Page 20 of Fire Island (Fire Island #2)

Nineteen

EVIE

I sit across the table from the woman who destroyed Cal’s life. And she has the audacity to smile some fake-as-hell smile at me while we wait for Iris to bring the coffee. Em and Cal are out the back seeing to Iris’s hot water system, which she says has been playing up.

In truth, I think he’s procrastinating. Ava didn’t come back from the dead for no reason. To think she has the balls to waltz right into Iris’s café, thinking whatever she wants from the McCrearys wouldn’t do damage.

“You don’t look like Cal’s type,” Ava says with a sniff as she tilts her head up, looking down her nose at me.

I purse my lips together, grinding my molars down tight as a beat passes. “With all due respect, I don’t think you can comment on that.”

A huffy breath escapes her lips as she moves her attention to outside the window somewhere.

Her rigid posture barely moves as Iris sets coffees down in front of us before returning to gather the rest. Em appears by her side a moment later. He leans down close, whispering into her ear.

Is Cal okay? Are we leaving, like we should have the second we stepped into this ambush?

As Cal walks through the door to the diner from Iris’s living quarters, I see he’s resolute. He wants answers. That’s entirely understandable.

Hell, he deserves more than that if you ask me.

I give him my best smile, and he winks at me, running a grease rag through his hands before tossing it into the trash and moving to the sink to wash up.

My heart rattles in my chest.

He’s braver than me.

My nerves are set to detonate at any second. The long list of things Ava could say or want flips over in my mind like one of those cartoon flip-books from the nineties my dad collected.

I realize, for the first time since Ava appeared, Cal may still have feelings for this woman. They have history. They spent some of their best days together.

Wild and free.

Completely opposite to anything I’ve ever been.

I swallow past the emotion closing my throat. Hands firm around my mug, I take a tentative sip. It tastes bitter. I can’t help the surge of crimson flushing my neck as Ava studies me from across the table.

I’ve never felt so small at such an inappropriate time in all my life.

She should be the one with her tail between her legs after the stunt she’s pulled. But apparently, she’s fine with the way things are playing out.

“Have you known Iris and Callum long?” She sips her coffee, wincing like it’s warm vinegar before she sets it back on the table.

“About a year,” I hear myself reply. The words are meek. Like an apology I’m too chickenshit to say out loud.

I’ve never felt like such a flake as I do now.

I clear my throat, rummaging for something more solid to say, but Iris drops into her seat with a tray of three coffees. Em sits on her right, leaving the last chair for Cal. Between Ava and me.

Awesome.

Em shoots me an encouraging smile, but I can’t reciprocate.

I’m lost in the woe-is-me vicious hamster wheel of my own head.

It’s all I can do to glance at Cal when he drops onto his seat.

His hand squeezes my leg under the table before his gaze moves to Ava.

His hand slips away, and he picks up his coffee and takes a long sip.

Oh god.

“Well,” he finally says, “what the actual hell?” His voice is rough, clipped.

Ava forces a smile, dropping her gaze to her mug, and Iris leans forward, her face hardening. Em leans back, his arm draped over the back of Iris’s chair as his stare sets on Ava.

It seems like we all wait for an age before she sighs and clears her throat. “I heard about the accident. And I—” She glances up to Cal. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. My husband, Craig, suggested I come and see if you were okay. He doesn’t know I was supposed to be...”

“So that’s it, you just heard I almost drowned and thought that would be a good reason to flip my fucking world upside down?” Cal’s jaw grinds shut as he waits for her response.

She opens her mouth to say something but snaps it shut.

Iris frowns. “Bullshit, Ava, you had twenty years to undo what you did. And you didn’t. You let Cal think you died. Your baby died.”

Cal’s breathing kicks up as his grip around the mug whitens.

“I guess that’s true.” She swallows and glances at me, like the next words will do me the most damage. Not Cal. “And I should have come back, Cal.”

“Callum,” Cal snaps.

Her gaze falls along with her face. Nice try, Ava, but you and your wrecking ball are not welcome.

“I should have come back. I realize that now. But we were so young. My parents moved us clear across the country. I had no money, no means to get us back. That’s what they were counting on.”

“Us? As in your parents and you, or...”

Ava sits up a little straighter now. “You have a son. Reese.”

All expression disappears from Cal’s face.

I watch as he moves from shock to anger to pure devastation.

“Where is he?” he growls.

“He’s at home. With his father.” Ava sets her shoulders back.

Cal rises from the chair so quickly it topples over. He’s out the front door before any of us can get a word out.

