brushes my bangs out of my eyes with his fingers.

“Callie, if she hates herself for a while, then she hates herself for a while. You’ve been carrying around the burden for the last six

years and it’s about time someone else took a little bit of the

weight off of you.”

“I’m not sure I can,” I whisper, clutching at the dull ache

inside my chest. “There’s just so much… so much acceptance in

telling her the truth.”

“Like you might have to accept that it’s finally real?”

I nod as I gaze at the clear sky outside. The sunlight is

beaming down on the houses across the street. Sunlight is a rare

occurrence in Afton, but maybe it’s a sign that not everything is

caped in darkness. That light does exist even in the darkest of

corners.

He moves back as I sit up and head for my bag on a fold-up

chair near the door. “I was thinking we could go out to breakfast

this morning. There’s this café in town that has the best pancakes

in the world.” I take a purple shirt out of the bag and a pair of

jeans.

“I was thinking we could go see Kayden first,” Seth says as he

texts something on his phone.

“But he’s not allowed visitors.” I hold my clothes to my chest

and head for the bathroom to change.

“Yeah, he is.” Seth sets his phone down on his knee and

takes a deep breath. “I just got a text from Luke saying that not

only is Kayden allowed to have visitors but he’s leaving the facility today.”

I stop in the middle of the room as reality finally catches up

with me. Although I’d never admitted it aloud, I’d wondered if I’d

ever see Kayden again. That maybe he didn’t even exist and that

everything that had happened between us was just my

imagination attempting to force my mind to thrive again. “Should

we wait for him to get out and then go see him?” I stare at the

open bathroom door.

The mattress squeaks as Seth gets up from the bed and

steps into my line of vision. “I think we should go pick him up.

Luke said that his mother’s supposed to and then she’s going to

take him home, but he thinks we should go pick him up and take

him somewhere.”

I raise my chin up and meet his eyes. “Like kidnap him?”

Seth laughs at me and his face turns red and his eyes water

over. “He’s nineteen years old, Callie. We can’t kidnap him if he

wants to go.”

“But isn’t he supposed to be being watched?”

“What? At his parents’ house? With his dad?”

I free an unsteady breath from my lungs. “But I worry that we

might be doing more harm than good… running away.”

Seth steps closer to me, places his hands on my shoulders,

and fixes his eyes on me. “You want to know what I think? I think

that you’re afraid.”

I hug my clothes tighter against my chest because I need to

hold onto something. “Of what?”

“About hearing the whole story about that night. I think

you’re afraid of the truth.”

“But what is the truth exactly?” I ask.

Seth gives a lopsided smile and gently shakes my shoulders.

“That’s for you to find out because he needs you.”

He’s right. I’m afraid of everything that night holds and that

I’ll have to admit that it’s my fault. I’m afraid I’ll learn that Kayden was really trying to kill himself, trying to leave me alone in the

world. That he’ll leave me again, and I need him like I need air.

“Where will we take him, though?” I wonder. “My mom’s

made it really clear that she doesn’t want him here.”

A devilish grin spreads across his face. “You leave that to me.

All you need to do is bring your bag and tell your mom you’re

going to be gone for a couple of days.”

My eyebrows dip together. “You’re not going to tell me

where we’re going?”

His grin widens and his hands leave my shoulders and

reunite with his sides. “It’s called a surprise road trip, Callie.”

I drag my hand across my face. “You think that’s a wise idea,

considering everything?”

“No, but I’ve never been one for wise ideas,” he says. “I

believe in irrational, fleeting decisions that keep life interesting.

And life needs to be interesting because we’ve got only one of

them to live”

I smile and it almost feels real. “You are the most wise… I

mean, irrational, fleeting person I’ve ever met.”

He wraps his arms around me and embraces me in a tight

hug. I drop my clothes to the floor and hug him back. I don’t

cringe. I don’t panic. I just enjoy it. Because Seth is home. And I

hope one day Kayden will be too.

We hug for a while and then let each other go. I gather up

my clothes and head to the bathroom. “All right, let’s go get him,” I say, knowing it’s not going to be that easy.

Because reuniting with something you’ve lost rarely is,

especially when you’re not sure who exactly you’re reuniting with.

Chapter 5

#41 Eat a lot of pancakes

Kayden

My mom came to pick me up the next morning, just like she

promised. They stopped giving me my meds so I feel drained and

piercing on the inside, like shards of glass are roaming through my

bloodstream.

