“Loved,” I whisper. “He left me. He went back to California.”
Her shoulders sag forward as her hand searches for the edge of the table. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I told him he didn’t have a right to be happy because he let his brother die.”
Bella falls back on her chair. She doesn’t say anything.
I don’t either because there’s nothing left to say.
***
Ten minutes later, I’m sipping a glass of water as I watch Bella give Delaney a hug.
They went to the bathroom in the back of the bakery together for a few minutes. I could have followed them, but I had to sort through my thoughts.
Case is Mickey’s uncle.
Why didn’t he say anything when I mentioned Mickey’s name?
“I’m going to go home.” Bella scoops up her purse from the table. “I’ll text you later.”
She leans down to wrap her arms around my neck from behind. With a whisper in my ear, she puts a voice to what I’ve been thinking. “Case left New York because of this. It was guilt, Emma.”
I pat both her hands with mine. “It’s a lot to take in, Bella.”
She presses a kiss to my cheek. “He needs you. Delaney does too.”
I glance over to where Delaney is standing. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ll leave you two.” She straightens. “Call me if you need anything.”
I nod as she walks away, leaving Delaney and me alone.
Chapter 65
Emma
I wait while Delaney speaks to the brown-haired woman behind the counter. We’ve never been formally introduced, but I suspect that she’s Delaney’s aunt.
Delaney drops her apron on the counter before she grabs a gray crossbody bag and slings it over her shoulder.
By the time she’s in front of me, her tears are gone. “Can we walk, Emma? Let’s walk and talk.”
Nodding, I get back to my feet.
I scoop my phone into my palm before I drop it in my purse. “You lead the way.”
She holds the door open for me, so I step through and onto the bustling sidewalk.
“There’s a playground by Mickey’s school.” She glances up the sidewalk. “It’s a couple of blocks over. They have benches there.”
I fall in step beside her. She’s taller than me, and her legs are long, but I keep up as she hurriedly maneuvers through the late afternoon foot traffic.
“Mickey is with his sitter today.” She smiles as we wait for a light to change before we cross the street. “He absolutely adores her.”
“That’s good,” I offer because I can’t think of anything to say.
I’m still reeling from earlier.
I can’t believe that I didn’t know that Mickey was related to Case.
As we near the playground, she tugs her phone out of her bag. With a quick scan of the screen, she sighs. “Sometimes, Mick will send me a message using the sitter’s phone, but they must be busy today.”
This small talk is lovely, but it’s a precursor to what’s to come.
I have dozens of questions.
I know Delaney must have a few too.
“Is Rush your brother’s best friend?”
I didn’t think she’d lead with that question, but I’m happy to answer it. “He is. Drake has been friends with him for years.”
“Drake,” she repeats my brother’s name. “He’s the man in the wedding picture that you showed me?”
“That’s him.”
She stops just as we’re about to enter the playground. When she turns to face me, her eyes lock on mine. “I met your brother, Emma.”
I don’t know why that takes me aback. Nothing should surprise me at this point. I ask a simple question in response to her declaration. “When?”
“Right after Apollo died.” Her words are sharp and to the point. “Drake looked a lot different. He had a beard, and his hair was past his shoulders.”
I look toward a vacant wooden bench. I need to sit. I feel like the universe is closing in on me.
Delaney picks up on my cue and makes her way to the bench. She takes a seat before I do.
“Apollo took me home a couple of times. It was an apartment on the Lower East Side.” Her eyes wander to three children playing on the swings. Their mother stands nearby, watching over them.
“I never met Rush.” Her voice lowers. “I saw him talking to Apollo on the sidewalk one afternoon. When I asked who the guy in the suit was, he said it was his brother Rush.”
“Case,” I say.
“What?” Her brow furrows.
“Rush is his nickname.” I straighten my shoulders, trying to find some inner strength to draw from. “His name is Case Abbott.”
“Case Abbott,” she repeats his name slowly. “It’s no wonder I couldn’t find him. I’ve been looking for Rush Easton for years.”
***
I raise my hand to wave at a little girl playing in the sand. I’ve never seen her before, but children only see the good in the world. They want to bring a smile to a face that has a frown, so they’ll grin or wave if they think it will make a difference.