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That’s it. I have to leave this restaurant right now before I cause a scene.
“Birdie, could you–?”
“I’m coming right on your heels,” she says, standing up. “Grandad, I’ll text you in a few minutes.”
I rush out the door, bypassing Gem. Gem gets a look at my face and blanches. She moves aside and lets my sister exit the restaurant just after I do.
Birdie wraps an arm around me, murmuring that it’ll be okay. I fix my eyes on the horizon and speed walk out of the parking lot.
If I break down, I’m certainly not going to do it in front of Cole and his ex.
34
Cole
Holly insisted on staying in my parents’ house for the duration of her visit. I’ve had enough of her for the day, so I plan to drop her and Charlie off and go… well, literally anywhere else. I have had enough of Holly for one day.
On the drive, all I can think of is how sad Savannah looked when she rushed out of Gem’s. I want to text her, but Charlie is being clingy and whiny. On top of all that, Holly doesn’t give me an ounce of personal space.
She’s always leaning in or hogging the armrest between our seats. Other than giving me intense claustrophobia, she makes it impossible to send Savannah a thoughtful text.
Like that would fix anything.
Holly manages to contain herself until we are parked in front of La Villa Coralle. Holly unbuckles his harness and Charlie wiggles out of his seat, flinging his door open and getting out of the car. I climb out and Holly does the same, but her smirking gaze studies me.
“So. It seems like you’ve kept yourself occupied here in Cape Simon.”
I grimace. “Not in front of Charlie.”
“I’m just asking questions,” Holly says, playing the innocent as usual.
I wince at her whiny tone. It’s one of the things that I have definitely not missed at all since she left me at the altar.
Gritting my teeth, I say, “Holly, I think you need to drive yourself around from now on. You left me at the altar. My days of kowtowing to you are behind me. It’s bad enough that you insisted on staying at my parents’ house.”
She crosses her arms. “You’re just mad that I caught on to your secret romance.”
The urge to slam the car door is strong. “No, Holly. I am not. You are taking advantage of my generosity by poking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Holly rolls her eyes. “Your Dad and Sarah were excited to see me.”
“The only reason you are here right now is because I want you to spend time with our kid. If you think my parents were happy to see you after what you did, you’re delusional. I had to beg them to let you stay here.”
“We all could’ve just stayed in your new place,” she pouts.
I clench my jaw. My eye starts twitching.
“Just keep pushing me, Holly. Find out what happens.”
I grab Charlie’s new favorite dinosaur toy out of the car, and shut the door hard. Charlie runs up to me, hugging my leg. I offer the toy to him, but he just shakes his head and clings to me.
He is a kid clearly in need of a nap. I pick him up, and he clings to me like a baby koala. Carrying him inside, and talking him into taking a nap are epic feats in themselves.
It’s almost half an hour later when I creep out of his bedroom, trying to close the door quietly. Holly is hanging in the doorway opposite Charlie’s bedroom and she smirks when I step out.
“So are you going to tell me about your little side piece now?” Her voice is raised, the opposite of what I need right now.
“Shhh!” I head for the main living room, anger flooding my brain. “If you wake Charlie up, I’m going to make you leave.”
