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Later that night,I cracked my bedroom door, peering out to ensure that after hours of being stuck inside my room, Davis wasn’t still in the bathroom. Seeing the door ajar, I bolted toward it and locked myself inside.
Once I had finally relieved my poor bladder, I grew a bit bolder and padded down the hall to see if anyone was still up. I was starving, and just wanted to throw some bread in my mouth, preferably slathered in peanut butter and some honey. Seeing that no one was in the kitchen, I began acting on my desires, pulling free the ingredients. I was mid-swipe with the butter knife when I heard laughing coming from the garage.
Keeping my eyes on the sliver of light coming from the door, I grabbed my sandwich and began shoving it in my mouth in a very unladylike way, tiptoeing to the entryway to see who was up talking with my dad.
Through the crack, I could make out Davis, in his now-dry hoodie, standing with his back to the door I was peering through. My father was next to his boat, drinking from a coffee mug.
“You don’t have to do that,” I heard my father mutter with a heavy sigh.
Davis looked down at the floor. His legs were spread wide, looking relaxed in a way that I hadn’t seen before. “Roger, you and Millie—you’re my family. It’s something that makes me happy.”
There was a long pause, and then my dad spoke up.
“And Rae…do you think she could ever fit inside that small circle you’ve created?”
Davis waited a second before he responded, and I don’t know why it mattered so much to me, but I needed to hear his response more than I needed my next breath.
“I don’t know, Roger. I did what you said to do. I didn’t put my name on the slip, but she still seemed annoyed with me. We ended up getting into another fight. I know you’re worried about her, but I don’t think I’m the right guy for the job.”
Uhhh, what the actual?
I felt lightheaded.
My dad…
He’d set me up?
Asked Davis to ask me up there, and to be nice to me?
Did that mean the kiss was fake? Suddenly, I was reliving feelings from that night where he’d embarrassed me. I was triggered. I knew enough about my pain to know that there were still frayed edges that would come apart if anyone tugged on them.
Someone said something, but I didn’t hear it. There was a rushing in my ears, a whooshing, like I was sitting next to a waterfall. Tears creased my eyelids as I slowly slipped back toward the kitchen and finally turned toward my room.
I was more determined than ever to never open myself up to the grumpy recluse on Mount Macon.
Not my heart. Not my mouth.
Fucking nothing.
12
RAE
I satat the small coffee bistro, waiting for Nora. I had initially texted her that I had major news, and that it involved Davis. She wanted to see me last night, but her parents had her attend a business function for her father. Now, she was ready for all the gossip, and all I wanted to do was forget anything had ever happened.
While I waited for her, my fingernail trailed the small plastic menu, noticing the worn edges and how a few of the drink options had a dark permanent marker sliced through them.
Furrowing my brows, I walked over to the counter and thumbed through a few more menus, noticing the disrepair repeated with the others as well. Distressed edges, wrinkles, permanent marker, and sticky spots. Looking over my shoulder, I eyed the empty tables and frowned.
This would be an easy fix to give the impression that they cared about their image to the public, and with the location of the shop, they should be getting the majority of the tourists who wanted a latte before heading up the mountain, and yet there didn’t seem to be anyone in, and I had been there for well over twenty minutes.
This was a big reason I wanted to meet Nora here, because I wanted to start inspecting a few of the businesses to gauge where they needed help and how I could offer my services. Unfortunately, my rebranding help would have to be done for free, as I already knew these businesses didn’t have the money for it. If it helped keep my home afloat and my parents employed, then I wouldn’t mind.
“Hey, Rachel?” I called out, standing at the counter.
The girl in question had introduced herself, made my Americano, and then promptly ducked into the back.
