Chapter Eleven #3
a distance, or actually come inside?
A few seconds after the status flips from delivered to read, the bell rings.
I look up on instinct, already knowing it’s him, feeling that familiar pull snap taut between us.
Sterling walks straight toward our table, the noise of the cafe dimming to a distant hum.
“Well, here I am, Thorn.” His mouth hooks into a half-cocked smile.
Sarah comes over with our usual drinks, setting a glass of sweet tea down in front of Sterling as if it's second nature. Guess he comes here often now, too. “Nice to see you finally have time to drop back in,” she teases. “What can I get y’all to eat?”
Lila perks up like she hasn’t eaten in days. “Ohhh, I want your four-cheese burger with a side order of cheese fries. Please and thank you!”
“Did you gain a hangover somewhere along the way that I don’t know about?” I tease Lila. “Honestly, that sounds amazing—so make that two.”
Sarah turns to Sterling, one brow arched, “What about you? You want hangover food too?”
“No, ma’am, I want that chicken pesto.” Sarah laughs, shaking her head as she heads to put in our orders. “So, what have you troublemakers been up to today?” His eyes locked onto mine.
After a few beats of silence, Lila jumps in for me. “Getting ready for another charity gala,” she says, saving my utterly useless brain from having to form words. “You should come tomorrow.” My head snaps toward her. She did not.
“Thanks, but I’m not sure Thorn here would want me there.” The fake guilt trip he’s laying on is so thick it practically fogs the air between us.
Sarah returns, balancing a tray, setting our food and some fresh drinks down in front of us. “Kiera, what charity is your dad doing this time?” she asks, the same curiosity in her voice as always. Little does she know the ominous meanings behind them.
“Umm, I’m not quite sure. There’s a mystery guest, and it’s for something they’re involved in.
That's all the information I was given.” I shrug and shove a cheese fry into my mouth.
God, they have the best food here. Across from me, Lila has already demolished half her burger and is plowing through her fries.
“Girl, fucking breathe. We’re eating lunch, not at a damn food-eating contest.” She turns her head toward me, cheeks full, and for a heartbeat we all go silent—then all at once, we all burst into laughter.
I glance over at Sterling. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, like he isn’t sure he remembers how to have a happy moment anymore.
“Well, I’ll leave y’all to it,” Sarah calls over her shoulder as she heads back to the counter.
As we eat, Lila starts bombarding Sterling with a mile-long list of questions, barely pausing long enough to swallow.
I sit quietly and let their voices fade into the background as my mind drifts into the past.
Mom is softly humming You Are My Sunshine, her fingers threading gently through my hair. The melody vibrates against her chest where my head rests, warm and steady. “Mom?” I tilt my face up to look at her.
“Yes, baby?” she murmurs, snuggling a little closer.
“Why is Dad always at work? Does he not love us?” I ask, the words barely more than a whisper.
“Of course he does, Sunshine. Why would you think something as silly as that?” She gives me a small smile and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s just very busy right now, that’s all.”
“Okay.” I close my eyes, and she starts to hum again. The soft, familiar tune of her voice lulls me under, pulling me down into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Voices drift down the hallway, tugging me out of sleep. I’m not sure how long I’ve been out, but my throat is so dry it has to have been at least a few hours. Sliding off my bed, I pad across the cool floor toward the bathroom across the hall, the murmur of voices growing louder with every step.
“We weren’t supposed to have her this long. What is the holdup, Evelyn?” Dad’s voice is low but sharp as it cuts down the hallway toward me.
“I don’t know, Wade. I just need some more time.” Mom sounds frustrated. Who is this they’re talking about? Is there someone else I don’t know about here?
“We don’t have time. You put this in motion, and now they’re on our asses about it. Christ, Ev.” The sound of Dad’s footsteps coming toward the door has me scrambling into motion back to my room. I’m not supposed to eavesdrop on adult conversations.
“Ki?” I blink, the memory dissolving as I drag myself back into the cafe. Sterling and Lila both have concern etched across their faces, eyes fixed on me like I’ve said something alarming without realizing.
I turn my head toward Lila. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asks. “You zoned out there for a while; it was hard to drag you back down to earth.”
Nodding, I force a small smile. “Yeah, I was just stuck in a memory.” I glance down at my phone to check the time.
“We got to go—I have to make some final calls before tomorrow.” Lila scoots out of the booth, and I slide out after her.
“Later, ghost,” I toss over my shoulder to Sterling.
We make our way to the car, waving to Sarah as we go out.
Just a little bit longer, I tell myself. It’s almost over.