Approaching my friend, I suppress a grin at the sight of Audrey balling her tiny fists at her mom when she is attempting to make her stand and walk to her for the toy she wants. "She has your pigheadedness."
Lilly rolls her eyes and focuses back on her mini-me. "If you want Lola, you have to come get her." She waves the little stuffed turtle in the air in front of Audrey. I swear, if she knew how, she'd flip her mother off.
"Hey, babe?"
Lilly side-eyes me while keeping her attention on her daughter. "Hmm?"
I inhale. I don't know if I'm nervous about what I'm about to ask or why I'm asking. "Can I borrow one of your cars this afternoon?"
In my peripheral vision, I see Rhys's and Marcus's heads whip in my direction. Before Lilly can respond, Rhys inquires, "Why do you need a car?"
I bite my lip. Lilly doesn't help the situation either by saying, "Ethan can drive you wherever you need to go."
I guess I don't get around to revealing the why.
"I'm meeting someone."
"Someone?" The sharp bark makes me scrunch my shoulders up. Marcus has never publicly addressed me.
I choose to give him the cold shoulder as he does with me all the time and answer Lilly instead. "I'm having coffee with Charlie, and I don't know how long it'll be."
"Charlie York?"
"Your Charlie?"
Rhys and Lilly simultaneously exclaim with confused expressions.
"Yes." I don't want to elaborate about Kelly until I know more.
"Well, um…sure. Take the G-Wagon. The keys are on the board." The frown on my friend's face is still in place.
I lean forward and give her a side hug, followed by placing a kiss on the crown of Audrey's head. "Thanks, babe. I'll text you if I'm late."
Lilly and Rhys exchange a look. "Okay. Be safe."
Standing up, I wave to Rhys before heading toward the other side of the house, ignoring Lilly'sShadow.
It isone in the morning, and I'm running at seven miles per hour on the treadmill. I need to be faster, crave to run faster, but my body won't comply. I'm at my limit. It's only been twenty-three minutes, but running at this pace is no easy feat for me. I'm no runner.
Before I even left The Baking Room, I needed to go under. My lungs were constricting, and the sense of uncontrollable suffocation overpowered me. There was no way to face my friends in my condition. I texted Lilly that I was grabbing dinner with Charlie and would be home late.
Lilly: R u ok?
My actions were anything but typical.
Me: Absolutely. We're just catching up. See you later, babe. *heart emoji*
Obstructing the truth was starting to become natural.
Instead of eating dinner with my ex-boyfriend, though, I sat on a side street, exercising every breathing technique I had ever learned from the various therapists my father sent me to. All of them helped for no longer than a few minutes, the conversation replaying in my head on a loop.
Charlie had already been there when I arrived. Seeing him after such a long time and after the news he gave me over the phone, tears instantly spilled over. He had hurt me more than I ever admitted to anyone, but this was not about us. He stood as I entered the café. As if it had been yesterday, he read me, and I stepped into his open arms.
"I'm so sorry," my voice broke.
"Thanks, D." He held on until I was ready to let go.
We settled in the small booth he somehow snagged up—the three booths had an hour-long wait time every time I'd been there.