Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

JULIEN

Smushed shoulder to shoulder with Ryder on the couch, I grimace at the online photo he shows me on his phone.

"That's hideous. It looks like a Super Bowl ring."

"You said you wanted something with diamonds."

"Something tasteful, not gaudy."

Going back to the images on my phone, I swipe through pictures of men's rings, hating every single one. Elijah doesn't like showy, so the large diamond men's engagement rings are out, and the regular men's rings are ugly as hell or too plain.

I stop on a picture of a men's platinum trio wedding band with alternating rows of white and black diamonds.

"This one's nice. The diamonds are small and square-cut."

Ryder leans in. "I love that one. Take a screenshot."

Looking at engagement bands was something I wanted to do with Jay, but the jerk has been ignoring me. Usually when we fight, we immediately get over it, but it's been days. I despise the distance between us. I hate keeping secrets from him even more.

"When are you telling Jay?"

Ryder goes rigid as stone.

Sitting catty-corner, I rest my arm across the back of the couch, so I can touch his shoulder. "You need to tell him."

Ry reclines back against the sofa cushions and spreads his hands over his face. "Do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you. I hate that you're doing the exact same thing Jay did to you. It was shitty of him to go behind your back then, and I think it's shitty that you're doing it now with him."

Ryder's head droops to the side, and I get the full power of his amber gaze. "I didn't plan this or set out to purposely hurt Jay. Things just happened, and… I love her, Jules. I've loved her since I was nine years old. By some miracle, I've been given a second chance; one I'm going to fight for this time."

The entire situation with them and Liz has been fraught with angst since junior high.

"Liz has always loved you, but she loved Jay, too. If you want a future with her, don't make the same mistakes he did. You need to come clean. I told Liz I wouldn't keep this from Elijah or from Jay, so if you don't man the fuck up and tell him, I will."

His eyes cinch closed, and he draws in a shattered inhalation.

"I will. I promise. I know it's selfish to hope for, but I don't want to lose him. Or you."

"For the record, I'm not taking sides. You're my brother, too. You won't lose me."

I can't say the same about Jay.

"Thanks, Jules."

"Want to hug it out?"

He laughs. "Yeah, I think I do."

I pull him in for a hug just as the doorbell chimes.

We're not expecting anyone. Liz is at some study group thing with a girl from her lit class, and Elijah is out with David tonight. The fucking dinner he keeps insisting he owes Elijah.

"I've got it," I preempt when Ryder starts to get up.

When I pull the door open, the last person on earth I thought I'd ever see is standing there. I blink a few times to make sure I'm not imagining the willowy, elegant woman with red hair. Red, not dark blonde like I remember.

What the fuck is Elijah's mom doing here?

Caught in a time vortex where everything around us suspends in place, we stare at one another. I wouldn't know what to say anyway. Fuck off would be a good start.

Slam the door in her bitch face. Make her leave. Elijah will freak out if he sees her.

"Hello, Julien."

The fact that she knows who I am pisses me off after all the cold, hateful looks she would give me whenever I went to Elijah's house. It was during the hot minute she lived there after her and Mr. Barnes's brief reconciliation. But what I remember the most is Elijah coming to my house and crying in my arms, telling me she left on New Year's Eve. Walked out on him and Mr. Barnes a- fucking -gain, breaking both their hearts a second time.

"I don't know if you remember me but?—"

"I know who you are."

Beverly glides her fingers nervously back and forth along the strand of pearls around her neck.

"May I come in?"

"No."

I don't even bother to ask why she's here. I don't care. I just want her gone.

Her eyes hopefully lift to something behind me, or rather someone. I can feel Ryder silently hovering at my back.

"Elijah isn't here. I wouldn't let you inside even if he was." I block the doorway just in case.

She clasps her hands in front of her. "I'm actually here to talk to you."

Is she serious?

Immediately on edge, I ask, "How do you know where I live?"

Elijah hasn't spoken to her that I know of, and I know April can't stand her, so I doubt she told her. And what in the hell is she doing here on a Wednesday night at seven o'clock? The drive up from Charleston takes over four hours.

Something akin to remorse strains her Botoxed face. Then again, I can't really tell because her smooth, wrinkle-free skin doesn't move. At all.

"I made a mistake."

Not able to hold in my anger any longer, I lash out. "You bet your ass you made a mistake. A big fucking one."

