I do a double take, baffled how he knows that, but certain I don’t want to dig for answers.
“I’ll match it,” he continues, his composure unyielding. “As long as you’re on call for Camille twenty-four-seven.”
His disinterest in including himself in the negotiation hurts more than I expect.
I drench my throat with spit, hopeful it will stop my voice from croaking. “We’ll talk about this later.”
He doesn’t acknowledge my suggestion.
He doesn’t even glance at me.
“I’ll deposit the first month of service into your account by the close of business,” he says, already pulling away from the conversation. Then, finally, his eyes find mine. He studies me with a lookI can’t decipher. It scours me, leaving cold, raw shame crawling over my skin. I feel dirty instead of wanted. “Unless you’d prefer cash.”
What I want is for him to stop splintering under the weight of the burden he’s carrying. I want him to stop looking at me like I’m a ghost he used to know.
I also want him to stay.
Since I can’t say that, I mumble, “Whatever is easiest.”
I have no intention of taking his money, but that conversation can wait until we’re not being eyeballed like circus freaks. Even Luna’s head bounces like a spectator at a tennis match, and royalty fights in front of her.
Dante’s jaw twitches again, but he gives a curt nod before turning to face Camille. He hesitates when her expression indicates she wants him to stay. It’s brief, but I catch it.
He hugs Camille and reminds her to use her manners. Then he walks out without a backward glance. When the bell over the door chimes again, it signifies the sudden emptiness he leaves behind.
The diner feels colder without him, and the air is heavier.
I muster a smile for Camille, who’s already reaching for her fork again, her hands shaky. “All right, sweetheart,” I say softly. “Finish eating, and then we’ll go to the park.”
Sheepishly smiling, she shovels a forkful of pancakes into her mouth, using sugar as a shield from the pain drumming under my ribs.
Over the next ten minutes, while using a mug to hide my grimace, I try not to think about Dante’s expression when I accepted his cash offer. I can’t let it affect me or it might crack open something I’m not ready to examine just yet.