“Are you ready to go home?” she asks as she enters my

room. There’s something in her tone I don’t like, a warning maybe

of what waits for me at home.

There’s an instant where I think about telling Doug what

really happened. At least I’d finally be getting it off my chest. But then I think of what that means—of what I’ll have to admit and

face. Every punch, every kick, a childhood packed with torturous

memories. I’ll have to feel it and I don’t have a knife or razor to

turn it off.

“Yeah,” I finally answer as I fold up a pair of jeans and put

them in the bag.

She looks relieved and horrified. “Good.”

She spends a few minutes chatting with the doctor near the

doorway, collecting the papers they give her with a mildly tolerant

look on her face. I gather the last of my stuff from the dresser

drawer beside my bed. My stitches are out, but there’s still some

pain when I twist my midsection, although the doctors assure me

that I’ll make a full recovery eventually and will probably be able to play football again next season.

I can’t even look that far ahead, because I have no idea what

lies before me. Felony charges? My dad? College? Callie? Maybe

nothing.

I zip my bag up and swing it over my shoulder, deciding not

to think about my future for now. All I need to focus on is getting

out the door and then my attention can go to making it to the car.

My mom and the doctors have disappeared so I head out, unsure

where I’m supposed to go.

Fate takes matters into its own hands, though. I’m halfway

across the room when fate steps into the room in the form of a

short, tiny little thing with big blue eyes and brown hair. She looks smaller than the last time I saw her. Her waist is a little thinner, and she has dark circles under her eyes like she hasn’t been sleeping

very well.

“Callie,” I say, dropping my bag to the floor.

She fidgets with her fingers, wringing them in front of her,

looking upset as she takes in the bandage on my wrist. “Hi,” she

says in her tiny voice as she meets my eyes. Her hair is pulled up

and pieces of it frame her face.

I can’t help it. I smile like a stupid idiot, but then I quickly

frown. “You shouldn’t be here.”

She sucks in a sharp breath. “Seth and Luke and I decided to

come pick you up… I thought Luke told you on the phone that we

were coming.”

“Yeah… but it still doesn’t mean you should be here.” I know

I sound harsh, but I can’t help it. I honestly didn’t really think she’d show up and now that she has… I hate letting her see me in this

kind of place.

Her eyes widen like I’ve slapped her and I feel like the

biggest douche. She takes a step toward me and I ball my hands

into fists to stop myself from touching her, running my fingers

through her hair, kissing her lips. “Luke and Seth think we should

go on a road trip.”

“A road trip?” I say in disbelief. “Right now?”

She shrugs, like she has no clue what to do or say. I opt to let

her off the hook, because she doesn’t need to be standing in a

facility staring at a guy who nearly cut himself to death and who

let his father almost beat him to death.

“Look, Callie.” I pick up my bag and swing the handle over

my shoulder. “I can’t go on a road trip with you.” I feel the

throbbing beneath the bandage and I focus on that, instead of the

glossiness in her eyes and her quivering bottom lip. “I can’t really

do anything with you right now. “ I step toward her and then inch

around to the side. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

It’s the stupidest thing that’s ever left my lips, but it needs to

be done. She deserves better than the broken piece of shit that I

am.

Callie

I’m standing outside the door to his room, fidgeting

nervously as I wait to go inside and see Kayden. His mom’s in the

room with him and I don’t want to go in until she leaves. I’m not

sure what to say or if there’s anything I can say when I get inside.

There’s no magical word that will make it easier, and it’s terrifying.

The hallway is packed with people and chatter, and the chaos

is disconcerting and adds fire to my jittery nerves. I’ve been writing for days in my journal about what I would say to him when I first

see him. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m sorry. Thank you. The last

thought I always feel guilty about, but I can’t get it out of my head.

“You look like you’re going to throw up, Callie.” Seth’s voice

interrupts my thoughts. He’s standing across the hallway, beside

Luke, with his arms folded behind him as he eyes me worriedly.

“Do we need to get you a bucket or something?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m fine. Besides, where would you find

a bucket?”

The corners of his lips tug upward and in three long strides

he crosses the hall and stops in front of me. “You know he’s okay,

right? He’s still Kayden, just a banged-up one who probably needs

you now more than anything.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I fold my arms over my chest and then

uncross them, unable to hold still.

