Knocking on the door takes me away from the program I was watching. I stand on tiptoe and look through the peephole.
Oh God.
My hand shakes when I go to open the door. Cal doesn’t give me a chance to catch him as he lifts me up, knocking the air out of my lungs.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” Her arms wrapped around me tremble.
My heart tightens. She pushed against her chest, needing space to think.
“Just give me one more second.” “One.” I touch her shoulder.
He sighs as he pulls me to my feet, making sure to take his sweet time. “I’m sorry about that. I got ahead of myself after spending the last thirty-seven days dreaming of returning home.”
Home.
Any control I had over my emotions falls apart like a flimsy bow. I place a shaking hand on her cheek and he leans into it. “I’m proud of you for being sober. Even if it was just for…”
He interrupts me. ” I . It was for me .
I let out a shaky breath. It’s not that I don’t want to believe what he says, but he’s burned me too many times to do anything but doubt him.
He takes something out of his pocket. “I wanted to bring you this.” He holds a single token. The slight tremor of his palm makes my chest tighten. “I know it’s not much, but I plan to win each for the three of us.”
We three.
Heat floods my chest like a broken dam, spreading from my chest to my toes. There’s nothing I want more than for him to prove me wrong, but a big part of me is worried about believing him. Concerned about hope. Dream. Trust that he is finally getting the help he needs.
Cal places the chip in my palm and closes my fist around it. I’ll be at the motel if you need me.
“I thought you hated that place.”
“Not as much as I hate being away from you.”
I reach for the door frame to avoid falling. Her lips pull into a small smile, though she pulls away before she has a chance to truly enjoy it.
I glance behind him at the bright yellow pickup truck in the driveway. It looks like something straight out of a comic, with all the sharp lines and chrome. “Is that a Lamborghini?”
He throws me a smile over his shoulder. “Yeah.” “What happened to your old car?”
He rubs the back of his neck and looks away. “Someone told me my other one is not safe for a child.”
Flicker.
You got a new car because you didn’t think the other one was safe enough?!
My grip on the doorframe tightens because I really think my legs might give out.
“See you?” Her smile is hesitant. I can only nod.
He leaves in his brand new SUV that he bought for us while I stare at the space he previously occupied. I expected to feel relief at his departure, but instead, disappointment presses against my shoulders.
Is not this what you wanted? He has left?
That could have been the case, but what if he’s telling the truth? What if he really is getting sober because he wants to better himself?
Only time will tell.
 |
I’m driving back to the house after dropping Cami off at her dance class when I get distracted by the bright yellow Lamborghini SUV outside the
store that I spent the last month ignoring.
Is that Cal?
My suspicions are confirmed when I catch him standing outside the store, looking up at the building. I stop and put my car in danger. On shaky legs, I approach the man standing outside the store where I always dreamed of opening my bakery.
“What are you doing here?” Asked.
He looks at me with his eyes hidden by sunglasses. “Checking the building.” I turn to look at the store. The red Coming Soon sign from before is no longer displayed in the windows.
“They left?” I go to the window and look inside. The space is completely empty, apart from a few abandoned paint cans and a plastic sheet protecting the floor.
“I guess so,” Cal says from behind me.
I look at him over my shoulder. “Because?”
“I heard someone at the bookstore mention that the new owner raised the rental prices.”
Shit! How will I be able to afford this place now?
What happened to Vinny? Vinny’s family made a small fortune renting out their little strip of Main Street for generations, so I’m surprised they got rid of it.
“I heard they bought it.”
My shoulders slump. “I wonder how much the new owner is charging now if he put them out of business before opening.”
“You could call their office and ask for a price.” She slides her sunglasses over her head.
I bite the inside of my cheek. The truth is that I’m tempted to call them. With all the money I get from the deal I made with Rowan, I could probably pay the rent.
But still, something stops me: the old doubt, always appearing when I least expect it.
How many stores have tried to be successful here only to fizzle out? What makes my idea so different from the last bakery that opened here? Or the store before that?
“I’ll call them tomorrow,” I say. Tomorrow sounds good. sure _
He points to the sign taped to the door. “I dare you to call them now and ask.”
My eyes open. “That?”
“Can you hear me.” Her smile expands.
I shake my head hard enough to make my ponytail hit me in the face. “No.”
“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” he scoffs. “I’m not afraid. I’m just…”
Damn. I’m afraid _
Screw him for calling me out on that though.
His arrogant smile makes me take my phone out of my pocket and dial the number.
“You know what? I’ll call them just to prove that I’m not.” I stab the screen as if offended. My finger shakes so much that I misspell the number twice before I get it right.
A woman answers the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello, I’m calling to ask about unit number seven on Main Street.” “Oh yeah. The rental unit. Is that the one in the corner?
“Yeah.”
Cal leans closer, but I move away, not wanting him to hear me receive crushing news.
“The property is available.” “For how much a month?” “Five hundred dollars.”
“Five hundred dollars?” I rub my eyes. “How is that possible?”
“According to the owner, the property has a whole family of mice living inside. “As you can imagine, that’s not exactly a selling point.”
A whole family of… Everything falls into place.
Vinny selling the property after it has been in the family for years. Cal standing outside the building, daring me to call the number and ask about rent.
“Excuse me, something just came up.” I hang up and turn to the new owner. “You bought the building.”
He doesn’t even blink. “I’ve always been interested in real estate.” “Monopoly doesn’t count.”
Fight a smile and fail.
My eyes narrow. “Are you the new owner?” “Technically speaking, yes.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because turning your dreams into reality makes me happy.” “It makes you happy.” He repeated her words, processing them.
