Page 15 of Don't Regret Me
Was she for real?
Jimmy made a cross over his heart. “Promise.”
They reached the porch, where three men who looked to be around Jimmy’s age sat at a round table, an undealt deck of cars in front of them.
“About time, old man.” One of them stood to greet Jimmy. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “This is Nick. He’s joining us. Promise not to take all his money.”
Two of the men grumbled something about making no such promises, but the third was silent, his gaze cutting into Nick. Almost like he knew him. Most people felt like they did, like he was the man they knew from their television.
Yet, this was different.
Anger rolled off the man as he pushed back from the table. “Jimmy, a word.” He marched into the house, and Jimmy followed him.
“Have a seat.” One of the others gestured to an empty chair. “Those two will be awhile. They bicker like an old married couple.”
“They have a pretty good reason to fight now,” the other said, his voice quiet. “Liz?—”
“Hush.”
Nick didn’t know what was going on or why his presence could cause such a problem, but at the name Liz, something pulled tight within him.
Evelyn skipped out through the sliding glass door, jumping into the seat next to Nick. “Do you like chocolate chips in your pancakes?”
His lips twitched. She was stuck on these pancakes. He’d never eaten them much before the accident, but since, they were a fortifying meal every time he started feeling like everything was too much. It was like they had healing powers. “No. Is that bad?”
She shook her head. “My brother likes them, but I’m a pluralist.”
“Purist,” one of the men corrected her with a smile.
She shrugged. “You say potato. I say whatever I want.”
“Sounds like my daughter.” A woman stepped out onto the porch, and everything around Nick stopped moving. The wind ceased to blow, the stars stopped shining. At least to him, none of it existed, not while every beat of his heart echoed in his ears.
The woman froze, her eyes wide and glassy.
Nick’s entire body wanted to reach out for her, and he didn’t know why.
8
ELIZABETH
This couldn’t be happening. How was it possible that Nick currently sat on Liz’s porch with her dad’s friends and her daughter, looking like he belonged?
He didn’t take his eyes from her, but still, there was no recognition in their depths. Only curiosity.
“Mom!” Evelyn shot up from the chair. “I’m only awake because Papa wouldn’t let me go to sleep until I said goodnight to you.”
She drew her attention away from the cymbals crashing in her chest, the thrumming in her temples. “Is that so?” Liz’s voice shook, but Evelyn didn’t notice as she nodded, her head moving so fast it looked like it would pop right off.
“Yes. Owen was bad, though. He didn’t listen.”
She was ridiculous, but Liz loved her more for it. Tearing her eyes from the man she never thought she’d face again, she beckoned Evelyn forward. “You’ve seen me. Now, to bed.”
It wasn’t until she ushered Evelyn inside that she could breathe fully again. Arguing came from the kitchen, and she paused.
“You can’t just bring him here,” her dad said.
