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.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
Emma
I waitwhile Delaney speaks to the brown-haired woman behind the counter. We’ve never been formally introduced, but I suspect that she’s Delaney’s aunt.
Delaney drops her apron on the counter before she grabs a gray crossbody bag and slings it over her shoulder.
By the time she’s in front of me, her tears are gone. “Can we walk, Emma? Let’s walk and talk.”
Nodding, I get back to my feet.
I scoop my phone into my palm before I drop it in my purse. “You lead the way.”
She holds the door open for me, so I step through and onto the bustling sidewalk.
“There’s a playground by Mickey’s school.” She glances up the sidewalk. “It’s a couple of blocks over. They have benches there.”
I fall in step beside her. She’s taller than me, and her legs are long, but I keep up as she hurriedly maneuvers through the late afternoon foot traffic.
“Mickey is with his sitter today.” She smiles as we wait for a light to change before we cross the street. “He absolutely adores her.”
“That’s good,” I offer because I can’t think of anything to say.
I’m still reeling from earlier.
