Page 104 of Sugar Coated Secrets

“I don’t know.”

She points at my phone with the black screen. “Are you planning on charging that?”

“No.”

She sits on the edge while I lie on my side, staring mindlessly at the wall.

“Do you want me to pick you up something to eat?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“You have to eat,” she says quietly.

I shrug.

“The bakery needs you. I tried to make the cakes, but they suck. I mean, they taste okay, I guess, but it’s not the same.” I remain quiet, and she continues, “Ford called this morning. He said he wanted to talk to you and that you were not answering your phone. I hope it’s okay that I told him. He said he was coming. He had to get track time or whatever that means, but he’s coming.”

I sigh. “I don’t care.”

When you have no one left, you kind of stop caring.

“Trust me, I wanted to tell him where to stick it, but I figured you wanted to do the honors.”

“I don’t want to see him, Katie. If he comes, I won’t answer. I plan to change my number.”

“That bad?”

“It’s not like I have a big contact list,” I mutter.

Sad but true. I only had her number, Mary, Danny, Ford, and my grandmother. That list has gotten smaller. It’s only Katie and Mary.

When I leave Airy, it will be none. Katie and Mary will have moved on, leaving me with no one to call. No one to come home to. No one to listen.

I have to move on now that I’ve sorted my grandmother’s remains. It was pointless to hold a service. It wasn’t like many people visited her.

33

FORD

“Is everything set up?” I drop the car in third, the Lamborghini roaring down the street.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Trent says.

“Answer the question,” I grit.

“Yeah, it’s a party.”

“Good.”

“Do you think this is a good idea, Ford?”

I can’t think of anything better.

My phone beeps from an incoming call. I pull the phone away from my ear and see Derek’s name flashing on the screen.

“I have to call you back,” I tell Trent and press the green button.

“Oh, thank God,” Dereck says, relief pouring from his voice. “Ford, I know you hired me, and I’m pushing the limit right now, but…are you out of your goddamn mind? You have to be in Italy in four hours.”

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