Hello, Sweetheart

C H A P T E R 16

Keaton gets in on the driver side while me and Rhea sit in the back.
I keep my eyes on him, watching every breath he takes, he grips the steering wheel once again, so harshly his knuckles turn pale.

 I completely forget Rhea is talking to me until I hear her yell in my ear. "LACEYYY, ARE YOU IN THEREEE?" She makes a fist and gently knocks it on the side of my head.

I turn around to face her. "Hm? Oh yeah, sorry I got distracted-...what were we even talking about...?" I look at her, smiling softly, knowing she'll most likely slap me any second and yell at me to focus.

"Yeah, I could." She rolls her eyes and turns her voice to a soft whisper. "What do you even see in my brother...?" she makes a disgusted scrunched up face.

I laugh. "He isn't that bad Rhea, he's just not like your usual boy... What do you see in Callum?" I raise a eyebrow at her and she pretends to faint.

 "What is he missing? He loves music, reading, cooking, and star gazing, what man likes reading and star gazing and doesn't do it for women's pleasure... None!"

I shrug my shoulders. "I mean I guess-." the car stops, and I unbuckle myself, Keaton gets out and opens our door and we slide out of the backseat.

He doesn't say anything, he just opens the bakery door, allowing me and Rhea to walk in. Rhea runs to the front desk, asking for every sample of their cakes that they recommend for a wedding. 

I stay close back with Keaton, trying not to talk too much knowing his face shows no emotion except anger. His eyebrows furrowed together and his mouth in a straight line, he stares at the wall and I gently touch his arm. 

"Keaton...put a little smile on your face! Try some cake!" I try to sound cheerful, but I know every harmful possibility that could happen to his father is running around in his mind. He doesn't respond and stands there, stiff beside me. 

I hesitate before wrapping an arm around his, I feel goosebumps shoot up his entire body. He looks down at me with his majestic blue eyes and stares at my lips. 

I make myself stare into his eyes, if looking at my lips stops him from overthinking about his father than hell, my lips his. 

Not that I think he would want them...but he could-

My thoughts get interrupted by Rhea's voice. "Will you two sugar plums stop staring at each other like you're each covered in damn chocolate..." she says quickly. I roll my eyes and look at her. "Seriously? Lord woman, let's try your cake already!" I laugh and Keaton follows me as I walk to the counter, picking up a small dessert plate that has a small cube of strawberry cake. 

After trying multiple slices of cake and still not deciding which one is the personal best, Keaton's phone vibrates in his pocket. He takes it out and steps away for a second. I hear him answer with a faint "Hello?" 

I watch him as Rhea has a conversation with the baker up front about their most popular cake flavor. I watch him tense up twice as much, his knuckles turn white from gripping the phone tightly. He hangs up and before I know it, he's holding me by the hand yelling at Rhea to get in the car. 

Me and Rhea slide in the back and Keaton instantly hits the gas pedal and speeds through the roads, people quickly getting on the sidewalk, a few older men threw out a few curses words towards the vehicle racing by. 

"Keaton, what the fuck is happening?! You just dragged us out to the car and go 80 miles per hour like a fucking psycho!!" Rhea grips the handle above her to keep her from sliding across the seats. 

"ITS FUCKING DAD, RHEA." he raises his voice with anger and presses in the gas pedal even more and quickly turns up the driveway. I see realization spread on Rhea's face and she instantly unbuckle herself, pulling her phone out to call Callum I'm guessing. 

I feel my heart ache with nervousness and a sick feeling build up in my stomach. I keep up with the two siblings. Keaton already got out of the car once he pulled in, he locks the car with his keys and rushes up the stairs, swinging the door open me and rhea close behind. 

I look around before going inside, not realizing the flashing lights of ambulances until now and news vans down at the gate in the other direction. I walk inside the house, there's people in uniforms walking up the steps and comforting Melinda, which is sitting at the stairs, clearly crying.

She looks up and stands up making her way to her children and pulling them into a hug. Her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Rhea bursts into tears when she realizes that her father passed. I concentrate on Keaton, watching tears build up in his eyes but not yet fall on his cheeks. 

It's almost like slow motion, I watch people bring a stretcher down with a blanket covered over the body almost like the crime shows me and Avery used to binge watch. My heart breaks for the entire family. 

I can already picture the newspapers about the famous pianist died at this time.