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He doesn’t bother with niceties. “Sori requests your presence at lunch. And since I like it when my wife is happy, you should make yourself available.”
There is a clock on the wall in the waiting room that tells me I won’t make lunch without checking myself out. Dr. Garcia is used to it by now, I’m sure.
“I’m across town.”
Emmett doesn’t seem to care though. “She’ll just get annoyed if I tell her that. Meet us at the restaurant. I’m sure it’ll take a few minutes to get Chloe and Laurence settled, anyway. She says that it’s been miserable this week without you around and that I’m chopped liver.” The way he says it speaks volumes. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Sori is standing right next to him with a hand on her hip while she glares.
I’ve been avoiding them, both of them. Ever since the night that I had Casper over for drinks. Undoubtedly, it wasn’t the best first date, I have to admit. Especially since she ghosted me after that, and I can’t bring myself to text her. After all, we’d been drunk when she gave me her number. So, like an idiot, I type out a message to her and then delete it without hitting send multiple times, every day. But the mention of Chloe, Emmett’s daughter from before his relationship with Sori, and Laurence, their son, has me grudgingly changing my mind. I miss those kids, even if I don’t want to admit it to anyone else. Ever.
“Fine,” I tell him. “I’ll be there.”
I don’t need to ask which restaurant they are going to. Right down the street from Emmett’s office is a diner. One that doesn’t mind how loud Laurence gets when he doesn’t want to eat.
Emmett and Sori are waiting at the restaurant, but they don’t have the kids with them. Instead, there is a familiar redhead sitting next to Sori with her back to me. Emmett, being the only one turned in my direction, shakes his head minutely at me. It is almost like he’s warning me to run as far and fast as I can in the opposite direction. He doesn’t realize there isn’t a chance in hell that I’ll be leaving. Not with Casper there.
“Hey, neighbor.”
I don’t bother saying anything else. She turns, and a bright smile overtakes her face as she sees it is me. The knife to the heart that her smile brings almost knocks me to my knees, and I don’t miss the knowing smile on Sori’s face, either.
“Cole.”
Emmett’s interruption is annoying as hell, but I can’t blame him. I mean, I’m standing in the middle of the aisle and there isn’t a chance in hell that the staff can get around me. Grudgingly, I turn away from Casper’s smile and greet my cousin with a glare.
“I see you had time to get the kids settled.”
He shrugs. “You’ve been avoiding us. I’m not above using the possibility of them being here to get what I want.”
The seat across from Casper is empty, obviously meant for me. Honestly, I can’t care less that Sori is blatantly trying to play matchmaker. She’s giving me a reason to see the woman I’ve been spying on for the past week over the back fence. The only communication I’ve had with her is the daily ritual that started completely by accident the morning after we got drunk. I woke up with a pounding headache and tried to reach for my phone, but I ended up hitting the wall. She knocked back, and we started doing it every morning since then.
Before I can attempt to say anything intelligent, to try and make her smile again, Casper’s phone starts to ring. She swallows deeply before giving us a half smile.
“I have to take this. Thanks for the invitation, but I really should get back to it. I’ll talk to you guys later.”
Except she doesn’t answer it right away. Instead, she grabs her purse and the phone starts to ring again.
“Hi,” she says quietly as she leaves without looking back. “Thank you for calling back.”
Sori looks over her shoulder to make sure Casper is gone, and then she opens her mouth.
“Did you know her sister was killed in a car accident? Someone drove her off the road.” She wipes a tear from her cheek, and Emmett reaches across the table to hold her hand. “It’s just so sad.”
“I hear her cry at night.”
Shit. Did I say that?
“What?” Emmett takes a drink and waits for me to go on.
“She cries. At night.” When he isn’t satisfied with that, I sigh. “She sleeps with the windows open, and sometimes I’m in the backyard late at night. Every single night, she cries herself to sleep.”
None of us say anything about the fact that I am watching my neighbor at night. Yep. I am definitely getting creepy with it, too. Trying to work up the courage to go and knock on her door is a pain in the ass. So I do the only thing I can. I sit in the backyard like an idiot and listen to her cry, wishing I can help.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost one of you guys,” Emmett says quietly. “I know it would be devastating, and that’s only the beginning.”
I look out the window and see Casper yelling into her phone. I can’t hear her, of course. Her whole body is tense and she’s holding the phone about three inches from her mouth.
“I’ll see you later.”
“He likes her.” Sori tries to keep her voice down as I walk away, but I still hear her as I leave.
