How do I explain that of all songs she kept hearing, I heard it too? Was that my brother’s way of bringing her home? Okay, those are goose bumps up my arm. I squeeze my eyes shut and allow the tears to fall.
“Hold on. Zach, say that again. You said that she kept hearing ‘Count on Me’ by Bruno Mars, and that made her call home?” I begin to breathe heavily.
Is this really happening? My hand runs through my hair before clutching to my chest.
“Hails? W
hat’s wrong? You’re kind of scaring me, baby girl.”
“No.” I shake my head as if he can see me right now. “It’s just that the morning we fought after you had spoken with her and I went to the cemetery to talk to Em, I heard that song.”
“Woah, what the fuck?”
“Right? What are the odds? That’s just a coincidence, right?”
He blows out a deep breath. “I don’t know, babe. That’s pretty crazy.”
I just can’t wrap my head around this.
“Maybe it was my brother’s way of finally bringing her home to us.”
“Whoa! What happened in here?” Entering the kitchen, I find Kyler dumping a dustpan of broken glass into the trash can. I set my keys and workbag on the counter before stalking to the fridge.
Jackpot! Leftovers of my sister’s veggie lasagna. I hadn’t planned to miss dinner tonight, but I got caught up with files on my desk after another day of nonstop meetings. Nothing better to relax with after a long day than good food, cold beer, and snuggling with my girl. The first two I can easily accomplish especially with my sister’s talents in the kitchen. The latter? Well, Haylee has a late class tonight anyway, so I couldn’t even stop by the apartment to see her.
I open two beers and hand one to my best friend. I wonder what broke?
“Care to explain?” I ask as I tip my fork in the direction of where the dustpan and broom sit next to the trash can. I shove the fork in my mouth and have to bite back a moan as to how good this is, even cold. I sure have missed my sister’s cooking and baking. Hmm, speaking of Dani. Where is she? I know she’s home because one, her SUV is outside, and two, she never goes anywhere.
Kyler shakes his head as if he is unsure what happened. “Honestly, man, I don’t have a clue. I mean, your sister and I had a nice evening chatting, she was standing there doing the dishes, and I just had to try one of those amazing cupcakes she made. That shit is heaven, like borderline orgasmic.”
I mentally high-five myself at the thought of my sister’s cupcakes. I’m going to have to step it up at the gym with her living here. But that still doesn’t explain the broken glass.
Ky continues. “I even confessed my undying love for the damn thing, telling the cupcake how much I loved it. The next thing I know, Dani dropped the Pyrex dish, and it shattered everywhere. It scared the shit out of me. I ran over to her, but it was like she was paralyzed. It took me a few minutes to drag her out of the state she was in. She ended up cutting her hand.”
What the fuck? I set the leftovers container on the counter.
“What? Is she okay?” My heart begins to race.
“Yeah, it was just a little cut. I tended to the wound, and she ended up going to bed.” Okay, that makes sense why it’s so quiet. “I guess it just slipped out of her hands, but her reaction to it…it was strange.”
I’m not sure I’m following him. I tilt my head in confusion, but this whole situation is a little weird.
“What exactly did you say to the cupcake?” I chuckle while taking another bite of lasagna.
Kyler joins in my laughter. “I don’t know, man. ‘I love you, cupcake’ or something.”
I exhale loudly, placing my elbows on the island and my head in my hands.
“Shit. No wonder she dropped it,” I mumble under my breath.
“Am I missing something here?”
My eyes meet his, and once again I’m reminded of the fact that Ky doesn’t know things of our past. I see the same innocent look when he asked me that first night who Em was. How was he supposed to know that the exact phrase he said was what Emmett used to tell Dani? She was his Cupcake. I should go check on her and make sure this isn’t a setback and she is planning to run.
“It’s not your fault, Ky. You didn’t know.”
“That she doesn’t believe in love at first bite?” Kyler asks jokingly.