"Thank you," I whisper. "But you might be right to some extent. I saw her today."
"Where?"
"At the bar. I wanted to talk to Angie, and she was sitting at the bar talking to Carlos and Eric. She's looking for another place to stay."
"Why?" Dad's eyebrows scrunch together. "Isn't she staying with your sister?"
Nodding, I pull the plate toward me and lift off the foil. "I don't know all the details. I walked in at the end of the conversation. And I may have said she could stay here."
"Devin," he scolds me. It's the tone of voice I was always terrified of when I was younger. It meant I was in big trouble. "You can't think that's a good idea. Especially when you were sneaking your relationship with her behind Delilah's back."
"Yeah, I know." I put the foil back on the plate. I'll eat when he leaves. "I don't know what came over me. I heard Eric offer her his extra room, and it came out."
"Looks like you aren't over her, Son." He scoots his chair back and stands. "You're old enough to make your own decisions, but tread carefully. You know your sister doesn't like you dating her friends. If you and Lisa want to make something of this, you need to talk to Delilah."
He doesn't say anything else, grabs his umbrella, and walks out the front door. Ugh, parents can be so frustrating. It's solid advice. Something I already know I should do, but I seriously doubt Lisa is going to give me the time of day again.
Standing, I move to pick up the pen I didn't realize fell on the floor, and set it back on the table.
Two steps and I'm at the kitchen counter. The drawer sticks as I pull it open to get a fork. I should probably fix that, but that's a problem for another day.
Fork in hand, I sit down, take the foil off the plate again and take a bite of the broccoli. Mom must have sensed I would need comfort food tonight. Parents, they know you better than you know yourself sometimes.
As I'm eating, I think about what my dad said. He wasn't wrong. I'm not over Lisa. It's possible I never will be. She's the first woman I ever really cared about, and I royally screwed that up.
I still remember the first day I met her. She was new to town and answered the advertisement my sister put out for a roommate. Delilah wanted me there to make sure the person wasn't a serial killer.
Lisa definitely wasn't that. She ended up becoming my sister's best friend. Her bubbly personality and love of life are what drew me to her. Even though my sister and I hung out a lot, I found even more reasons to be around them. To be around Lisa until it eventually turned into more.
And I ruined it. Words flood my brain and I push my plate away. I open my notebook and turn to the next empty page. My hand flies across the paper. The inspiration I couldn't find earlier hits me full force and I don't want to lose them.
3
Lisa
It's alwaysweird to see Out of the Ashes without cars in the parking lot. It makes sense because it's closed, but it's still weird.
When I woke up this morning, I had a text from Angie on my phone telling me to meet her here. So here I stand. The locked door between me and Angie.
Raising a hand, I tap against the glass. The sound is barely audible. There's no way Angie heard it in the back. Deep down, I'm scared they won't take me back. Worried I'll disappoint them if they do.
I turn around, one foot in the air to step off the sidewalk. The lock behind me clicks, and I pause. How did they hear that?
"Where are you going?" Carlos says.
Of course, it would be both of them wanting to see me. Maybe he was in the front waiting for me. Setting my foot down, I spin toward him. "Nowhere."
"You sure about that?" He pushes the door until it's completely open. "Come on. It isn't bad, I promise."
"Okay." This unsettling fear is new to me. After I left home, I promised myself I wouldn't be scared of anything. I'd tackle whatever life had to throw at me. But coming back to a town I left behind? To people I care about? That's terrifying. It's why I never went back to anyone.
I follow Carlos inside. He waits until I've passed him before closing and locking the door behind us. I stand by the hostess stand, unsure of where he wants me to go.
"Angie has donuts where we do our staff meetings." He points toward the main dining area. "I'll grab us some water and meet you over there."
They know I can't resist donuts, and I'm certain they are going to give me my job back if they are bringing those.
"Hey Lisa," she gets up and gives me a hug, "take a seat."
