Lies Beneath the Cherry Tree

chapter 19

My phone buzzes on the kitchen counter, and I already know who it is before I even glance at the screen. My mom’s name flashes up at me, and I feel that familiar rush of warmth in my chest. But right underneath it, there’s a pit, heavy and twisting. I pick up the phone, trying to shove that feeling down as far as it will go.

“Hi, Mom!” I chirp, forcing a smile that she can’t even see. My voice sounds overly bright to my own ears, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

“Hi, sweetie!” Her voice is as warm and comforting as ever, like a cozy blanket on a cold day. I close my eyes, leaning into the sound of her. “I’ll be home soon. I miss you so much. How are you? We’ll go out, do all our favorite things. Maybe that little café you love, or the mall? It’s been too long since we had a proper mother-daughter date.”

My heart squeezes, and I grip the phone tighter. “I miss you too, Mom,” I say, even though it feels like I’m speaking through a thick fog. I’ve been desperate to see her, to feel her arms around me, but now… now, everything feels so complicated. How can I explain all that’s happened? How can I pretend everything is the same when it’s not?

“And there’s something else, sweetie,” she adds, her voice taking on a slightly more serious tone. “Dylan’s dad… he’s not doing well. I need to be there to help, to take care of things. You know how much I care about them. Dylan’s like family to us, and he needs us now more than ever.”

My stomach drops. Dylan. His name is like a punch to the gut, bringing with it a flood of memories I’ve been trying so hard to bury. The fear, the anxiety, the suffocating darkness that I’ve fought so hard to keep at bay. And now, with a few words from my mom, it’s all crashing back down on me.

“Oh… that’s… that’s really kind of you, Mom,” I manage to say, my voice shaky but steady enough. “Dylan needs someone right now.”

“I know it’s a lot, sweetie, but we’re all he has,” she continues, oblivious to the turmoil churning inside me. “He’s been through so much, and now with his dad… I just want to be there for him, like I always have been.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, nodding even though she can’t see me. “Of course.”

We say our goodbyes, and I hang up, staring at the phone in my hand like it’s some foreign object. The house feels too quiet, too empty, and I suddenly feel the walls closing in on me. I start cleaning, needing something—anything—to distract myself. My hands move mechanically, scrubbing the counters, wiping down the table, but my mind is a million miles away.

It’s not until I glance out the window that I catch sight of him. Nathan. He’s in his porch, shirtless, working out like it’s the most normal thing in the world. But there’s nothing normal about the way he looks right now, muscles rippling with each movement, sweat glistening on his skin. My breath catches in my throat, and I feel like a total creep for staring, but I can’t look away.

God, he’s beautiful.

I feel like my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest, and I have to remind myself to breathe. He’s so… effortless. So confident. The kind of guy who doesn’t even realize how he affects people, just by existing.

I’m still staring when an idea pops into my head—an excuse, really, but it’s better than nothing. I need to see him, to talk to him, to feel that steady presence that somehow always makes everything seem less terrifying. I rush to the kitchen, throwing together a batch of cupcakes with shaky hands. I don’t even care how they turn out; I just need a reason to knock on his door.

When I finally make my way over to his house, the cupcakes in hand, my nerves are all over the place. I knock, and when he opens the door, that familiar smirk tugs at his lips, making my heart do somersaults.