I forced myself up and into the en suite and looked in the mirror, noticing that I actually looked no worse for the wear. The majority ofmy pain was internal and had nothing to do with the bruises on my arm. It was more about waking up alone.
I brushed my teeth and washed my face, pulling my hair into a messy bun. I smiled at myself in the mirror.Fake it ’til you make it, remember?
Throwing on a soft white robe from the back of my bathroom door, I pulled it tight against me, wishing it could somehow fill the void that had made its way into my chest. I lifted my chin as I walked through my room. Life would go on; it always did. So I may as well just catch the next rotation. I needed to figure out what to do about Simon, anyway.
I heard Max’s voice in the kitchen as I made my way downstairs. The anger I had felt the night before when I realized he was going after Cane was muted. I recalled the fury in Max’s eyes when he realized Simon was responsible for my arm. Max wasn’t just a friend to Cane or Kari; he was also a friend to me.
I rounded the corner and paused in the doorway, holding my breath that maybe Cane would be sitting there with his friend. But Max was leaning against the island, and Kari was sitting at the table, holding a cup of coffee.
And that was it.
Any hope I had been holding on to melted away. I sighed, accepted reality, and made my way dejectedly to the coffee pot.I gave him every chance. And last night was the last one.
“How do you feel?” Kari watched me move across the room.
“Wonderful,” I uttered sourly, pouring creamer into my mug.
“I’m betting that Simon is feeling worse.” Max chuckled, shaking his head. “Cane would’ve killed him. I’ve seen that look in his eye a time or two, and it never ends well for the other guy.”
I sipped my coffee and gave Max a look over the brim. He shook his head at my demeanor, which irritated me more.
“Something wrong, Jada?” He smirked.
“Why would anything be wrong?”
The sound of the front door opening took me by surprise, and Inearly dropped my coffee. Max’s smirk deepened at my reaction, obviously knowing what I thought when I came downstairs.
Maybe I don’t like Max after all.
I held my breath as a rustling sound made its way toward the kitchen, trying hard not to wish too badly that it was Cane. I didn’t want to be disappointed, but it was pointless to deny the hope that had blossomed.
And then there he stood in the doorway—light denim jeans, a plain black T-shirt, a red baseball cap, and his sunglasses tucked through the front of his shirt. When our eyes met, I could see his smile in them, and I melted slightly.
He hadn’t left me after all.
Cane set three bags on the countertop and slowly made his way to me, narrowing his eyes. The corner of his mouth was upturned. I started to speak, but he kissed me before I could get any words out.
Holding my head in his hands, he examined my face with his eyes, trying to read what I was thinking. “How are you today?”
“Fine,” I whispered, embarrassed. “Better now.”
“I just ran home to grab some clothes and then to the grocery for some stuff for lunch,” he said as I looked away, my heart bursting. “What? You didn’t think I left you, did you?”
“No, you would never do something like that.” I laughed.
He laughed and kissed me gently. “We’re in this together. Just relax.”
Together. He wants us to bein thistogether.I couldn’t wipe the silly grin off my face if I tried. That one word,together, held so much promise.
“It’s none of my business, I know that,” Kari said loudly. “But you know I make everything my business, so … what’s up with you kissing my sister?”
“Kari,” Max warned, shooting her a look.
“It’s about damn time,” Kari said.
“I’ll say,” Max said, taking a sip of his coffee. “Cane was getting soft on me, crying all the time.”
“Really? That’s interesting,” Cane replied, pulling me in front ofhim and wrapping his arms around me, careful to avoid my arm. “I don’t recall crying. Ever.”
