“What? Where?” I ask, confused, as he pulls me behind him, walking over to the bar where Stephen is still working.
“Can you handle it on your own for a few hours?”
Stephen looks at the clock, then nods.
“Sure, rush hour’s over.” I smile at him. Dex just nods and turns to me.
“Go get your jacket and scarf. It’s snowing and cold outside.”
I shake my head.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“We’re having a blue day.” He smiles, and my heart does something strange, like light has managed to filter in through a crack and reach something inside me I thought had been shut off for a long time, bringing it back to life in a way I don’t quite understand yet.
“You… I…” I can’t seem to talk, and he takes my hand again.
“We’re having a blue day. Go get ready. I’ll warm my truck.”
CHAPTER 12
Alexis
I don’t know what Dex has in mind, but I kind of want to find out as I put on my coat, gloves, and scarf.
I glance down at Marvel, curled in his makeshift bed, eyes half-closed, purring. “Be good while I’m gone, okay?” I whisper. He tilts his tiny head like he understands, and I can’t help but smile before leaving him behind.
I make my way downstairs, and as soon as I step outside, the cold bites at my cheeks as I pull on my beanie. Dex is waiting by the passenger door, the truck already running. He opens the door for me and helps me in, then walks around to the driver’s side and gets in. His scent fills the truck and strangely puts me at ease. The dull ache in my heart is still there, but the panic and confusion have eased a little.
“So where’s this pastry shop?” Dex asks as he pulls away.
“What?” I turn to look at him.
“The one with your dad’s favorite scones?”
“You’re driving me to Boulder Flats?” Dex just shrugs. “It’s blue day,” he says, as if that is all the explanation I need.
I watch him as he drives, trying to make sense of him, and I can’t. One minute he’s scolding me for something at work, irritating the hell out of me in the apartment just for fun, making me want to strangle him, and then…this.
“It’s Nana’s Oven, in Boulder Flats… but, Dex, it’s more than a two-hour drive…” I look out the window. “In this weather, you really don’t have to…”
Dex puts his hand on my cheek, making me stop talking.
“I have it on good authority that we both have the rest of the day off.” He winks.
I sigh. “You’re… I… thank you,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.
Dex glances at me, smirks, then turns to the console and puts the address in.
We listen to some of Dex’s playlist, and he asks, “Tell me about your dad.”
That’s how we spend the whole trip, talking about him. I tell Dex about my dad’s obsession with movies and their soundtracks, especially Ennio Morricone, how he taught us to play poker and gin, how he loved nature and the summers we spent camping, teaching us about herbs and how beneficial they were. Dex listens and nods, asking questions every time I pause, showing me he’s truly listening and making my pain feel…seen. After years of only having my little brother to share this painful day with, having someone else step into it like this, steady and present, feels unfamiliar in a way that settles somewhere deep in my chest.
We arrive at Nana’s Oven after two and a half hours.
We park, and Dex opens my door.
“You don’t have to do that, you know.”
