Around 7:00 a.m., I heard footsteps. I picked my head up and watched as Cane passed by the den. He glanced in my direction, but kept walking, and even with that tiny glance, I spotted his regret as clear as day.
Thirty minutes passed before he showed up again, in fresher clothing and his hair gelled back. He was rolling the sleeves of his gray button-down shirt up to his elbows as he stepped into the den.
"Your mom called, said I could bring you to the hospital with her now." He didn't look at me for long. His eyes shifted over to the window instead as he slid the tips of his fingers into the front pockets of his black slacks. "Do you want me to take you by your house to change clothes?"
I lowered my gaze and studied the sweat pants and pink camisole I was wearing. These were my pajamas. I couldn't go out like this, and even though I wanted to be as far away from Cane as possible in this moment, I simply nodded and stood up.
"Yeah, that would be great," I murmured.
He nodded once and then turned as he said, "I'll get my keys."
After collecting his keys, he led the way to the door. I noticed that this time he didn't usher me out with a caring hand on the shoulder or arm. No. He didn't touch me at all. Hell, he could hardly even look at me.
I climbed into the passenger seat, my phone clutched in hand, as Cane got behind the wheel and started the ignition. He drove away from his house in complete and utter silence. I was almost tempted to turn the radio on.
Why wasn’t he blocking out this godawful silence with some kind of noise? It's like he wanted it to be like this between us—uncomfortable and full of tension.
It didn't take long for Cane to pull up to my house. When he pulled up front, I climbed out with haste, hustling for the front door. Remembering I'd left my things at Frankie's, along with my keys, I picked up the flowerpot beneath the window and grabbed the spare, unlocking the door and walking right in.
The house was so still that it almost felt eerie. Normally, around this time on a Saturday morning, Dad would be in the kitchen helping Mom flip pancakes or humming one of his silly old school tunes. I'd walk down late to breakfast, and he'd tease me, calling me sleepyhead or zombie girl because I hated being bothered until I had food or coffee.
The rims of my eyes lined with hot tears, but I fought the tidal wave of emotion and trotted up the stairs to my room. I washed up quickly and changed into a purple dress and sandals, tied my hair up into a bun, and I was on my way again—on the way back to an uncomfortable, awkward silence.
I slid into the passenger seat of Cane's car and he backed out of the driveway before I could even buckle my seatbelt.
Seeing as he seemed to be in such a hurry to get me out of the car and away from him, I expected Cane to take me straight to the hospital and deliver me to my mother. Instead, he pulled up at a coffee shop and turned to me, expectantly.
"Want anything?" he asked, and his voice—the offer—made my belly twist. In that moment, I wasn't sure if it had twisted in a positive or negative way.
I shrugged. "I've never been here before. I'm not sure what all they have."
He looked at the vintage brick building very briefly before focusing those tired eyes on me.
His eyes were grayer today, cloudy and unreadable. "Come in and see."
He got out of the car before I could decline. Sighing, I unclipped my seatbelt and stepped out, following Cane to the entrance, but making sure to keep some distance between us. He opened the door for me, and a bell chimed above my head as I entered.
The welcoming aromas of coffee beans and baked goods surrounded me, and for a split second, I wasn’t worried about the naughty things that had happened the night before. Instead, I was focused more on the coffee shop, and the industrial structure of it. This place was most likely a warehouse before being renovated with bleached brick walls and a pale green color scheme. The ceiling was very high up, and skylights were built into it, which gave the place a beautiful, natural aura. My love for the coffee shop was instant.
Cane walked past me to get to the counter, and I met up beside him, still making sure not to stand too closely as I scanned the menu. Even though it was nearing nine in the morning, it was warming up outside. I decided to go with an iced caramel coffee.