“This was a mistake,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”
I fled the Devereaux household like all the hounds of hell were after me. I drove back to our apartment and felt lucky that there wasn’t much traffic at that time of night. When I got home, Vivian was asleep already, for which I was forever grateful. She had looked so hopeful when I had left for the Devereaux’s, I didn’t want to explain to her how badly the day had gone. I was able to crawl into my bed and pull the covers over my head and try and block out the world for a while.
Sleep came reluctantly, but I did sleep. At least some. My alarm went off all too early, though. I had the breakfast shift that morning, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Vivian needed her car that day since she had to drive up to Cleveland for a class and needed to leave before I even got up. I dragged my sorry butt onto my bike and made my way to the restaurant.
The shift passed relatively quickly. Everyone seemed crabby today for some reason. I’m sure it had nothing to do with my own mood... It was hot and muggy out, again. Jay and Joy didn’t come in and my tips were depressingly low. I was grateful for a while that I didn’t have a car, because on days like this, I didn’t think I’d make enough to cover gas money.
It was almost 4 p.m. when I wrapped up and cashed out. We’d had another call off, so I had stayed later than expected. I was appreciating the mindless work, because I hadn’t had to think about what had happened with Kaine the night before.
I walked out back to where I chained my bike, only to find someone sitting on it.
Bishop had his back to me, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes and his hair tucked up into an Indians baseball cap.
Shit. I did not need this.
“Please get off my bike, Bishop,” I asked, tiredly.
He didn’t turn to look at me right away, just sat staring off into space for a while longer.
“My brother is an idiot,” he said finally, dismounting and turning to look at me. His sunglasses were the opaque kind, with round lenses that made me think of John Lennon.
“That’s a pretty broad range to choose from,” I sighed. “Can you narrow my choices down for me a little?”
He laughed.
“I think you know which one I mean. Let’s get some pizza,” he insisted. “I’m starving.”
So that’s how we found ourselves in Mogadore at a tiny Italian place looking at menus. The restaurant was new to me. When I’d lived here before, it had been a salvage place, but Bishop told me that store had burned down. Instead of demolishing it, the owners had saved what they could and turned it into a restaurant.
I like the place. It had a casual feel, but had a nice area upstairs that had some beautiful stained-glass work over the bar.
“What’s good?” I asked as I glanced at the menu.
“Everything I’ve had here has been good,” Bishop answered. “The pizza is awesome though.”
“You know I’m a sucker for good pizza,” I said smiling.
Bishop smiled briefly, too, but he seemed to be… nervous? He kept glancing around the room, as if he were watching for something. Or someone.Shit, tell me he didn’t—
Just then I heard Kaine’s voice rising above the din of the restaurant and I froze in my seat.
“Bish! I’ve been looking all over for you, man—” he started. I could almost feel the moment he realized I was seated in the booth.
“Fuck, Bishop—” Kaine said, turning to walk out the door.
“How you going to get home?” Bishop called.
I saw Kaine freeze at the doorway. He halted, then dropped his head back in defeat. He turned around and came back to the booth.
He stood for a moment glaring down at us.
“I could just call an Uber. I’m sure Lee wouldloveto get out of the Scrabble competition with the moms,” he threatened, his eyes focused on his brother.
He was so angry, he had spots of color high on his cheeks, and his hands were fisted.
“Where would the fun be in that? Besides, he’s got Mason with him. If you call him, you’d have to sit in a Jeep rife with awkward sexual tension for forty minutes, when you could be eating pizza,” Bishop said, ignoring his brother’s looming presence.
Kaine glared at his brother a moment longer, then sighed and slid into the booth next to him.
