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I take several inhales through my nose and exhale through my mouth. Thank God she follows, and after a few minutes, her breathing regulates.
"What have I done?" She bursts into tears. There’s no doubt in my mind that she is sincere. This reaction is genuine, and my heart opens to the broken mother in front of me.
"Oh, my son deserves to hate me. I’m a disgusting human being."
I caress her hand while speaking from my heart. "Cole needs time and loads of it. He needs to work through this in his own time."
Carmen’s eyes lift and meet mine, and through a few hiccups, she speaks, "Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. It might sound strange, but I have to admit that my son is lucky to have such a strong woman in his life."
Surprised by her kind words, I smile. "Your son is an exceptional man, Carmen."
A moving shadow forms on the table, but when it stays in one place, my eyes travel outside to see what is blocking the sunlight from entering. Carmen gasps as her eyes fall on the towering statue with piercing, laser-sharp irises. My chest tightens seeing the enormous bouquet hanging in his hand.
"Cole?"
Jeremy shows up next to him, I can see his lips moving, but I doubt Cole’s registering any of Jeremy’s words. His eyes land on my hands, holding his mom’s. I quickly withdraw them and shake my head, trying to show him it’s not what he thinks. But when his irises come up and meet mine, I’m glued to my seat. It’s as if I have become invisible to him, or he can’t bear to see me. I’ve crossed the invisible line. I've offended his sensibilities, and now his bright blue orbs are blank. The pain in my throat makes it hard to swallow, and when he drops the gorgeous bouquet on the pavement and storms off, my mouth falls agape.
No, no, please.
I jump out of my chair and hurry through the diner, but people are standing in my way. In my desperation to get to Cole, I use my elbows to push my way through. Once outside, I squint my eyes as the sun comes out from behind a set of clouds and blinds my vision. My head sweeps sideways to scan the surroundings in search of Cole. My lips tremble, and I whisk my unsteady hands through my loose hair when I don’t see him.
"Cole!" I shout at the top of my lungs. I take a few steps forward and call again. "Cole."
People stare at me as they pass by, but I don’t care. I’m desperate; I need to find him. Carmen catches up to me and says my name.
"Alisha. Jeremy followed Cole. So wherever he is, he’s not alone."
"I need to explain. He thinks..." My breathing becomes irregular, and now it’s Carmen who places a hand on my shoulder.
"Easy. I’m sure Jeremy will explain to him that what he saw isn’t what he thinks."
She lets go of me, but my eyes are still scanning the surroundings. I pick up on Amanda’s voice calling out to me and glance to the side. My friend is standing in the store's doorway, signing for me to come. I let out a long breath, and after another peek into the street, my shoulders drop in defeat. I saunter to Amanda, whose face has a pained expression.
"You saw what happened?"
She bites her lip and nods. Not able to contain my emotions, I let my tears fall. My dear friend wraps her arms around me.
"Don’t worry. When he comes back, you’ll have time to explain, and he’ll understand."
Amanda lets go, and I lean back, running my hands through my hair.God, I hope.
"Alisha?"
I turn, and my tear ducts refill when my eyes land on Carmen holding the bouquet that Cole dropped.
"I’m genuinely sorry. I never intended to cause trouble for you." She holds up the flowers, and I take them.
I stare at the stunning red roses, white Asiatic lilies, pink and burgundy mini carnations, and lush greens.
"I need to explain." I walk into the store and place the bouquet on the counter before picking up the store phone and dialing his number.
"Fuck!" I mutter when, after a few rings, his phone goes to voicemail. I leave a message. "Please call me back. I promise, things are not what they seem. I love you." I end the call. A long huff leaves my lungs, and when the door opens, I glance up, hoping it’s Cole, but it’s not. Amanda and I both greet the two customers strolling into the store.
"Why don’t you go to the back and place the flowers in a vase?" Amanda says.
I nod and move towards the kitchen. When I grab a vase out of a cabinet, Carmen walks in and speaks.
"I’ll try to call Jeremy." She grabs her bag that’s hanging over her shoulder, opens it, and takes out her phone. When she pushes a button and listens, new hope takes hold of me, but it sinks when she lowers her device.
