Page 95 of Lose You to Find Me

I don’t bother telling her about Dad’s feeding tube because it’s not worth the pitiful looks I’d get. “They’d like that.” Especially Mom, who basically only eats eggs, microwave meals, or whatever I make extra of and bring over so she can spend as much time with Dad as possible.

She’s lost weight.

Worse—she’s lost the light in her eyes.

It’s barely even there when she sees me.

When I pass Elena my credit card to run, I ask, “Where’s Raine? You guys look like you could use an extra hand.”

The teenager glances at her grandmother briefly before swiping my card through the reader and answering, “She’s not working this week.”

It’s Bea who elaborates as she puts some of the muffins into a bag. “Raine is recovering from a minor procedure. She’ll be back next week if you want to pop in then. I think I put her on the schedule starting Tuesday.”

Procedure? “Like, surgery?”

Bea hums. “Thought you would have known. Heard you two have been…cozy.”

My eyes narrow at the suspicious choice of words, especially given the last time I saw Raine. “Do I want to know what you mean?”

A grin curves the older woman’s lips as she sets the bag of goods on the counter in front of me. “All I’m saying is that Steve sees all. Artie hired him to help with some construction over at a building he purchased on Grove Street, and apparently there is quite the view from the side window when certain couples park on the street where they think nobody can see them.”

Jesus Christ.First the hardware store camera, now this.

Bea chuckles at my reddening face. “I may not be one to talk, because I certainly had my fun in my younger years, but if you two want privacy, you might want to choose a better place. One where someone as loud-mouthed as Steve can’t spy on you. Artie and his entire team knew minutes after he saw you, and you know how fast gossip spreads around here.”

Elena turns to her grandma. “That’s not fair! I don’t even know what happened. Somebody needs to fill me in.”

Bea pats Elena’s shoulder. “When you’re older, dear.”

Elena sticks her bottom lip out and passes me my card.

Clearing my throat, I put it away and tuck my wallet in my back pocket. “Thanks. For, uh, the advice. Do you know if Raine is at her place?”

Bea’s hands go to her hips. “Where else would she be, boy? Yours?”

I can’t help but snort at her sass. “Fair point. You got me there.”

Bea holds up her hand and grabs the bag again before depositing a few more pastries inside it. Molasses cookies, I’m sure. “If you’re going to see her, the least you can do is give those to her. Tell her I hope she feels better.”

Elena smirks at her grandmother’s scheming. “Tell Raine I miss her. Okay?”

Sighing, I nod. “You got it.”

No point in denying who I’m going to see at this point, especially if people have seen us in compromising positions.

Bea stops me before I walk out. “Do yourselves a favor and get over whatever is stopping you from being together. Don’t you think you owe it to one another to be happy after seeing how miserable you are without each other after all this time?”

I wish it were as easy as that.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmur, refusing to promise her anything else.

Life is already full of disappointment.

I don’t want to add to it.

*

Knocking on thefront door of the white house feels just as nerve-racking as it did when I was a teenager. As I wait for somebody to answer, I look around and see the patchy lawn that doesn’t seem like anybody took care of before the first frost hit.

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