“Well… that was damn awkward,” Kiera mutters.
Gran reaches across, grabbing both my hand and Mercs’. “Are you both okay?”
I nod, but it’s unconvincing.
Mercs doesn’t answer. He suddenly shoves back his chair, it scrapes and then tumbles over, but he is already storming toward the exit.
Everyone in the diner watches.
Every step he takes further from me, the faster my pulse races.
“Mercs,” I call out, standing as he leaves.
All around me, murmurs swirl like wildfire. People are gossiping, laughing, whispering about him and her and whatever the hell I have found myself in.
“I’ll go,” Gran offers.
I sink back into my chair, overwhelmed, watching Gran follow after Mercs.
Kiera’s eyes meet mine. They’re soft, understanding, and kind.
I glance at the counter.
Lilah’s gone.
Of course she is.
“So… Lilah?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“I was wondering when you’d ask,” Kiera says, sipping her soda. “She’s Kaden’s ex. They were childhood sweethearts until she got caught in the backseat of Kaden’s car one night with his best friend, Shane… doing the dirty. It was the biggest scandal to hit town in a decade. He was humiliated. And judging by the whispers, they’re still the talk of the town.”
My chest aches.
He didn’t just lose a girlfriend.
He losteverything—his best friend, his reputation, his dignity.
And it’s still following him.
“When did this happen?” I ask.
She slurps on her straw, then leans in. “About two years ago. Kades had just started touring. He came home during a break to surprise her…” She pauses and looks at me meaningfully. “With a ring.”
I gasp quietly.
He was going to propose?
My stomach sinks.
My chest feels hollow as I slump into my seat.
“You didn’t know, did you?” Kiera asks gently.
I shake my head, stunned. “Nope, not a clue.”
She moves into Mercs’ empty seat beside me and takes my hand. “If he brought you here, Effa, you matter to him. Like,reallymatter. Kaden doesn’t let people in, not after that. He swore off relationships, off vulnerability, off being the center of anyone’s attention.”
She pauses, searching my face. “And after everything that’s happened… me, Lilah, this town… he’s trying. But he’s scared. He thinks he has to be the strong one, that he’s not allowed to fall apart. But Effa, when I’m gone, he’s going to need someone to help hold him up.”
