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I know the island is up-in-arms about what a playboy I can be—
But they all know it’s because I’ve been to hell and back again.
I’m prepared to change for you if you want to try this.
I think life is a strange, turbulent thing. I never know what will happen next.
Maybe that’s the best part of it.
That moment, Wayne’s phone buzzed on the countertop.
The name that appeared across it was one he hadn’t seen in a long, long time.
He frowned at it for a good few seconds before he lifted a shaking hand and brought the phone to his ear.
“Cindy?”
“Wayne. Hey.” Cindy’s voice was unstable.
Had she maybe heard about her potential half-sister? About her father’s affair?
“Hey, Cindy. It’s good to hear from you,” Wayne said.Even though I haven’t heard from you in years, and I wanted to rely on you. We should have been there for each other. You gave up on me. You dropped me.
“Wayne, I’m sorry to call you like this. I know... that there’s a lot to be said,” Cindy whispered. “But I just heard from him. I just heard from him for the first time in almost three years, and I don’t know what to do.”
Wayne swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew exactly who she was talking about.
“What did he say? Where is he? Is he okay?” Wayne asked. His words fell out of his lips in slow-motion.
“He didn’t say much. He just told me... that he’ll be home. Tonight,” Cindy said.
She burst into tears after that. Wayne’s heart hammered in his ribcage. He glanced at the clock on the oven. Elise was supposed to be there in seven minutes.
Why was this happening now?
“You know how he feels about his father,” Cindy continued. “When I told Fred about the call, he stormed out to go drink at the Pink Pony. I wanted to scream at him. Ask him—where do you think Michael gets it, huh? But I didn’t have the heart.”
Tears swallowed her words again. Wayne closed his eyes tightly.
“When is he getting in?” Wayne asked finally.
“In the next few hours, I guess,” Cindy said, between sobs. “Megan’s off the island this week, and I’m in this big house alone. I don’t want to go to Tracey or Alex with this...”
“Of course not,” Wayne said.
“So, here I am. Asking you...”
Wayne shivered. “Okay. Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay? Pour us both a glass of wine, and we’ll wait up for him.”
“Like the old times,” Cindy said softly.
“Yes. But he’s twenty-four, now. He probably has a lot of stories to tell us. A lot of life he’s lived,” Wayne said, wanting to sound optimistic.
In truth, the fact that Michael was returning home like this wasn’t exactly a good sign. It meant something had gone wrong during his fanatical attempt to run away.
“Thank you, Wayne,” Cindy breathed. “I hope you’re right.”
When Wayne hung up, he blinked at the perfect spread on the table, the flickering candle, along with the beautiful butter chicken. He remembered that cute little dimple that formed in Elise’s right cheek, the way his heart floated into his throat when he saw her—the way he had imagined cuddling close to her in bed.
