“He wasn’t the love of my life, but he hurt me. As for Adrienne, her duplicity gutted me. We’d been friends since high school and she pulled a fast one. Still, I didn’t dive into a bottle of vodka and drink myself into tomorrow because I was dealing with even more debilitating pain surrounding my sister.”
“There’s more?”
She nods. “It took a while for the autopsy report to be completed. Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, we found out Aurora was pregnant. So in essence, we lost two family members on that fatal night.”
My blood runs cold.
I can’t imagine anyone going through that.
What do you say to erase so much pain?
“It was all over the news. I couldn’t handle any of it. Everyone in our entourage was talking about it. Some people were looking at us sideways as if we had a disease.”
For a few long seconds, neither of us speaks.
“I was quickly sliding down a spiral of depression,” she continues. “Mom declared she wasn’t about to lose another child, so she sent me to my aunt in LA to heal. Six months after I arrived, Aunt Leslie passed away.”
“I’m so sorry, precious.”
She bursts out crying.
I jump to my feet, circle the table and grab her in my arms. A flood of tears erupts, interrupted by a series of hiccups. She’s shaking so hard. I pull her closer to me and hold her tight inside my embrace, dropping soft kisses against her cheek. I may not have the right words to ease her suffering, but I can hold her like this for as long as it takes.
CHAPTER 22
Everly
“Everly?” Callum’s voice snaps me back to reality.
“Oh, sorry. You were saying?”
“I called out your name three times. Are you okay?” he asks.
“I am,” I lie.
“Is that why you left the front shop ten minutes ago to grab some more donuts and never came back?”
Guilty as charged.
I’ve been standing here just staring outside.
“Are you keeping tabs on me?”
“We both know I am… especially when I feel something is up.”
“You’re way too overprotective,” I scold gently.
“Does this have to do with the rock star? Because if it does, I won’t hesitate to tell him off.” And he would. “I don’t give a fuck how many albums he sold. He hurts you, he deals with me.”
I shake my head. “No. Not at all. He was over at my place last night––”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s already more than I need to know.” Callum’s freaked out expression makes me laugh.
“You want me to answer you or not?”
“All right. I’m listening.”
I let out a long, heavy sigh. “I opened up about Aurora.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah. All those bad memories came flooding back and I had a lousy night’s sleep and woke up with a sad heart.”
“Why didn’t you take the day off?” Callum asks.
“I’m lucky to have you here manning the fort when I can’t. I’m not about to push my luck.”
“Aurora isn’t just a passing discomfort, Everly. You’ve barely talked about her since you landed in LA.”
“You’re right. For the past two and a half years, I’ve hidden that part of me to the outside world. I was unwilling to relive the worst episode of my life.”
“With reason. The rock star must be something else if you were willing to go there.”
“I felt safe sharing the depth of my pain with Holt. I didn’t expect him to react the way he did.”
“What do you mean?” Callum’s defenses are already up.
“Calm down. He held me in his arms until I stopped crying. I don’t know how long it was, but he patiently waited for me to regain my composure. Only when he was certain I was okay, did he leave.”
“I’m starting to really like this guy,” my cousin nods. “What a departure from that imbecile.”
“I couldn’t have said it better. Dalton ran away like a spineless coward hiding under his mother’s skirt and using a bullshit excuse to dismiss me.”
“As if he’d be the first president to ascend to power––if the idiot ever gets elected––with a blemished past,” Callum sneers.
“Right? Holt stepped up and showed compassion. Something Dalton couldn’t even spell with the help of Google and a good old-fashioned dictionary. Holt is a man. Dalton? He has a lot to learn.”
“Speaking of the rock star, he’s out there waiting for you.”
“Holt?”
“Yeah.”
“And it’s only now you tell me?”
“You should’ve seen your face, Everly. I was treading carefully. I didn’t know if Holt was the culprit. Now that I know I don’t have to throw him out, I’m telling you.”
I shake my head. “I’d ring your neck if I didn’t think I was the luckiest person in the world to have you watching my back like this.”
“So you like him?”
“Oh, stop it,” I say, walking past him.
“Just admit it,” he shouts over my shoulder.
I wave him off.
When I enter the shop, it’s bursting with even more clients than a few minutes ago. Wow. What a busy Saturday morning. Since I already have two girls working the cash, I can focus my attention on Holt. I spot the very tall and handsome man immediately. When our eyes meet, I return his wide smile. It’s only when he approaches the counter, I notice he isn’t alone.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Good morning. I didn’t expect to see you today.”
I brush a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly aware I’ve made no effort today.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You drove all the way out here just for me?”
“A special trip for a special girl.”
“I’m touched.”
He offers a sympathetic smile. “I could’ve sent a text or called, but that wasn’t good enough for me.”
My cheeks flame up. “You’re the sweetest man.”
He leans over the counter. He’s so tall his lips flirt with my earlobe. “That was some heavy and emotional stuff last night. It looks like it weighed on you throughout the night. You’re still as beautiful as ever, but you look a little tired.”
I bite on my lower lip, relishing the compliment.
“I can’t pull the wool over your eyes,” I say shyly.
“Not when it comes to you,” he responds.
“Thanks. I’ll be okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m positive,” I confirm.
“Daddy, we’re going to be late.” A small voice interrupts our intimate moment.
Oh my God, she has the cutest British accent.
Holt shifts his attention to a tiny princess all dressed in pink. “We have plenty of time, Naomi.”
“Oh, okay.” Her big blue eyes study me intently.
“This is my friend Everly. She owns the bakery. This is where I bought the glitter donuts for your party. Remember how we stopped by last weekend, but she was off so you couldn’t meet her in person?”