Page 71 of Fire Island
“Well,” he finally says, “what the actual hell?” His voice is rough, clipped.
Ava forces a smile, dropping her gaze to her mug, and Iris leans forward, her face hardening. Em leans back, his arm draped over the back of Iris’s chair as his stare sets on Ava.
It seems like we all wait for an age before she sighs and clears her throat. “I heard about the accident. And I—” She glances up to Cal. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. My husband, Craig, suggested I come and see if you were okay. He doesn’t know I was supposed to be...”
“So that’s it, you just heard I almost drowned and thought that would be a good reason to flip my fucking world upside down?” Cal’s jaw grinds shut as he waits for her response.
She opens her mouth to say something but snaps it shut.
Iris frowns. “Bullshit, Ava, you had twenty years to undo what you did. And you didn’t. You let Cal think you died. Your baby died.”
Cal’s breathing kicks up as his grip around the mug whitens.
“I guess that’s true.” She swallows and glances at me, like the next words will do me the most damage. Not Cal. “And I should have come back, Cal.”
“Callum,” Cal snaps.
Her gaze falls along with her face.Nice try, Ava, but you and your wrecking ball are not welcome.
“I should have come back. I realize that now. But we were so young. My parents moved us clear across the country. I had no money, no means to get us back. That’s what they were counting on.”
“Us? As in your parents and you, or...”
Ava sits up a little straighter now. “You have a son. Reese.”
All expression disappears from Cal’s face.
I watch as he moves from shock to anger to pure devastation.
“Where is he?” he growls.
“He’s at home. With his father.” Ava sets her shoulders back.
Cal rises from the chair so quickly it topples over. He’s out the front door before any of us can get a word out.
How could Ava do this?
How could she say that?
“You mean to tell me my brother has a son, and all this time some other man has raised him. Taken care of him...Loved him?” Iris hisses.
“He was the better man, Iris. Yes, it is unfortunate Callum hasn’t met his son and he’s missed those formative years. But this is what was best for me and for Reese.”
I glance at Emmett, whose face is utter shock. His hand supports his forehead as he glares at the woman across the table.
Iris stands. “Have you any idea what you’ve done?”
Ava goes to say something, but Iris cuts her off. “You didn’t just break him once, you had to come back for a second go. Get the hell out of my café.”
I stand as if in agreement. And when Ava doesn’t budge, Em pushes his chair back and closes in on her. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Emmett angry. He hauls her to her feet by an arm, and she slaps him away before stepping back and smoothing over her pristine clothing. With a flick of her long hair, she raises her chin. “I should have known better than to try and do something nice for ignorant riffraff.”
My jaw drops.
Iris flies at her, Emmett catching her in time before she tears the bitch to pieces. As they seethe and stare at each other like two feral cats around the last dead pigeon by the furthest dumpster, I excuse myself, heading outside to find Cal.
The door closes behind me, and I wander toward the marina. The man is a creature of habit, so I’m betting he’s sitting on Firefly. Reeling.
The thought sends panic through me, and I pick up the pace. By the time I reach our slip, I’m at a sprint. Sure enough, I find him sitting on the bench in the cabin, his head hanging, his elbows on his knees. I round the bench and lift his head with my hands on either side of his jaw.
