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“Hey, Benji,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. His head lifted, a smile already on his face.
We went to high school together but weren’t friends. Not because he was a bad guy, we just ran with different crowds. Now, we were both back home and didn’t have anyone else to turn to but each other.
“Have an order for me?” he asked, standing at his full height.
He hadn’t been that memorable in school. He’d always been too thin and lanky, with shaggy dark hair that hung in his eyes, and clothes that swallowed him. He was awkward and couldn’t talk to the opposite sex without fumbling over every word.
But somewhere in the last few years, he’d gotten a haircut, cleared his acne, got a gym membership, and figured out how to talk to girls.
He was cute. And sweet.
And totally not my type.
“It’s for my brother-in-law and niece,” I said, then explained what I wanted.
4
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“You really needto stop letting her walk all over you.”
Yeah, I knew that already.
“She’ll be a spoiled brat when she’s older—hell, she already is one.” Cora shot Emma a look as she shook her head, looking disappointed. That comment spiked my irritation.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d watch how you speak about my daughter,” I said quietly. Cora blinked, the only sign of her shock. She cleared her throat, and I knew what she was going to say before the words left her mouth.
“Meredith would haveneverbeen okay with this,” she hissed. I clenched my jaw as I nodded.
“I know.”
“She would’ve never lether,” she used her head to point toward Emma, “call the shots. She can’t scream and cry and expect to get her way.”
“I know how to take care of my child,” I said tightly. “If I needed your advice, I would’ve asked.”
Yeah, it was a dickish thing to say. But I was just so fucking tired I couldn’t force myself to care about her feelings. I got it—she thought Meredith was a million times better at parenting than I was. It should’ve been me who died, not her.
I knew that.
Cora opened her mouth to say something, flames dancing in her eyes as she glared at me. Before she could get a word out, a plate was set on the table in front of me, and the warm scent of bacon hit me first. Then a plate of pancakes was slid in front of Emma.
I braced myself, waiting for the screech, but it never came. Instead, she giggled at the pancake shaped like a unicorn. There were rainbow sprinkles and fruit on top, and even some eggs on the side.
I was honestly shocked she didn’t throw a fit for not getting the ice cream.
But if anything was going to distract her, itwouldbe a unicorn.
“What is this?” I asked, turning to look up at Reagan. She shrugged, giving me a small smile.
“I figured you both could use some real food,” she said. I wanted to argue and say I wasn’t hungry, but of course, my stomach took that moment to growl. She gave me a knowing look, her lips tilting up in a broader smile. “Eat up.”
She rested her hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze before turning and heading toward the guys at the back of the diner. Cora’s eyes flicked from me to my plate, then to Emma.
I nearly fucking cried watching her dig into the eggs. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d willingly eaten anything without sugar.
“I should check on Benji,” Cora said, her voice still tight.
I knew I’d hear about my little outburst later, but that was a problem for future me. Current me didn’t give a flying fuck. Current me just wanted to eat.
