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“Order whatever you want to eat,” she said, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Do whatever you want to do. I’ll know if you don’t charge anything to the room or put something on your own card.”
“Can you afford all this?” I asked, motioning to the room.
“Honestly, yes,” she said. “I know things were tight when you were younger, and you had to take out loans for school. If you let me, I’d like to pay them back now, or help you somehow. I never could have built Red Blossoms without you taking on what you did at home. Staying here a couple nights is small by comparison. Just promise me you’ll enjoy it. Have a good cry if you need to, but then hike or swim. Eat all the desserts.”
I pulled Mom into one more hug before she left me alone to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Chapter twenty-six
Cal
As soon as Ipaid for our drinks, I led Avery to a table on the sidewalk outside Karma. Skye devoured her pup cup then tucked herself under the table, laying her head on my feet.
Avery settled into a chair with a smile, angling her body toward the street, either to avoid touching Skye or so everyone could see her face as they traveled down Main. Half the town would assume we’d rekindled our relationship before she finished her cappuccino.
My stomach protested the first sip of iced Chai. I’d had nothing but beer since lunch yesterday. I wanted to be hungover in the comfort of my home, but the sooner I got through this conversation the better.
“You look terrible, baby,” Avery said, eyeing me over the lid of her to-go cup. “Normally, I’d be annoyed you hadn’t dressed up for our date, but I’ll let it slide this time since you’re clearly so upset over us.”
“This isn’t a date,” I said. “It’s a conversation.”
“Still, you could have worn something better than old gym clothes.”
I rubbed my forehead. This was a mistake. Avery would never take down her reviews, and this little chat could end up doubling her efforts to ruin my career.
“Hey,” Avery said, reaching across the table to take my hand.
I pulled my fingers away like she’d burned me, and she leaned back with a hurt expression on her face.
“You’re really mad at me,” she said in a soft voice.
“Why the fuck wouldn’t I be mad? I’m about to get fired because of the crap you posted online.”
Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back and sat taller. “I just wanted you to understand how much you’d hurt me.”
I blew out a breath. “I told you from the beginning, we were just messing around.”
“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t still have feelings for you?” she said, slapping her manicured hand on the metal table. Skye whimpered and buried her nose between my feet. “You were my first everything, Cal.”
“And you were mine. But a whole lot happened between high school and now, including you dumping me.”
“Admit it. If it’d just been sex, we wouldn’t have talked so much on the phone or gone out to dinner as often as we did. This was all payback, wasn’t it?”
“You honestly believe I’m so petty that I’d plan to hurt your feelings over a decade after you hurt mine? I’ll admit I slipped back into the habits we had in high school, but I figured you were still just having fun like I was.”
She shook her head; the tears she fought earlier returned. This time, she allowed them to stream down her face. “Breaking up with you is the biggest regret of my life. I still cared about you then. The truth is, I’ve never stopped caring. I was afraid you’dgo off to college and meet someone else. I just couldn’t take being left again. My dad really messed me up, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
“You’re better off without him, Ave,” I said, taking her hand.
“I know,” she said, giving my fingers a squeeze. “But I guess I’ve never really gotten over it or losing you. When you joined Dr. Cohen’s practice, I was excited you were back in town, but more than that, I was relieved. Despite everything that happened, you were doing so well. I mean, who would have thought the guy who almost failed freshman biology would earn a doctorate in physical therapy?”
She chuckled and the knot in my throat relaxed enough for me to speak. “It was English. I got an A in biology freshman year.”
Avery nodded, a soft smile on her face. “That’s right, Mrs. Evers made you memorize and perform that entire Hamlet speech in front of the class. That’s when I knew I wanted to be your girlfriend.”
I nodded. “I was so nervous. I didn’t think I’d get through it. Logan memorized the whole thing with me and mouthed the words from the front row.”
She let out a shuddery breath. “He was a good guy.”
