Page 56 of Hearts on the Mend

Jack thinks this is hilarious. “The other one! Sloany, fucking burn.”

“Here, I’ll make room.” Izzy slides down the bench seat for me. It’s nice, considering my asshole brothers can’t be bothered.

“Thanks, Iz.”

“What took so long? Problems at home?” Jack whispers. Of course, whisper is generous. It’s loud enough that Cassie’s shoulders tighten as she tells Blake she works at the hospital.

“Shut up.” I scratch my cheek.

I can show up tonight and behave. It’s not like I have a reason to be pissed. We never agreed to more. This is fine.

“What are you drinking?” Ethan asks, flagging down the waitress.

I wave him off. “Not. I’m driving.”

This earns me a leveled stare for a minute. I’m glad he doesn’t press the matter. Fact is, I’ve stopped drinking since Cassie brought it up. Didn’t feel right, and haven’t felt the need to.

Like me, Ethan doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. Always keeps to himself, with the exception of Sloane. When she came back to town last summer, my brother fell at her feet and never recovered. I’d give him a hard time about it, but it’s nice to see him happy. Same with Jack.

And that leaves Annie and me. And my baby sister has been suspiciously quiet and absent of late after a brief stay at home last summer to help with my recovery. Since her phone call, she’s been avoiding my texts, which isn’t like her at all.

“It’s going to be okay,” Izzy says beside me, studying the menu.

“Hmm?”

She lifts the menu, giving the two of us some privacy from my nosy brothers. “He’s nice. Cassie will be okay.”

I don’t want her to be okay. “Right,” I say instead.

She drops it, her eyes narrowed at me. “Not that you care.”

“I don’t.”

Iz nods, smiling into her wineglass. Jack snickers beside her, and I’m done. Ready to head out because fuck this shit.

And just when I think it’s as bad as it’s going to get, the waitress sets down a glass of sangria in front of Cassie, and I watch as she plucks the cherry out of the glass, plops it into her mouth, and shows Sloane how she can tie the stem into a knot.

Blake seems invested, too invested.

I push up from my seat. “Be back in a few.”

I step outside, tipping my head to stare up at the stars in the inky-black sky. In the distance, the harbor buoys ding faintly, salt air heavy in the breeze. I’ve spent so much of my life running from this, inhaling smoke, covered in soot, dirt caked thick under my nails, my skin scorched from the relentless sun and heat.

And I still can’t fucking breathe in Merritt Point.

The restaurant noise swells behind me as the door opens, then cuts off again as it swings shut.

A beat passes before she speaks. “Everything okay?”

I tense, refusing to turn around. “Fine.”

“Ran out of there like you were on fire.”

I blow out a breath, refusing to let my mind go there. “Fine, Cassie.”

Her hand presses against my arm, her fingers skating over my Henley until I cave and turn to face her.

“It’s a lot, I bet.”