How could Ava do this?

How could she say that?

“You mean to tell me my brother has a son, and all this time some other man has raised him. Taken care of him... Loved him ?” Iris hisses.

“He was the better man, Iris. Yes, it is unfortunate Callum hasn’t met his son and he’s missed those formative years. But this is what was best for me and for Reese.”

I glance at Emmett, whose face is utter shock. His hand supports his forehead as he glares at the woman across the table.

Iris stands. “Have you any idea what you’ve done?”

Ava goes to say something, but Iris cuts her off. “You didn’t just break him once, you had to come back for a second go. Get the hell out of my café.”

I stand as if in agreement. And when Ava doesn’t budge, Em pushes his chair back and closes in on her.

It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Emmett angry.

He hauls her to her feet by an arm, and she slaps him away before stepping back and smoothing over her pristine clothing.

With a flick of her long hair, she raises her chin.

“I should have known better than to try and do something nice for ignorant riffraff.”

My jaw drops.

Iris flies at her, Emmett catching her in time before she tears the bitch to pieces. As they seethe and stare at each other like two feral cats around the last dead pigeon by the furthest dumpster, I excuse myself, heading outside to find Cal.

The door closes behind me, and I wander toward the marina. The man is a creature of habit, so I’m betting he’s sitting on Firefly. Reeling.

The thought sends panic through me, and I pick up the pace. By the time I reach our slip, I’m at a sprint. Sure enough, I find him sitting on the bench in the cabin, his head hanging, his elbows on his knees. I round the bench and lift his head with my hands on either side of his jaw.

A storm brews in the brilliant blue eyes I adore so much.

“Hey,” I whisper.

He pulls me into his arms and drops his head to my belly. I run my hands through his hair, not knowing what to say.

What could I possibly say?

He groans into my stomach. His grip falls to my hips and tightens.

I drop into his lap and tilt his face up, forcing his gaze to meet mine.

“Listen to me, Callum McCreary. You have done nothing wrong. None of this is your fault. Other people made decisions for you, and they took away your choices and they took away your son. You did not deserve any of this. Promise me you know this.”

His jaw feathers on a groan.

His face twists as silver lines his eyes.

Then, on a ragged sob, it breaks, and I fold him into my chest. The only place I have to keep him safe.

To try to soothe the hurt and pain tearing at him right now.

I know how much he blamed himself for Ava’s death and how badly he wanted to be a father to the child he thought he lost.

This has to be destroying him.

And she stole it all.

Just to, what? Come back and rub it in his face?

Good lord, I want to?—

“Evie?” Em says from the dock. “You guys in there?”

Cal sucks in a breath as he wipes his face dry.

“Yeah, Em. Be out in a minute,” I call back.

“Iris needs you back at the café, only for a minute.”

Urgh.

What more can this sweet man take?

“Be there in a bit,” Cal calls out, standing as he slides his hands behind my neck. I look up into his sorrowful blues. “Come with me?”

“Of course.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. We take our time wandering back to the café. When we push through the front door, Ava stands with her bag by the counter. The same place she was when Cal first saw her days ago.

She adjusts her bag on her shoulder as she clears her throat. “I wanted to apologize and say goodbye.”

Cal folds his arms. The deadpan stare he gives her is beyond cold. “Go on, then.”

“I—you should know... I never meant to cause you any inconvenience.”

“Inconvenience?” He steps toward her, releasing his arms to his sides. “I thought you were dead , Ava. For twenty fucking years. I mourned you. I mourned our son. This entire town turned on me. You destroyed my damn life.”

“Yes, well, I?—”

“You should probably wrap it up.” Emmett gives her a pointed look.

“I’m sorry I lied to you. I regret a lot of things that happened between us.”

Cal shakes his head. “Does he know?”

“Pardon?” Ava frowns.

“Does Reese know anything about me?”

She holds Cal’s fiery stare. “He does.”

“Does he know where to find Cal?” I hear myself ask.

“I told him his biological father lives in Fire Island.”

Biological father.

The balls on this bitch.

“Yeah, I think that’s about all we can take for now.” Em moves closer to Iris, who looks set to rip Ava’s head from her shoulders.

I would pay good money to see that.

“Here is my card, if you have any questions. All I ask is that you let Reese come to you, if and when he decides to.”

Without waiting for a response, she glides out the door. The bells jingle as the door closes behind her.

The four of us stand, stunned, our stares penetrating the white wooden door, shock sinking her filthy talons deep in each one of us.