Well, if she insisted.I could murder a sweet breakfast.
Cinnamon custard French toast with macerated apricot and peach-infused whipped cream sounds good?
Okay, maybe coming out here wasn’t the worst idea.
∞∞∞
Daniela’s smile was thick with concern when I finally dragged myself up out of the basement to meet her. I’d washed my face and done my skincare, but it could only do so much for the half-feral look I was carting up to the kitchen to meet her.
“Hey,” she said. “Did you sleep okay?”
“I slept fine,” I mumbled. “Thanks. Also, my god it smells good in here.”
“Sit down. I’m just finishing up.”
I sat down, and she went back to the stove. She was dressed casually today, with a sweatshirt and flannel pants, fuzzy socks and an apron that looked hand-embroidered with little flowers. She spoke with her back to me.
“I don’t want to insult you, but you don’t look too good. Are you feeling all right?”
“Just… overwhelmed, I guess,” I said quietly. “I think it’s only just now setting in that I left home and I don’t know what I’m doing next.”
She gave me a soft smile over her shoulder. “That’s okay,” she said. “It’s kind of to be expected. You’ve always been quick on the uptake with stuff. Always right on to the next thing. It’s no surprise you move quickly into the practical stage of this.”
“I don’t feel too practical,” I mumbled.
“This is a normal part of the process. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck, though. How do you like your coffee?”
“As long as it has caffeine, I like it.”
“Ew. Disgusting. Raise your standards. I’m making a Chemex.”
It was a minute later that she set down a plate of beautifully presented French toast with tall peaks of whipped cream and layers of fresh fruit, and she poured me a cup of coffee from a fancy carafe that looked like it should have been in a modern art museum instead of on the kitchen table.
“Congratulations,” she said. “You get to help yourself to a legendary Daniela Holman breakfast.”
I laughed. She was always like that—a little extra, a little self-aggrandizing—but I knew she was playing it up to help cheer me up. I wouldn’t let her know I was onto her little scheme, though. “Thanks, legendary Daniela Holman,” I said. “It looks amazing.”
“I know. So, how did you like the party last night?” she said, sinking into the seat across from me, and I hesitated—I hadn’t gone ahead with asking last night, but it was eating at me too much.
“So, what happened with Jade?”
She did a double take. “What, were you dreaming of Jade?”
“No, just… it was on my mind.” I folded my hands on the table. “She’s, um… she’s Candle Girl, isn’t she?”
“Ah, damn.” Daniela visibly deflated. “I was hoping I’d be able to move on without being called out.”
“Called out?” I laughed awkwardly.
She put her hands up. “Look, I’m sure you know the whole dynamic is a little weird with the friend group and all that. Jade wants nothing to do with me. So I feel like a total screwball for… being interested in her, I guess.”
I furrowed my brow. “Did you have a fight with her? From what I can tell, it sounds like it was just a split from the whole friendship group, nothing personal with you.”
“It was a mess…” She put a hand to her forehead, looking away. “I don’t think you want to hear it all.”
“I want to hear it all.”
She winced. “Are you sure? You came here to get away from your own stuff, and I don’t want to load up more on you.”
