Coffee Shop

• 25 •

When I stepped out of my apartment, I planned on heading straight to the Coffee Shop, so Brian and I could go over what happened on Monday with the group. But there was a part of me that was missing, a text I hadn't sent.

Thinking back to Saturday, just after the fight, Jade had asked me to call her, and text her. And yet, I didn't. I mean, I had my reasons, but when I was dressed and out the door, there was a tinge of guilt in my belly.

Rather than take the street straight to Kay's shop, I stopped just outside the bookstore. It was empty, per usual, except for the smiling, bright face who peered at me from the front desk. The moment I pushed the door open, I was greeted by the chime that hung above the window, and Jade's tight I missed you hug.

"Girl!" She rubbed my shoulders twice before looking at my face. "I was worried sick!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I avoided her over-observing eyes. "I'm fine," I told her, "why wouldn't I be?"

"Uh." Jade tapped the side of her cheek, pretending to think, though she knew her response. "Brian. He made you cry! He—"

"He's fine," I said, pressing my hands into the pockets of my light cardigan.

Blinking, Jade took a small step back. "But that girl—"

"Is his sister-in-law." I lifted my brows.

"S-Sister-in-law?" Jade's hands flew up above her head. "Oh my God, Kay, he's married. He's—"

I drew an invisible line in front of me with my shoes. "He's a widower," I said quietly, looking up at her sudden change in expression. "He was married."

"Was..." Jade took another step back before covering her mouth with one hand. Against her palm, I heard her muffle the word, "widower..."

With a weak smile and sigh, I nodded.

"Oh, Kay..." The steps she'd taken to move away from me returned. And again, her arms were around my shoulders. "I didn't know... I only assumed."

Shrugging, I held her back and let out a soft chuckle. "Jade, it's okay. It's human to assume."

"Yeah, but..." Both of her hands gripped my shoulders as she gave me the most apologetic gaze. "I've been a total bitch to him. I knew there were secrets like I could smell them, but shit. Widower? Dead wife? I mean... that's..."

"Yeah." I held Jade's shoulders in return. The look in her eyes, her expression, was the second most sincere apology I'd ever seen. Brian's, of course, was the first. But with Jade, as wonderful and funny as she was, I knew there was a tough exterior about her, one that was overprotective and very mother-like. Maybe that was one reason why I came back to see her. It was like getting into a fight with your mom and needing that closure before you went about your day.

Shaking my head out of my thoughts, I groaned on the inside. I just called Jade my mom. Uh oh.

I mean, mine's probably furious with me right now, so...

"I'm sorry, Kay." Jade frowned, walking back to her desk to drop in her rolling chair. "I feel awful."

"Don't," I laughed and walked over towards the bookshelves she and I had our first conversation by, "it's normal to assume. You did what you thought was right. I can't be mad at you for that."

"But him." Jade covered her face. "He didn't deserve that. Oh, man... I made such a scene."

Tracing my fingers over the books' spines, I took in the feel of embossed letters. Some were simply raised, others had shimmery material, like glitter. The book she first showed me, about vampires and intense love, had a rougher title that made my fingers tingle. I pulled it from its spot and looked back at her. "Again, normal," I said.