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Corey’s eyes narrowed on me. “It’s not a big deal. I’m just painting.”
“You’re helping Hailey out, and you’re doing a great job.”
He turned slightly to face me. “I owe her.”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “I suppose, in a way, you do. You’re making up for a wrong.”
“She’s a nice lady. I feel bad for what I did.”
Pride surged inside me that he’d made that connection. The property he destroyed belonged to people. “Have you told her that?”
He swallowed. “I don’t know how.”
“One of these times when you’re alone with her, just tell her how you feel. It’s that simple.”
He nodded.
“I think she’d appreciate knowing that.” I knew she would. From the little I knew of her as an adult, she was sweet and understanding.
“Yeah, okay.” Then he left the room.
I figured progress with him would be baby steps, so I was impressed he made the connection that he’d hurt Hailey, and he wanted to express that to her. For the first time, I thought that maybe Tiffany hadn’t made a huge mistake in sending him to me. Maybe I knew how to connect with him better than her because Iwashim at one point in time. Even if our living situations were vastly different.
I knew Tiffany didn’t expect him to get all As or to be on the debate team. She just wanted him to get passing grades and stay out of trouble. But maybe that was the problem: we hadn’t expected enough of him. From what I’d seen at Rebel Sports, he was capable of so much more.
I’d just have to be careful not to be anything like my parents.
ChapterFive
HAILEY
I’d been camped out on Java Coffee’s leather couch with my laptop for the last hour. My latte was long gone, and my stomach was rumbling.
“Hungry?” Brooke set a coffee cup and a chocolate croissant on the table in front of me.
“I love you.” I immediately took a long pull of the fresh caramel latte.
She laughed, sitting in the armchair. “You looked like you could use it. What are you working on?”
I set the laptop on the table and took a bite of the croissant. Brushing the sugar off my leggings, I said, “It’s nothing.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to share yet.
She tipped her head toward the computer. “Whatever it was, it looked like you were concentrating pretty hard.”
I chewed and swallowed. “It was something that Ryan said the other day.”
She raised a brow but thankfully didn’t call me out on talking to him.
“He asked if the Spice & Tea Shoppe was my dream, and, of course, it isn’t. But then he asked what was.” My shoulders dropped. Ever since that conversation, I felt as if I’d been drifting like a boat that had come unmoored.
Her forehead wrinkled. “I know you’re not happy running the store, but what do you want to do?”
I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure it was a viable career option, but I was excited just thinking about it. “Ryan suggested taking a creative writing class.”
Brooke nodded. “You’ve always loved reading, and you carry that notebook around with you.”
My nose scrunched. “But what would I do with that? It’s not a career.”
