“I mean, no headaches? No heart palpitations? Numbness or tingling in the extremities? Anything that would make you prone to fainting?” he asked, studying me. “I’m asking this as your physician, I mean.”
“Why would you ask that? Do Ilooksick?” I demanded. “I feel okay.”
“Super.Oh my God, Constantine!”Mason said, jumping up from his seat and rushing to embrace Con, who was approaching the counter with his mother. “I haven’t seen you inages!”
Constantine squared himself against the attack but seemed to relax a tiny bit when he saw who it was and patted Mason on the back lightly. “Uh, hey, Mase. Pretty sure it’s been less than two weeks, but… yes. Hi.”
I was not jealous that my brother had more physical contact with Constantine this week than I had. That would be ridiculous. Even more ridiculous than everything else.
Angela Ross stood next to Constantinebeaming at me. I swiveled a bit to the right and then the left, positive she must be looking at someone behind me, but there were no likely candidates.Huh.
“Hi, Angela,” I said. “You look… well?” She looked about as she always did—long black braid, snapping eyes, body that was too small to contain the force of her personality.
“Happy almost Valentine’s Day,” she returned. And for the first time in my life, she smiled at me.
Maybe I reallydidlook sick.
My eyes met Constantine’s as he was still locked in Mason’s embrace, and his look so clearly telegraphed,What the actual fuck is going on?I nearly laughed… before I remembered that Constantine probably still didn’t want to see me.
“Mason, could you please let my… Constantine go? You’re manhandling him.”
“Oh. Geez.” Mason backed up. “Sorry, Con. Just good to see you, that’s all. I missed you. I mean, not as much as Micah here did, though. Justlookat him.”
I felt my face heat. “Mason. Sitdown.”
“That’s funny,” Angela chirped—which was enough to make my eyes widen, because I didn’t know shecouldchirp. “I was just telling Con yesterday that he hasn’t been acting like himself.”
Con squinted at his mother in shock. “What the heck is going on right now? Did you set this up?” He looked from Angela tome, accusingly, likeIhad somehow helped engineer this meeting.
“Hey, don’t give me that look. I’m here forcoffee!” I said, lifting my cup. “It wasn’t even my idea. And I certainly didn’t think I’d run intoyou.”
Con’s brow lowered. “Well, sorry to disturb yourcoffee, then.” He glared at his mother who in turn glared at me.
Lovely.
“Con, I didn’t mean,” I began, but he clapped a hand to his pocket and removed his vibrating cell phone instead.
“I need to take this,” he said. Then he dashed out the front door with the phone pressed to his ear.
Angela looked at Mason and sighed, then turned around to take her place in line.
Mason got very busy eating his cookie in tiny, precise bites.
“Mason.”
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t seem very surprised to see Constantine.”
“Didn’t I?” He nibbled at the cookie. “I was.”
“Really? Because I was thinking you’d orchestrated this.”
“What? Me?” Mason pressed a hand to his chest. “Honestly, how likely is that, Micah? People show up in public places all the time. Like… bars. Shopping malls. Bakeries next door to your boyfriend’s brother’s vet clinic in a tiny town that hasmaybefour places to eat? Coincidence.”
“See, somehow I doubt that.”
“Or,” he said, holding a finger in the air. “It could befate. Throwing you two lovebirds back together.”
