Page 23 of It Should Have Been Me

“Yep.” I stop in front of her house and give her a stiff nod. “So, are you coming with me to the beach tomorrow?”

“No. Just stay the hell away from me.”

“Fine. What time should I pick you up?”

My persistence gets the tiniest glimmer of a smile, and she softens. “Ten.”

“Alright.” I grin. “See you tomorrow, Savage.”

“Such a douche,” she scoffs as she hops out of the car.

After she slams the door shut, I throw my head back against the seat and groan. This is such a bad idea. What the hell am I doing to myself?

6. Catalina

“Cat? Pancakes?” Keithcalls from downstairs.

I groan, struggling to open my eyes. Keith is the only one still at home. Isa leaves for work at four in the morning because her breakfast show starts at six and my mom usually starts her shift at the hospital at six as well. Keith is a partner at a prestigious law firm and basically comes and goes as he pleases, so it’s just the two of us in the house this morning.

“Yes, please!” I yell back.

I grab my phone to exit the app I was using to listen to Isabella’s radio show. I was so engrossed that I only realize then that I’m still comfortably nestled up in bed. I’m supposed to be dressed already, but I was enjoying the show so much, I got completely sidetracked. I haven’t laughed so much in ages and I kinda just want to laze in bed and recover from that. But the promise of Keith’s pancakes is enough motivation to get my ass in gear.

I get out of bed and stumble into the bathroom to brush my teeth. By the time I walk downstairs, my pancakes are already waiting on the island with a cup of coffee. Keith has Chaka Khan booming through the speakers as he dances around the kitchen.

I smile to myself. Although it’s a different genre of music, my dad used to do the same thing. I never knew where he got the energy to be so chirpy in the morning, and I think the same thing about Keith.

“You remind me so much of my dad sometimes,” I say as I watch him slide across the kitchen floor. “There are moments when I think you and him must have been best friends and parts of him rubbed off on you.”

Keith gives me an odd smile as he takes his plate and cup to the dining room. “Well, maybe your mother is attracted to very specific qualities.”

I follow him in with my breakfast and sit down beside him. “You have a lot in common with him. I wonder whether the two of you would’ve gotten along if you had met him.”

“I know for a fact that your dad and I would never have gotten along,” he replies between bites.

I giggle. “How can you be so sure?”

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