Page 22 of Penalty Kiss
Lily reaches over to squeeze his hand. “Don’t rush it, Cam. The doctors are confident your brain will recover once you get enough rest. Give yourself some grace. And we’re here for you.”
“Yesterday was… strenuous. Driving from the airport wiped me out. But I slept hard, and this morning feels clearer.”
He smirks at me and adds, “Plus the coffee here is amazing. Best I’ve had in months.”
The decaf.
I poisoned a man with a brain injury with decaf coffee.
I am definitely going to hell.
His brain is injured. He literally might not be able to remember things properly. And I’ve been standing here, stewing, pissy over something that might not even be his fault.
The guilt sits in my stomach like a lead weight.
Wow, Tara. Not your finest moment.
I’m still busy drowning in guilt when Levi decides to turn the moment into open-mic night.
“You should get yourself some T-shirts,” Levi cuts in, eyes dancing. “‘Forget You.’ Front and back.”
Cam scoffs. Lily nearly snorts water.
“Oh Yes,” she grins. “Or: ‘Caution—may not remember your name, but definitely remembers your bra size.’”
Cam clutches his chest. “Rude. Accurate, but rude.”
“Fine, how about this one?” He fires back. “‘Concussed but Still Hung Like a Horse’? Or maybe—” he tilts his mug toward me—“‘Decaf is attempted murder.’”
Lily cackles, Levi snorts, and Cam is looking at me way too smugly.
Levi slaps the table. “Or: ‘Hi, I’m Cam. Please reintroduce yourself daily.’”
Lily is wiping tears from her eyes. “No, no, the winner is: ‘Warning: May Cause Pregnancy'.”
The booth dissolves into laughter while I stand there gripping the coffee pot like a shield. My cheeks burn, my pulse won’t steady. They’re laughing, piling on, basking in the joke.
All I hear is that word echoing in my head.
Brain damage.
"Let me get you both some coffee," I say quickly, needing to escape before I do something stupid like apologize or explain or make this situation somehow worse than it already is.
"Actually," Levi says, settling Linden more comfortably against his chest, "why don't you join us? It's not too busy, and you look like you could use a break."
I glance around the restaurant. He's right—the morning rush is winding down, and the only customers left are regulars who could probably serve themselves if needed.
"I shouldn't—"
"Please," Lily says, patting the seat beside her. "We never get to just chat anymore since Linden. And I want to hear all about what's been happening around town."
I hesitate, caught between wanting to flee and wanting to stay close enough to study Cam's face for signs of... what? Confusion? Recognition? Brain damage symptoms I'm not qualified to identify?
"Come on," Cam adds, and his smile is warm and uncomplicated. "I promise I'm reasonably entertaining company. And I've been told I'm excellent with babies."
As if summoned, Linden makes a soft cooing sound and waves one tiny fist in Cam's direction.
"See?" Cam grins. "Kid has excellent taste."