He swings his arm around me and pulls me in for a hug. “Just

take deep breaths and breathe.”

I nod and suck air through my nose and let it out between

my lips just like he instructed. But as the door swings open, my

chest constricts along with my heart as Maci Owens comes walking

out. She’s dressed like she’s going to a fancy dinner and it seems

ridiculous to me. Her hair is done up in a neat bun and she has on

heavy eyeliner and lipstick. She’s wearing a navy blue dress and

black high heels. My dark feelings toward her outfit and looks may

be stemming from the fact that she’s here and doesn’t look the

least bit upset.

Her high heels click as she exits beside one of the nurses.

She has her phone in her hand and a pair of leather gloves in the

other. She passes by me and the woman who once greeted me

with a cheery smile barely acknowledges me. She’s probably still

upset about how I reacted when she tried to tell me Kayden

injured himself.

I keep my gaze fixed on her as she walks down the hall, and

then Seth nudges me with his elbow and I tear my gaze away from

her and fix it on him. “Huh?”

He nods his head at the doorway. “Quit worrying about her

and go in.”

I glance at Luke. “Maybe you should you go in first.”

He quickly shakes his head. “I think he’d rather see you first.”

I’m not sure if he’s right, but I decide to go in. I inhale

another breath in preparation and then enter the room. I’ve always

thought that hospital rooms were the most depressing rooms that

existed, but this facility is much worse. The walls are

unembellished, the floor is blemished, and the bed is made up

neatly for the next patient.

Kayden is standing in the middle of the room with a bag

over his shoulder. In my head I’d been picturing that he’d be lying

in a bed, looking helpless and scared. He’s taller than I remember

and I instantly tip my head up to meet his emerald eyes. His brown

hair is a little longer and shaggier, hanging over his ears and in his eyes and he looks like he hasn’t shaved in a while, his face scruffy.

There’s another scar on his cheek and a bandage on his wrist along

with an array of rubber bands. His body looks solid, but his

expression looks breakable and fragile.

“Callie,” he says, looking stunned and a little upset to see me.

His bag falls down his arm and hits the floor.

“Hi.” It seems like the silliest thing I could ever say, but it’s

the first word to pop into my head.

The corners of his lips start to turn up, but then it vanishes

and I question if I ever really saw it. “You shouldn’t be here,” he

says.

My heart tightens, twines into knots, binding so tightly it

begins to wilt into pieces. I don’t know what to do or say so I tell

him about my road trip. He’s not happy and suddenly he’s leaving,

walking past me with barely a glance. Then I’m alone, unable to

move or breathe. All I can think is that this is the end of it. The end to my happiness.

After standing in the middle of the room for an eternity, Seth

finally walks in. He approaches me like I’m a skittish cat and I

glance down at my nails, wondering if he thinks I’m going to

scratch him.

“Hey.” He stuffs his hands into his pockets and takes cautious

steps until he’s right in front of me. “You want to go get that

breakfast? The first set of pancakes is on me.”

I love that he doesn’t ask what happened. If I had to speak

I’d probably crumble into teeny tiny pieces that would get stuck in

the dirty cracks of the floor. I nod and he swings his arm around

me and leads me outside, holding me together.

* * *

The restaurant is crowded and filled with the voices of

people enjoying their breakfast with their families. Dishes clank in

the kitchen and the air smells like coffee and waffles. Luke came

with us, but he’s been distracted by one of the waitress behind the

counter pretty much since we walked through the door. I wonder if

he did it on purpose, to distract himself from what happened at

the clinic. Luke actually tried to chase Kayden down after he ran

out of the room, but he came back minutes later, looking upset,

but he never said what happened.

“You know what I just realized?” Seth points a syrupy fork at

me as he chews a mouthful of pancakes. “This needs to be added

to our list.”

I glance down at the barely touched stack of pancakes on

the plate in front of me. “What? Eat pancakes?”

His neck muscles move up and down as he forces the overly

large mouthful of pancakes down. “No, eat a lot of pancakes.”

I pick up the bottle of strawberry syrup that’s in the tray at

the end of the table. I press my thumb down on the handle, tip the

bottle, and douse the pancakes with red syrup. “That doesn’t seem

significant enough for the list.”

Seth stabs his fork into his pancakes as he shakes his head.

