Page 36 of Missed Sunrise
“And who eats these with a fork and knife?” I continued.
He took off his glasses and set them on the bar.
“Why did you even have these in your freezer?”
He blushed and then went big with a conversation swerve. “AJ asked about you again at work this week.”
I bristled. “What could he possibly have to say that wouldn’t lead to me punching him again?”
Dad uncrossed his legs but kept his expression relatively neutral as he told me, “At first, he said he just wanted to know if it was true that you were back in town. Then he wanted to know if your number was the same. And then today, he wanted to know if you were staying with me.”
I pointed my limp French toast stick at Dad. “That nosy fucker.”
An unimpressed look came across Dad’s face, as close to a reprimand as I’d seen in a long time. “What are the chances that you two could bury that hatchet?”
Running the French toast stick through syrup, I scoffed at the idea. Burying the hatchet with the guy who I thought was my friend for a decade but who then slept with Bree and took a bribe from Bree’s grandmother to skip town?
Fuckingzero.That was the chance.
My answer must’ve shown on my face because Dad sighed deeply before squaring his shoulders as if he were going into battle. “I’m just going to say one thing.”
This was what I’d wanted—to try. So, I would.
I forced my shoulders to drop, talking myself through Liem’s instructions.
My fingers relaxed, causing me to drop the French toast stick I’d just picked up back onto the rose-patterned china. Then I blew out a breath and nodded for Dad to continue.
“There’s almost always more to the story. And if there isn’t, there’s certainly more to people.”
I was already shaking my head as he spoke, my mind easily conjuring the image of Alexander “AJ” Juno. His blond hair, blue eyes, stocky frame, and thirst to rise higher in the corporate ranks of the casinos.
My former friend, Ace.
“He made his choices.”
I chanced a look at Dad, but to my relief, he was nodding. “He did. I’m not saying you need to forgive him. I’m not even sure what happened, exactly, but all I want is for you to be happy, Cody. And it’s a damn near impossible thing to be happy if something or someone has some of your peace.”
We didn’t talk much after that, but I’d heard him. When we finished breakfast, I gave him a brief hug before I got in my truck, and then he got in his SUV to head to work.
The drive seemed about as aimless as my thoughts, but it wasn’t.
And they weren’t.
I drove up the Coast, past my old apartment.
Then I turned around at the pier where I’d first called LL.
There was an echo of an ache in my chest, and I rolled the window down and thrust my arm outside to give myself room to breathe.
And then remembered Liem doing the same on the golf cart and settled for bending my arm and resting it on the opening instead.
Neon lights and flashing marquees painted the sky and reflected in my mirrors as I drove down the casino strip. The twin bridges to Bay Springs came into view.
I didn’t take them.
Instead, I turned again and drove to the one place I’d managed to avoid for months.
As if the sky knew the mood was about to turn, the wind changed, and dark clouds rolled in. I pulled over to the side of the road closest to the short driveway, and I gasped just as the first raindrops pinged against my windshield and forearm.
