“Yeah. Me, too.”
She turned to her friend. “This is Hallie. I figured we’d make tonight a foursome so you didn’t feel like the third wheel.”
Great. This is a setup? Alex must have been in on this.
“Really nice to meet you, Deacon,” she said. “You look so much like Alex.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
With long, brown hair and large eyes, Hallie was attractive. The blind date might have been a pleasant surprise for the old me. But under the current circumstances, it was unwelcome. Now that my brother had put me in this position, I’d have to suck it up and try to enjoy the night.
We ended up walking to a nearby, high-end steakhouse. Being in a crowded restaurant in the city felt like I’d been transported back to Manhattan.
When my phone rang in the middle of dinner, I wasn’t sure if checking it would be rude. I looked down at the caller ID. Adrian.
I hadn’t spoken to him in a couple of weeks. When I left New York, he’d been shocked that I’d broken up with Carys and couldn’t understand why I needed to come to Minnesota. I’d chosen not to tell him about the accident, and without divulging the deep-rooted reasons for my decision to leave, I’d left him understandably confused. He’d chalked my actions up to cold feet and didn’t pressure me. He was convinced I’d come to my senses and return to the city any day now. He thought maybe I’d had some kind of life crisis because I’d recently turned thirty.
Not wanting to be rude during dinner, I let the call go to voicemail. But when my phone started ringing a second time, I worried maybe something was wrong. It was unlike Adrian to call two times in a row. His sister had been undergoing cancer treatments, so I worried something had happened to her. I lifted my finger, excusing myself before stepping outside for some privacy.
The phone stopped ringing before I had a chance to pick up, so I dialed him back.
It rang a few times before he answered, “Hey.”
“Hey, man. What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
My pulse regulated a bit. “Okay. Good. You normally don’t call me two times in a row. I worried something had happened with Natalia. I’m actually out to dinner with my brother and his girlfriend. I stepped outside.”
“Ah. Okay. Well, something’s been bugging me, so I figured I’d try you a second time to see if I could catch you.”
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
“I wasn’t sure whether to tell you this, but it’s been eating away at me all day.”
My pulse sped up again. “What is it?”
“I ran into Carys at Bryant Park today.”
My heart felt like it stopped. Literally fucking stopped.
“What happened? Is she okay?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing bad. But she wasn’t alone. She had Sunny with her. And she was with…Sunny’s father.”
Sunny’s father? That made no sense. Carys barely even spoke to her ex, let alone hung out with him. “Wait. How do you know it was him?”
“He introduced himself to me. It looked very casual. The little girl was eating an ice cream cone.”
My heart clenched. This news stunned me into silence.
Maybe Carys had decided to let Charles be around Sunny, but it bothered me that she might’ve been feeling vulnerable after I left and done something she wouldn’t otherwise have done. He could’ve taken advantage of her. Maybe it had nothing to do with me, but a mix of jealousy, anger, and confusion brewed inside.
Staring blankly out at the busy street, I had no idea how many seconds passed before I asked, “Did she say anything to you?”
“Just hello. It was just a quick, cordial exchange. I got the feeling she would’ve pretended not to notice me if I’d let her. But you know how it is. No one can get past my extroverted ass.” When I fell silent again, he said, “You there?”
“Yeah…yeah, I’m here. Just trying to let this sink in.”
“I’m sorry if it’s none of my business. I just figured I’d want to know if the situation were reversed.”
“I appreciate you telling me.”
“I still don’t get what happened, but I know how much she meant to you at one point. Hopefully she’s not letting this guy manipulate her.”
My head pounded. That was my fear. But this was about more than that. Hearing that she’d been out and about at the park with Sunny reminded me how much I missed them, how much I was missing out on.
“Well, I’d better get back inside.”
“Yeah. Go have fun with your brother. Try not to let this ruin your night.”
Fat chance. “Alright, man. Take care.”
After that, it was impossible to think about anything but Carys. Whether she was moving on with her ex or not, it was inevitable that I’d lose her for good. I’d sealed that fate the day I walked out of her life.