“Oh, good, I thought you’d pocket-dialed me.” She laughs. “What’s up, baby girl? You finally ready to tell me about your night at the ball with Prince Charming?”
“No.” I clear my throat. “I actually need you to tellmesomething.”
“Name it.”
“Why have you spent twenty-six years lying to me about my father?”
Chapter Thirty
Fine
I step inside the doors of the brightly lit shop, its plexiglass countertops revealing a vast array of delicious-looking sweets.
Crumble— the best cupcake place in all the land. Or, at the very least, in the Greater Boston area.
The woman at the cash register recognizes me immediately.
“Hey, Gemma!” She smiles wide. “You want the usual?”
God, I have a usual. That’s a little sad.
“Hi Katy. No — today, I’m gonna need a whole half-dozen.”
“To go?”
“Nope.” I swallow. “For here. Just for me.”
Her eyebrows go up as she looks from my tear-stained face to the platter of chocolate-on-chocolate cupcakes she’s just pulled out. “You sure?”
I nod.
“Alrighty, then.” She smirks a little as she loads up a hot pink plate with six giant cupcakes. “But, if your arteries clog in one of my booths, I’m not responsible.”
“Hardy har har.”
She smiles as she passes me the plate. “Gemma… if you want to talk about it…”
“No,” I say immediately. “But, thanks.”
“Whoever he is, he’s not worth the calories.”
“So true,” I mutter, Milo’s face flashing in my mind as I grab my cupcakes and head for a back table, where I can eat my feelings in peace.
***
“This better be good, I was right in the middle of my CrossFit session—” Shelby breaks off abruptly when she catches sight of my face — which may or may not be covered in chocolate frosting. “Oh, Jesus. What’s wrong?”
“Nuffing,” I slur around a giant bite.
“I’ve known you six years. Never once have I seen you resort to a sugar coma to fix your problems.”
I shrug. “First time for everything.”
“You’ve got chocolate, like…” She grabs a napkin from the dispenser and passes it to me with a grimace. “…everywhere.”
I glare as I snatch the paper from her outstretched hand and begin wiping my mouth. She waits until I’m done chewing before she sighs, pulls out the seat across from me, and settles in.
“Gemma.” She steeples her hands on the table in front of her. “Look at yourself.”