Page 25 of Free to Breathe
Phil laughs. “So just announce it. Now, gimme.”
I hold out a hand to ward him off. “Phil, can it be just the six of us? No husbands? No significant others? No kids? No friends?” No Colby, I add silently.
The magnitude of what I’m asking for is so extraordinary, it causes both Phil and Em to drop their jaws.
Phil nods, just before he pulls the bowl of liquid icing from my arms and places it on the counter with a clatter. Some of it sloshes over the sides, and I frown. “Corinna, if you need to tell us something, just us, we’ll handle everyone else. Now, take that disgustingly dirty coat off and come give me a hug.”
Unbuttoning my chef’s coat, I let it drop to the messy floor behind me before I move into Phil’s arms. He clasps me so tightly, pulling my head against his neck.
I’m wondering how I’m going to hide the tears in my eyes and the bruise where my IV was when I pull away. I’ll worry more about that in a few minutes when I can let my brother go.
Right now, I cling to him like he’s the only thing in the world that’s real.
13
Colby
In our Manhattan office, Caleb and Keene are still laughing about a call to Cassidy I was privy to. Cassidy is contemplating retribution on behalf of Corinna against Phil. Due to his failure to run another scheduling decision by her, Corinna was going to be at Amaryllis Events for most of the night with the addition of a last-minute cake.
This is enormously funny because Cassidy, who would barely speak a word out of turn when I first met her, has advanced to threats about straddling Phil with scissors in hand and cutting off all his hair in chunks. Despite my worry for Corinna and what I saw at Greenwich Hospital, even I’m amused at the thought of Cassidy tackling Phil with a high-pitched “Hi-ya!” before becoming a demented stylist.
“Sucks for Cori. And it’s not like anyone can pitch in for her.” Keene shakes his head.
Caleb chuckles. “If you send Phil down, maybe she’ll whip up a special batch of her whipped cream just for him. I hope she’ll choose another color than red though. That looked so good on you.”
“Fuck you, Caleb. That shit was next to impossible to get out,” Keene grumbles.
“Corinna threw food coloring at you?” I’m actually impressed. “I thought the only person she did that to was Ali.”
Keene corrects me. “It wasn’t pure food coloring. It was dark red, strawberry-flavored whipped cream. She didn’t want to hurt me, so she diluted it.”
I chuckle. “Still sounds like what she did to Ali.” I sober suddenly. The only reason Corinna pulled that stunt on Ali was because Corinna thought Ali had eaten part of my birthday cake before my actual birthday in college. Something I’d actually done when I’d found it beneath a box after Corinna had fallen asleep. It was either that or wake up the beautiful woman sleeping in my arms and kiss her like I’d been dying to for the two years we’d been friends.
I’ve been thinking hard about Corinna since yesterday. How could I not when I know what I know? I’ve been contemplating talking about it with Caleb and Keene. I know without a doubt Corinna would never trust me ever again if I told her family without speaking with her first. Now the trick is going to be getting a few moments alone with the woman whose eyes haunt me even if she treats me like a stranger.
“Hunt, are you even listening?” Keene barks.
“If I had to hazard a guess, I’d wager he was still thinking about dessert.” Caleb’s wicked sense of humor makes an appearance.
Keene shakes his head. “Colby has zero chance getting Corinna to talk with him about more than the weather.”
I bristle. “What makes you say that?”
Keene waves a hand in the air. “Please. I watch everyone at those nightmares we call family dinners. Corinna strategically places herself so she doesn’t have to sit next to, across from, or within speaking range of you since you started showing up. She even sacrifices herself on the altar of Phil. I swear, I owe her a personal debt of gratitude for that one.”
Caleb laughs.
“We were friends,” I begin slowly.
“Right.Wereis the operative word in that statement. You must have done something you never fixed. Trust me. I’ve been on the receiving end of her fury,” Keene concludes.
“Keene isn’t wrong, Colby.” Caleb stops laughing to say somberly, “Corinna is the happy-go-lucky one of that clan. If she’s mad—or, well, in Keene’s case, infuriated…” Keene tips his head in acknowledgment of Caleb’s words. I vaguely wonder what he did for a split second before Caleb continues. “Then your best course of action is not to let it fester. She’s generally an open book.” He hesitates. “I know something is hurting her deeply though. That new tattoo of hers? Keene, you saw it?”
“Oh yeah. It took me a few to translate. I hated taking Latin in school. I finally gave up and asked Alison.Never forget who you are.” Keene looks thoughtful. “I wonder if something from her past is coming up. Maybe I should give Charlie a call and see if there have been any flags.”
“Might not be a bad idea,” Caleb agrees.
“Why Charlie?” I ask.
