Page 46 of Against All Odds

“Cake is always a good idea.”

“And brownies and cupcakes and lemon bars and cookies.”

“Okay, that might be a bit excessive,” I say with a laugh.

She shrugs. “I was going to make a pie, too, but I was out of sugar and I wasn’t going to show up at your house again.”

It’s probably a good thing, because then I’d have to explain about my mother. While I don’t hide her condition, it’s not something I talk about freely. There’s always a big explanation, and then pity, and honestly, I’m not ready to talk about it with Violet.

“I don’t think I have any in the house,” I confess.

We turn down her driveway, and she sighs heavily. “It’s for the best.”

Only it isn’t like she thinks it is. She sounds sad, and I fucking hate that she’s sad.

I pull up behind her car, putting my truck in park. “Are you going to be okay?”

She nods. “I think so.”

That doesn’t put me completely at ease, but it’s better than the girl I found at the end of the bar.

She looked heartbroken.

Right now, Violet just looks resigned.

“Do you need me to sing for you?” I joke. Lord knows I’m terrible, but I’m going for anything to make her smile again.

She laughs. “No, I’m good.”

I smile. “Good, I really fucking suck at it, but I’d try.”

“You know you really are a great guy.”

Only I’m not, just for her. I want to be a great guy, because I have always loved her.

“Tell Hazel that. Maybe she’ll go back to giving me free coffee,” I say with a grin, needing some levity so I don’t think about how much I still love Violet.

“I’d be happy to put in a good word. However, I make no promises. Hazel is a tough cookie.”

I reach my hand out, gently brushing her cheek with my thumb. “So are you, Vi.”

Her eyes glimmer in the moonlight, and there’s a vulnerability that makes my chest ache. It’s as though she doesn’t believe anything good about her.

Violet turns her head to look out the window. Her voice is quiet as she breaks the silence. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why didn’t I see this all coming? Why did I put blinders on?”

“Only you can answer that.”

She turns back to me. “I should’ve left years ago.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Violet twists her fingers as she sighs heavily. “It doesn’t matter, I stayed. I guess I deserve this in some ways for being so stupid. You must think this is karma at its finest.”

I jerk my head back. “I don’t think you deserve this.”

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