And not because she suddenly dropped unexpectedly on my doorstep. She hurt Elijah. The mental anguish she inflicted upon him caused irreparable damage he'll deal with for the rest of his life.

This time, I do what I should have done minutes ago. I shut the door in her face—except it doesn't close because she wedges her red stiletto in the jamb.

"Julien, please. You're the only one who can help me."

Help her? Why would I lift a finger to help this woman? I wouldn't spit on her if she were on fire. But I'm also not going to hurt her on purpose by repeatedly slamming the door on her foot until she removes it.

Peering over my shoulder at Ryder, I seek his guidance on what to do. His shrug says I have no clue, but you may as well hear her out, so she'll leave .

This is unbelievable.

"I need my phone," I tell Ryder.

Elijah is supposed to text me when he's done with David, and I need her to be gone.

Ry comes back from the living room and slaps my phone into my hand. Flinging the front door wide, Beverly teeters backward on her five-inch heels when I step outside.

"There's a coffee house a block from here."

The small café and bakery near the condo is family-owned by the sweetest couple, Laurel and Darryl. Laurel makes the best cinnamon scones I've ever eaten.

I refused Beverly's offer of a lift in her fancy silver Mercedes, so by the time I walk there, she's already inside sitting at a table near the window. There are a few other people scattered at the other tables, enjoying coffee and dessert and quiet conversation.

Laurel looks up from the espresso machine when the bell above the door rings. She smiles when she sees me.

"Was wondering if you'd drop by today."

The place smells of roasted coffee beans and sweet vanilla, and I'm suddenly starving. Walking over to the counter, I lift the glass cloche covering a pyramid of macaroons in every color imaginable. Using the tongs, I select the top one and place it onto a napkin.

Laurel sets the latte she just made into a coffee printer, which is probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It uses extracts from coffee as the ink to print images onto the foam.

"We'll be closing soon. The usual?" she asks, wiping her hands off on a dish towel folded into her waist apron.

"Chamomile tea with honey, to go, please. And put it on her ticket," I reply, pointing to Beverly.

Laurel removes the mug from the printer to reveal an intricate design of roses. "Perfect timing. This is hers."

I reluctantly take the latte handed to me and head over to the two-seater round table.

"Thank you," Beverly says when I place her drink in front of her.

Sitting down in the chair opposite her, I pop the macaroon into my mouth, eating it in one bite. Toasted coconut. A flavor I haven't tried before. It's flipping delicious.

Not wasting any time, I not so nicely say, "You wanted to talk to me. You have five minutes."

Beverly gives me a reproving look, similar to the one Mom used to give me and Jay as kids when we acted up.

With an exasperated sigh, she drums French manicured nails on the side of her mug. "I was hoping to see Elijah last weekend but when he didn't show—" She takes a dainty sip of her drink and dabs a paper napkin to her lips. "April said he didn't come because she told him I would be there."

Laurel delivers my tea in a large to-go cup.

"Thanks."

"Can I get either of you anything else?"

"No, thank you. This is delicious," Beverly replies, which makes Laurel beam.

As soon as she leaves, I lean my elbows on the table. "Can you blame him?"

"No," Beverly replies and uncrosses her legs under the table. "And I understand the animosity, but could you put your hatred for me aside for a moment?"

Disgusted to be put in this position, I reply, "Like I said, you have five minutes."

"You're as stubborn as April."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Her hand fiddles with her necklace again. "I want my son back."

I don't think anything could have shocked me more. But overriding the shock is pure rage on Elijah's behalf.

Patrons' heads swivel around when I erupt out of the chair and slam my hands down on the table.

"You've got some fucking nerve?—"

"—wanted to talk to him this weekend, but he?—"

"Do you blame him for not wanting to speak to you?

"—and since you're his…"

Resisting the urge to smack the woman, I keep my hands firmly planted on the table. "His what? You can't even say it."

My phone starts vibrating in my back pocket, and I take it out to see who's calling.

"Boyfriend," she finally says. "Since you're his boyfriend, I thought that you could help me?—"

"Fuck you," I seethe, then stop myself from spewing the rest of the vitriol I want to blast her with when I see Elijah's name flash on my screen.

Beverly stands up. "Julien, please. He'll listen to you. I just want to?—"

I don't let her finish.

"Sorry," I apologize to Laurel on my way to the door.

As soon as I'm outside, I answer the call, but it's not Elijah on the other end of the line.

It's David.

"Julien, I need you to come to Belly's. Hurry."