Page 19 of The Drummer

“Exactly what I’m thinking. Don’t you see how messed up that whole situation is?”

“What are you talking about? We have breakfast together, so what?”

“That’s all it is. Really,” I say dryly. “Just two people grabbing some calories to start the day.”

His glare is a welcomed reprieve from the apathy.

“Yes, Casey. That’s all it is. What’s your problem?”

“Myproblem?Myproblemis you. My problem isthis!” I wave around the room. “I don’t have to know a damn thing about that girl to know she deserves better. She cares about you. I have no idea why, but she does. And you shrug her off like she’s a coat rack at the café. You want to blow me off and treat me like I don’t exist, fine. I’m fucking used to that. But not her. If you can’t be a decent human being to that woman, you need to leave her the hell alone. You sure as fuck don’t let her fall for you.”

He averts his gaze, and I soften when he does.

“I do,” he says quietly.

“You do what?”

“Care about her. I mean…” He hesitates, and my heart pounds. “The last thing I want is to hurt her.”

My thoughts return to images of her adoring expression when she looked at him. How it stung way more than it should have. She’s a stranger. I’ll probably never see her again. Buthewill, and that’s the problem.

“Thentreather like you care. Make suresheknows how important she is to you. Don’t leave her alone in some random diner every day, waiting like her world should revolve around you. Let her into your life or don’t. Make up your damn mind.”

I don’t wait for a rebuttal, but stalk away, slamming his door behind me.

I’ma half block from the diner with my carryon backpack when I realize I’ve walked back to the scene of the breakfast drama. I don’t even know why I came. It’s not like Callie will be here. Even if our paths did cross for some reason, the more I reflect on our encounter, the clearer it becomes I misread everything.

If what Luke said is true, she must care about him beyond a casual breakfast acquaintance. No one is nice enough to sit around waiting for a chance to be nice.

That can only mean one thing: she’s in love with him.

I don’t know why that makes me so angry. I’m trying to tell myself it’s because she deserves better. Maybe she does, but technically, that’s not my problem. Luke’s made it clear that nothing in his life is my problem anymore.

“Hey! Excuse me!”

I flinch at the tug on my arm and turn to find an employeewearing a Jemma’s shirt. Her eyes are filled with stars as she gazes up at me.

“You’re Casey Barrett, right? Luke’s drummer?”

Luke’s drummer.

I wince from the sting.

That’s me. The Drummer.

“I guess so. How can I help you?”

She grins and holds out what looks like a stack of branded sticky notes.

And a pen.

“I’m Ailee. I saw you this morning but didn’t want to interrupt. I was hoping you’d come back. Would you mind?”

“Sure,” I mumble.

I scribble my name on the top sheet and hand the packet and pen back to her.

“Thank you!”

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