“No way. Everyone in the world should sit down and stuff

themselves with pancakes at least one time in their life.” He shoves

a bite into his mouth and then closes his eyes and inhales deeply.

“Especially ones this damn good. I swear I’m having a foodgasm.”

A laugh flees from my mouth and he opens his eyes looking

happy. It’s the first time I’ve shown a sign of life since I left the facility. “Foodgasm?” I ask.

He nods his head and swallows his food with a forceful gulp.

“The gasms of champions.”

“Champions of what?”

“Life.”

I can’t stop smiling as I shovel up a forkful of pancakes and

stuff them into my mouth. “All right, we can add it to the list and

then cross it off because we’re doing it right now.”

He grins from ear to ear, then grabs a napkin from the tin

case and dabs the syrup off his lips. His fingers circle the glass of milk in front of him and he wraps his lips around the straw and

takes a sip. He sets the glass down, wipes his mouth off with the

sleeve of his shirt, and then leans back in the booth and drapes his

arms over the back of the seat. He watches me eat with an anxious

expression on his face.

I cram my mouth with pancakes and then look up at him.

“What?”

His shoulders move up and down as he shrugs. “I was just

wondering if you wanted to talk about what happened.”

I extend my hand toward the butter in the middle of the

table beside a plate full of toast and a bowl full of jam packets.

“With Kayden?” I ask and he nods. I grab the knife and slide it

through the butter, getting a thin slice on the blade. “Nothing. I

just messed up. That’s all.”

“You looked like you were going to cry,” he says. “And

Kayden, well, he looked upset when he walked out. I mean, he

practically ran away from me when I said hi.”

I smear the butter all over the pancakes and it makes a mess

with the syrup. “I just didn’t approach him like a skittish cat. I threw the road trip idea out there way too quickly and he freaked out. At

least I think that’s what happened.”

“So he just decided to go home to his mother and father.”

Seth lowers his hands down from the back of the booth and rests

his elbows on top of the table. “Why would he do that?”

I divide the half-eaten stack of pancakes as I prop my elbow

onto the table and rest my chin in my hand. “Maybe he’s not ready

to admit the truth aloud yet.”

“Are we speaking about you or him now?”

“I’m not sure.”

I continue to demolish my pancakes with my fork, trying to

figure out what could be going through Kayden’s head. If his dad

did it to him then maybe fear, but why would that make him afraid

of me? I think about the bandage on his wrist and the rubber

bands.

I drop the knife onto the table. “Seth, why would someone

have rubber bands on their wrist?”

He shrugs as the waitress walks up to the table with the bill.

He takes it from her and she smiles at him.

“Thanks for coming in.” She coils a strand of her blonde hair

around her finger as she chomps on her gum and tries to dazzle

him. “I hope you’ll come back.”

Seth shakes his head as he reaches his hand into his pocket

to get his wallet. “As much as I loved the pancakes, I probably

won’t be coming back.” It’s his attempt to politely turn the waitress down.

She pouts out her lip and takes the bill and Seth’s credit card

when he offers it to her. “Well, okay then.” She pierces me with a

death glare, and then stomps off in her bubblegum-pink pumps

and matching waitress uniform.

“You know, I’m starting to wonder about the female sex,”

Seth remarks as he sets his wallet down on the table. “Always

looking for love in the wrong places.”

“Am I included on that list?” I sip my orange juice and then

place the empty glass back on the table.

He rolls his eyes like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever

heard. “Absolutely not, darling. You just need a better way to

approach it.” He fiddles with his watch, twisting it around and

around as he watches the time. “Why did you ask that question

about the rubber bands?”

I circle my fingers around my wrist and rotate my arm.

“Because Kayden had a whole bunch on his wrist.”

Seth thrums his fingers on the table and then his brow knits.

He retrieves his phone from his pocket and runs his finger along

the screen before typing something in.

“What are you doing?” I ask, reaching for my purse.

He holds up a finger as he taps the screen. “Just a sec.”

I take out a few dollar bills and lay them on the table for a

tip, then drop my wallet back to my purse. I eye the waitress over

at the counter who’s whispering something to another waitress.

They both glance over and glare at me like I’m the devil.

“I think they think I’m your girlfriend,” I say, slumping down

in the chair.

Seth glances at them, then shrugs and starts reading the

screen again. “Then it was really wrong of her to hit on me.”

“I guess so.” I direct my attention to the flurry of snow