Page 90 of The Version You Hide

“No,” they both reply in unison.

“But we’ve heard a lot about them,” Brenda adds.

“Let’s get you both seated and some food in your bellies. The weather out there is hideous today,” Jackie remarks as she leads us to a booth by the window.

When we’re both seated comfortably, she shuffles off back to the kitchen and I find Dylan’s eyes across the table.

“Daisy and Cyrus, huh?” I muse. “Dylan, are you taking me to meet some old folk in a nursing home?”

Another laugh bursts from him, his white teeth put on full display, those cute little wrinkles that crease the side of his eyes making an appearance. “No,” he replies bluntly.

“Well, are they your grandparents or something?” I don’t want to admit it, but I’m suddenly nervous about who I’m going to meet today.

“No,” he says again. “They are somewhat more pleasant than my grandparents.”

“You come here a lot. To this diner.” I look around the space, suddenly feeling silly that we almost didn’t come here because of those bad memories resurfacing. This diner is cosy, the staff friendly.

“Every time I visit Daisy and Cyrus,” he says.

“You’re not going to tell me anything about these people before I meet them, are you?”

“Nope,” he replies.

I cross my arms, resting them on the table, a wave of curiosity washing over me. “Do these women know who you are?”

“They know I’m Dylan, yes.” He leans back against the cushioned backing of the booth.

“Dylan from Cliff Haven?” I ask. “Or Dylan the billionaire?”

“Ex-billionaire,” he corrects.

“Whatever.”

“They know,” he replies.

“Does anyone in Cliff Haven know that you’re an ex-billionaire?” I ask, putting the emphasis on the ‘ex’.

“No. Only you,” he replies, and as if to let me know he’s done with the subject he asks, “What do you feel like eating?”

“Everything.”

He lets out another chuckle at my response. “Okay then.”

Dylan orders the pancake stack with a side of hash browns, and I order everything.

Well, technically, everything. I get the big breakfast with a couple of extra pancakes. We eat in comfortable silence, something I find myself unable to do with most people.

We argue when Dylan insists on getting the check, but he wins. Then we return to the car to continue on to our destination.

Chapter 28

DYLAN

Mackenzie stirs when I nudge her knee as we pull into the parking lot. She’d fallen back to sleep at around about the halfway point from the diner to here and I haven’t been able to stop myself from glancing in her direction every chance I can. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. The stress she’s been going through must be exhausting for her.

“Kenz,” I say, nudging her knee again. “We’re here.”

Her eyes flutter open and stormy blue irises stare back at me. She stretches her arms out in front of herself as she straightens and surveys her surroundings.

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