Chapter 64
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Emma
“That’s my newest creation.” Delaney slides a plate with two cupcakes into the middle of the table. “The cupcake is lavender, and it’s a honey cream frosting.”
Bella eyes the plate. “Unless you get your hand on one of those now, Emma, I’m eating them both.”
I tilt my head back in laughter. “I want one.”
“There’s more.” Delaney motions to one of the display cases. “It’s our flavor of the day.”
Bella takes a hearty bite. Her head nods as she chews. “I need to take two to go. Barrett is going to love this.”
Delaney looks to me, so I pick up mine and take a bite. My eyes almost roll back in my head because it’s that good.
“My brother and his wife are coming back tonight.” I point at the cupcake. “I’ll take two as well for them.”
“I’ll pack them up.” Delaney turns to walk away.
“Wait.” Bella reaches out her hand. “Emma wants to help Mickey with his schoolwork.”
That drops Delaney onto the empty chair at our table. “It’s his reading comprehension. He gets stuck on certain letters.”
“I’d love to help.” I take another bite of the cupcake. “Maybe we can meet up tomorrow morning? I’m going back to Seattle the day after tomorrow to sort out some stuff there.”
“But you’re coming back, right?” Bella’s eyebrow edges up. “You’re taking the job at Cabbott.”
It’s a statement not a question, but I don’t want to mislead her. “I’m still thinking about it.”
Delaney’s gaze volleys from Bella to me. “Am I missing something?”
Bella takes the lead before I can say anything. “Emma was offered a job in Manhattan.”
“You should take it.”
I turn to Delaney. “It’s a big step.”
“It doesn’t have to be forever.” She glances at the windows of the bakery. “I love living here, but I don’t think Mickey and I will stay here forever.”
“Where would you go if you left here?” Bella asks before she takes the final bite of her cupcake.
“California.” Delaney’s gaze drops to her lap. “I want Mickey to see the ocean one day. His dad loved the ocean.”
Case loves the ocean.
The bite of pain I feel whenever I think of him gnaws at my heart.
With a deep breath, she smiles. “Apollo loved to surf. Mickey wants to learn how someday.”
Time stops for a brief second as I try and absorb those words.
Apollo?
Her Apollo can’t be Case’s Apollo.
With a lump in my throat, I turn toward her. “What was Apollo’s last name?”
Her eyes search mine. “It’s the same as Mickey’s middle name. Easton.”
I can’t stop the flood of emotion that hits me. I drop my head into my hands and let out a sob.
“Emma?” Delaney reaches to grab my shoulder. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
I try and focus my gaze on her, but it’s blurring with tears. “I love his brother. I love Apollo’s brother.”
That sets Delaney up on her feet so fast that the chair she was sitting in tumbles to the ground.
Bella stands too. Her expression is clouded with confusion as she tries to make sense of what I just said.
Delaney shakes her head. “Rush? You’re not talking about Rush, are you?”
“Who is Rush?” Bella glances at me. “What’s going on, Emma?”
I push to stand, even though my knees are shaking. I look to Delaney, but all I see is sadness so profound that it takes my breath away.
“He was here,” she shouts at me with her finger pointing at the display case. “He came in here last week to get cupcakes for the woman he loves.”
It’s me. He loves me.
I don’t say it, but Delaney connects the dots as she looks at me. Her hand darts to her mouth. “Oh my God, Emma. That’s you. Rush loves you.”
“Loved,” I whisper. “He left me. He went back to California.”
Her shoulders sag forward as her hand searches for the edge of the table. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I told him he didn’t have a right to be happy because he let his brother die.”
Bella falls back on her chair. She doesn’t say anything.
I don’t either because there’s nothing left to say.
Ten minutes later, I’m sipping a glass of water as I watch Bella give Delaney a hug.
They went to the bathroom in the back of the bakery together for a few minutes. I could have followed them, but I had to sort through my thoughts.
Case is Mickey’s uncle.
Why didn’t he say anything when I mentioned Mickey’s name?
“I’m going to go home.” Bella scoops up her purse from the table. “I’ll text you later.”
She leans down to wrap her arms around my neck from behind. With a whisper in my ear, she puts a voice to what I’ve been thinking. “Case left New York because of this. It was guilt, Emma.”
I pat both her hands with mine. “It’s a lot to take in, Bella.”
She presses a kiss to my cheek. “He needs you. Delaney does too.”
I glance over to where Delaney is standing. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ll leave you two.” She straightens. “Call me if you need anything.”
I nod as she walks away, leaving Delaney and me alone.