Page 27 of Fifty-Fifty

"And then I told him. About the baby." I make a point not to say Mac's name. She doesn't need to hear this part. "And that's when he told me to get rid of it. That he didn't want any kids. That I was nothin’ but a fling."

Noah shakes his head in confusion. "A fling?"

"Don't you see?" I whisper. "This is where it gets interestin'. Mr. Suit had a family already. He had a wife. He had a kid... And he had me. His side piece. His mistress. His dirty whore." The word leaves an acidic taste in my mouth. "He had me. The naïve little waitress from Love, Georgia, who was stupid enough to fall for him. So you see? There might be somethin' in the coffee in Lover's Landing growin' blossomin' love, but all I got was a taste of sewage."

By the time I’m finished, Miss Betty moseys on over with my cup of coffee and a glass of chocolate milk for Mac. We sit in our seats, patiently waitin’ for her to leave the drinks and be on her merry way. It’s so quiet between us, you could hear a pin drop.

I have to give Noah credit; he doesn't look disgusted with me. He hides it well. But I ain't stupid. I know what he's thinkin'. I know what they're all thinkin'. I'm either a dirty whore who could've broken up a marriage, or I'm a stupid, naïve girl who couldn't see the signs right in front of her. Neither of them are good.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, squeezin' my fingers with his own.

I shrug one shoulder, unsure what to say.

"It's not your fault. You know that, right?"

Again, I shrug.

He must be able to see that I ain't gonna budge on my self-loathin' because he asks me another question, one I gladly hang onto in hopes of changin’ the subject. "And then what? How'd you meet my grandpa?"

I smile softly, rememberin' my ol' knight in shinin' armor. "And then I pretended like it never happened. I ended things with him, and I kept comin' to work at the diner. Once I started showin', people started askin' questions, but I didn't pay them any mind. It was none of their business, anyway. Until Harold and Betty cornered me, that is. They had a right to know. They understood how difficult it would be to keep me and my baby afloat and offered me a makeshift bed in the back of the coffee shop for me and the baby once it was born. But I'm sure you can imagine how impossible it was to carry plates and coffee mugs with a baby strapped to my stomach. That's where your granddaddy comes in. How much do you remember about him?" I ask.

Noah glances down at the table. "I never met him."

I try to hide the sharp inhale of breath at my shock, but I don't think I fool him. "Apparently, my dad and grandpa had a falling out a long time ago. To be honest, I thought Jay was dead until I got the phone call from Mr. Jenkins."

I nod my head in understandin'. "That's a shame. He was a good man. Smoked like there was no tomorrow and had the gruffest personality you ever did see, but he had a heart of gold. He came to me one day, when I was about ready to pop." I smile at the memory. "He said that Harold, Betty, and him had come to an arrangement, and that I needed to pack my bags. I was comin' to stay with him. I was in a bad place. My confidence was shaken. My whole world was shaken," I correct myself. "I didn't argue because I didn't wanna be any more of a burden on Harold and Betty than I already was. If they had talked with Jay, then you better believe I was gonna listen without askin' questions. Come to find out, they agreed because Jay said he needed a hand at the inn. He failed to mention that to me, though." Noah laughs, and I join in, feelin' lighter than a few minutes ago. "He wanted to give me time to get used to bein' a single mama. He didn't ask a thing from me until that one day that I told you about where I was baptized by fire." Noah slaps the table in amusement, his eyes crinklin' on the sides as he's given a glimpse of his granddaddy and his sneaky ways.

We spend the next few hours sharin' stories. Soakin' up every minute of each other’s company like a sponge bein’ introduced to water.

Noah is busy tellin' Mac a story about a T-Rex named Rodney when his phone rings against the table. The echoing vibration is deafening, bringin’ us back to the present. Back to reality.

And when Shane's name flashes across the screen, it's the final wave bringin’ our pleasant Sunday crashin' back to reality.

"I, uh... I should probably get that. Do you need a ride home or anything?" Noah pulls his wallet from the back pocket of his worn jeans and slides out a few bills. I watch as he places them on the table before grabbin' his mobile and rememberin' he asked me a question.

"Nah. Mac and I will walk. It's gettin' colder out, and we might as well soak up the warmth while we can."

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

He nods. "Okay. I guess I'll see you at home, I mean the inn." He clears his throat, laughin' at his lil' slip up. Answerin' his phone, he lifts it to his ear and murmurs, "One sec." Then, he turns to Mac and opens his hand, offerin' her a high five. "I'll see you in a little while, okay, Mac?"

Mac slaps her hand against his, but doesn't say anything.

"Say goodbye, Mac," I encourage her.

"Bye," she says, smilin' her big grin up at him.

He returns it with one of his own, his gaze softenin’ every time he interacts with her.

The entire scene causes my heart to squeeze.

Noah looks over at me with that same soft smile firmly in place. "Bye."

I hold his stare while fightin' the butterflies that seem to assault my insides anytime he looks at me. Especially when his gaze is filled with affection instead of frustration like when we first met.

"Bye," I breathe.

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