He frowns. “Is it so hard to believe?”
“I don’t even know what to believe right now.” The sobriety chip. His new car. The empty store ready to be rented if I want it. It feels like too much everything at once, and I’m not sure how to handle it all.
“I just want you to know that if you want the store, it’s yours. No conditions.” I make a face. “I hate being bought with gifts.”
“It’s not a gift if I plan to collect rent from you.”
I snort a laugh. “Five hundred dollars a month is nothing for a place like this and you know it.
His gaze burns as he follows the curves of my body. “Well, if sex is on the table, then I’ll take it too.”
I poke him in the ribs with my elbow before taking a few steps towards my car.
“Where are you going?” A touch of desperation bleeds into her voice.
“Far away from you.” I need to think, and I can’t do that with him smiling at me and talking about sex.
But what about the store?
“Ehh. “It’s a nice gesture, but I might want to explore my options beyond Wisteria Lake.”
Who am I kidding? Him buying the entire building to save the store I want is something straight out of a Dreamland fairy tale.
Take a step forward. “Where?”
I smile at Cal for the first time in weeks. “I’m not sure yet.” “Don’t make me go buy all the properties you’re interested in.” “You would go bankrupt.”
“Not even close, but it would make a nice dent in my bank account.” Her eyes attract me like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm.
I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re crazy.”
“No, Lana, I’m in love. There is a big difference”.
|
“What is he doing here?” Violet’s head moves forward. Last Call door.
Delilah and I followed his gaze. I close my eyes on Cal, who hasn’t noticed that we’re sitting in our usual spot in the back. The pit in my stomach turns into a canyon when Cal flags down one of the waiters and orders his usual vodka tonic. He sits alone on the other side of the bar, his back to everyone. I can’t tell if he’s already drinking or not, but my stomach churns anyway.
“He shouldn’t be here.” My fingers press against the leather cabin, leaving marks behind.
“I’m sure you have a good explanation.” Delilah stares at her drink.
I look at her as if she had grown a second head. “A good explanation?”
She doesn ‘t answer.
Violet scoffs. “What happened to being sober?”
He promised me it was. I reach for the chip that I carry with me at all times.
A lot for that.
“Just listen to me—” Delilah tries to get my attention, but I’m too far gone.
My frustration boils over and before I have a chance to stop myself, I run towards their table.
“Alana!” Delilah calls me, but I can’t hear her over the pounding of blood in my ears.
Cal looks up at the sound of my name, and his eyes widen when he sees me stomping towards his table. Some people turn to look at us, the unwanted eyes making my cheeks heat up.
“Here, idiot. You can get this back now. He threw his sobriety chip on the table. He spins around a few times before landing next to his drink.
The muscles in his back stiffen under his shirt. “I gave it to you.”
“I do not want it”. “Because?”
“Because it doesn’t mean anything.” I gesture towards her drink. She pushes the chip towards me. “I’m not drinking”.
“Then explain this shit.”
“Take a seat and I’ll do it.” In addition to her clenched jaw and harsh voice, she does a good job of tempering her anger.
It only makes me even more angry. The only reason I take a seat is because I feel like my legs could give out at any moment.
The hardness in his expression softens when he takes a good look at me. “It is not what you are thinking.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “Of course it isn’t.”
“Give me a little more credit than this. I’m not risking everything with you for low-grade vodka and flat sodas.
He looked into her eyes. “So why order a drink in the first place?” “Because I want to prove to myself that I am stronger than my greatest weakness.” Look at the glass between us as if it were the enemy.
My mouth opens.
The fight leaves him with a single deep exhale. “How can I expect you to trust me if I don’t trust myself?” His voice breaks. There’s a slight tremor in her hand, and he grabs it instinctively, wanting to ease some of her pain.
Our fingers intertwine. Heat spreads up my arm like wildfire, sparks shooting from my skin like embers from a flame.
I push the drink away from both of them. “Are you doing this because you don’t trust yourself?”
“Learning to trust myself again is a process.” “Then find a different one because this is torture.”
His gaze lifts. “It’s not as bad as knowing that you still don’t believe anything I say.”
My chest sinks in on itself.
“What are you waiting for? You hid a big secret from me. “I’m going to fix it.”
“As?”
“It may take you a few years, but I’m pretty sure I can wear you down.”
My eyes open. “Years?”
“ All I have is time.” “Do you plan to live in the motel for years?” He backs away. “God no.”
“And?”
He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses the scar on the top of my knuckle before releasing my hand. “You will see.” She stands up.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going out with Wyatt.”
My eyebrows rise. “Are you and Wyatt friends?” “He is my sponsor.”
Flicker. That explains why Delilah tried to stop him from making a fool of himself.
If only you had waited to hear it.
“Will you be at the open house tomorrow?” his question comes out of left field.
“The open house? Why would I do that?”
“Because I plan to check out the house and see what Ryder did with the place.”
I stand up on shaky legs. “Well, I won’t be. I have plans.”
His smile is weak and doesn’t fit his face well. “Wow. That’s a shame.” “Because?”
“Don’t worry.” She kisses my cheek before leaving the bar, leaving behind her full vodka tonic and her sobriety chip. Her absence only makes the abyss in my chest widen even more.
Go after him , whispers the hopeless romantic.
I ignore the voice that has done nothing but get me into trouble and throw the chip off the table before returning to my friends. The night continues, but my thoughts remain trapped in time, replaying Cal’s words over and over to the point of obsession. The only thing I found strange about our conversation was that he asked me if he was attending the open house.
The question came out of nowhere and he seemed disappointed by my answer. If only I knew why
