I pick up where she left off, peeling sweet potatoes.Yams? It’s a fucking potato.
The silence is suffocating.
“How have you been?” I ask.
Melody doesn’t turn around. “Fine.”
“I heard you opened a flower shop—”
She turns to glare at me over her shoulder. “Sous chefs aren’t supposed to talk.”
I bark out a short laugh before I can stop myself. “I was never good at following orders.”
Her jaw tightens as the burner pops. “You were good atleaving.”
The peeler bites too deep into the potato, most likely because my movements have become rough and stuttered. I sigh, tossing the whole spud into the trash. “I didn’t—”
“Don’t,“ she warns. “Don’t you dare try to rewrite it, Kaden.”
Hearing those lips say my name after all these years is like being welcomed home. It’s not sweet or whispered. It’s edged hard like she can’t stand the taste of it on her tongue.
“I’m not trying to rewrite anything,” I say, snatching another potato from the bag. “I just heard about the shop.” She turns around, giving her back to me as my jaw tightens, and I continue. “The Bloom Room, right?”
No response.
My brows inch up as my head turns and I stare at her flushed nape. “What do you sell there?”
She makes an egregious sound, whirling around as she smacks the spoon back into the pot loudly. “Fucking transmissions! WHAT DO YOU THINK I SELL, KADEN?!”
A tight smile touches my lips as my eyes narrow on her. “Was that so hard?”
She breathes deeply, her chest rising and falling as her eyes become glassy.
My heart plummets at the sight.
“Melody…” Mom says with concern.
My sister angrily swipes at her cheeks, catching the tears before they can fall. “I need aminute.“ She pushes out of the kitchen, disappearing upstairs.
My hands fall as I watch her receding figure until she’s no longer in my line of sight. Something clicks inside of me, and I rush after her.
I once let her go broken and in shambles. If I’m going to fix this, fixus, then I can’t let her walk away. Not while she’s angry at me.
Dylan stands from his chair, his face laced with concern as I point at him from across the room. “Sit down.”
His eyes narrow. “She’s my wife, and if I remember correctly, you’re the one who upset her in the first place.”
The wordwifestabs me in the chest, twisting painfully as I snarl at him. “She isn’t your wife until she walks down thefuckingaisle.Sit.Down.”
“Kaden!” Dad bites, but I’m already taking the steps two at a time. I ignore their calls as I round the top banister.
Melody is in our old shared bathroom, the door open as she splashes water on her face. Her sobs are quiet, shaking her shoulders as she tries to collect herself. I never liked tears, but hearing the woman I love cry because of me is unbearable.
The light above the mirror flickers the way it used to, bringing back sweet memories of every morning we shared together growing up. She would take hours curling her hair and putting on makeup while I leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she rambled on about anything and everything. We would argue over toothpaste and laugh about nothing.
I linger outside the door, softening my voice. “Sunny—”
She turns quickly, her beautiful brown eyes rimmed red and puffy as she points an accusing finger at my chest. Her lips pull over her teeth, twisting her gorgeous features into anger and bitterness. “No! You don’t get to fucking call me that!“ Her voice cracks on the last word, and somehow that’s worse than the shouting.
