Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

As I step out of the hospital, I take a deep breath, mentally checking off the list of things my dad will need once he’s home, when a cool breeze hits me, sending a familiar shiver through my body. I glance around the parking lot, feeling as though I’m being watched, and then spot Julian leaning against the hood of his car parked beside mine.

“Looking for more ways to die?” Instantly cringing at how dumb that sounded. God, why am I like this?

“What?” he asks, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

“It sounded better in my head,” I admit, wincing.

Julian chuckles, the sound easily bringing a smile to my lips as I stare up at him.

“You hungry?” A playful smirk tugs at the corner of his lips.

I nod.

“Come on.” He pushes himself off the hood and opens the passenger side of his car. I swallow the lump in my throat before stepping onto the running board, his hands finding my hips to help me up.

“Sweet Haven, okay? Or are you in the mood for something else?” he asks as soon as he jumps in.

Definitely in the mood for you.

“Sweet Haven is good,” I reply, my voice coming out a little higher than intended. I give him a tight smile that betrays the thoughts racing through my mind with him so close and the cab of the truck smelling so much like him.

He narrows his eyes, as if sensing my internal battle. “Are you sure? A lot has changed since you were last here. We’ve got an Outback now.”

“Wow. Little old Haven is coming up, huh?”

“She sure is,” he says.

“But there’s only one Sweet Haven Diner.”

“Damn right,” he replies, turning the key and bringing his truck to life.

The sound of the engine fills the silence that suddenly falls between us lingering until I can’t take another second of it.

“So, you really thought I’d just ignore my dad after his accident?”

“Just getting right to it?” he asks, staring ahead.

“I mean, it was hard not to notice the death glare Eve was giving you. Must have been some argument you had to convince her I wouldn’t come.”

“It’s been twelve years, Lina.”

“And? He’s my dad, Julian. What kind of monster do you think I am to ignore the call about his accident? Did you expect me to just send flowers to his bedside?”

“No, that’s not—” He sighs. “I know how complicated things are between you two. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to come up here. Besides, he’s had my back more times than I can count. I owe him.”

“Since when have you two been close, anyway? Last time I saw him, he wanted to drag you through Main Street.”

“People change, Lina. Time will do that, you know?”

I turn my head and look out the window, starting to regret getting into his car as Haven passes by.

We pull into the diner’s parking lot, the neon red sign flickering in the early evening light, flooding me with nostalgia.

Julian parks the truck and turns to me.

“I’m sorry. I should have known better than to doubt you’d be here for your dad. You always had a way of proving me wrong. Guess I just forgot.”

“I guess I’ll just have to remind you.”

“I guess so.” He gazes at my lips.

Electricity courses under my skin, stirring wisps of a memory that feels more like a dream. But the sound of a car door slamming shut snaps us back to reality. Julian blinks a few times, shaking his head as if the spell has been lifted. He climbs out leaving me breathless and confused by just his proximity.

I know, without a doubt, I am in trouble.

Inside the diner, it’s like walking straight into the 1950s, with its bright red vinyl booths and checkered floor. Aside from a few new faces, even the staff looks familiar, though older.

I follow Julian to a booth in the back and sit across from him, my eyes darting around the room to avoid his gaze as we wait for the waitress.

“So, what have you been up to besides starting a bromance with my father?” I tease.

“Oh, you know, same old same old.”

“Which is?”

He shrugs as if not knowing where to start. “I enlisted in the army not long after you left. One tour in Afghanistan was enough for me, and I came back here. Laid low for a while, kept myself busy, started buying and flipping houses, and realized I really like working with my hands.”

I can’t help but look down at those hands, remembering how well they worked me.

“Hey, Julian!” the waitress calls from behind me as she walks up to our booth. “I’m so happy to catch you here today. Any news on Sergio?” she asks, stopping beside me. I realize it’s Judy, the same waitress who worked here since I was a kid.

“He’s awake and doing well. The doc said it would be, what, another week before he comes home?” He pauses, looking at me.

“Just a few more days, actually,” I finish. Judy finally notices me, her eyes widening with realization.

“Goodness gracious, Lina! Oh, look at you!” She suddenly turns her head, shouting into the direction of the kitchen. “Henry! Henry! Come out here! You won’t believe who’s here!”

I smile, embarrassed, as everyone in the diner notices us, and I can’t avoid the hushed whispers in our direction.

There’s a commotion from the back of the kitchen as an older man comes out, looking annoyed at being called out. He stops in his tracks when he sees me. I give him a small wave, and he smiles wide, his thick black mustache covering his front teeth.

“Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t Little Lina! I used to make you special banana pudding milkshakes. Do you still like those? I can whip one up for you right now.”

I chuckle happily at his sweet offer and take him up on it, watching him rush back to make it. The rest of our time turns into a reunion of sorts, with neighbors of my dad’s—people who watched me grow up before I left with my mom—stopping by our table to say hello. After Julian and I place our order, Judy shows me the framed pictures on the wall: a printout of my New York Times bestseller, a photo of me sitting on a stool at Sweet Haven as a child, and another framed picture of my headshot, which I offer to sign.

I feel so honored by this little corner of Sweet Haven’s wall. It takes me back to how excited I used to get when my mom hung my art projects on the fridge. It hits me all of a sudden that I’ve always had a place here. With or without this wall, this is home.