Page 13 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Lexie

Magnolia lured me out of bed with promises of plans and bacon.

I would have done a lot for some crispy bacon—a lot.

I sat, sipping my coffee, trying my best to sort through everything I was feeling.

With each sip, I constructed the mask I would present to the world.

A mask presented the illusion that I was fine, that I would be okay.

And I would be, eventually. But that didn’t mean I was then.

Not even close. A knock at the back door had Magnolia hollering for whoever it was to come in.

For a second, I couldn’t catch my breath, wondering who was on the other side.

But my skin didn’t feel tight, and I didn’t feel that electrical buzz I felt every time Jace was around—like my subconscious was aware of him if I didn’t see him yet.

I felt my shoulders relax a bit, somehow knowing it wasn’t him who was about to make an entrance.

Fast footsteps ran toward me, followed by a toddler’s laugh and impending chaos that shot a jolt of life back into my heart. My mouth curved up into a half smile that definitely didn’t match my red-rimmed eyes. I couldn’t conceal it even if I wanted to at the sound of Raya’s laughter.

“Princess Lexie!” she squealed, and I jumped off the bar stool just in time to catch her in my arms. “Hey, kiddo, did you have coc—sugar, sugar, for breakfast?” I shot Remi a sheepish grin at my almost mistake, and she waved me off from where she stood looking at us, rolling her eyes.

“Of course not. Momma said we were coming here for breakfast and bacon. I’d do anything for bacon.”

“A girl after my own heart.” I brushed some hair out of her eyes, and she got a little bit puffy-chested. My heart melted even more into a puddle. “How did you know I would need help eating all of this bacon?” I teased her.

“Momma said I get to hang out here today while she works instead of Grandma’s since she has a doctor’s appointment,” she said, reaching for the plate of food Magnolia had placed in front of her.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said quietly to me.

“No, I could use the company today. Maybe, after breakfast, we can go to the park. How does that sound?”

I was met with Raya’s squeals of excitement, and once again found myself smiling despite the heavy weight that seemed to have settled inside my chest.

“Okay, well, I better take off. It’s my day to work at the vet clinic.

I’ll shoot you a message when I’m on my way to pick her up.

” She nodded at Magnolia, and I stopped her before she could make her way out the door, grabbing a pad of paper from the junk drawer.

Using a pen, I scribbled my number down quickly.

“Here, take mine also. Magnolia tends to forget she has a cellphone.” I shot my friend a pointed look, and she at least had the decency to look guilty.

“Great, thanks. Raya, be good, you hear?”

“You got it,” she said, shoveling a handful of bacon into her mouth.

Remi made her way out, and Magnolia looked at me over the counter. “Sorry, I told her last week that I would, and that was before…” She trailed off, not wanting to bring him up in the easiness of the morning.

“Really, babes, it’s fine. A bit of outside sunshine over lunch will do us some good, but until then…

I think we need to build a fort in the living room to protect ourselves from the dragons.

” I attempted to roar out the word dragons , but I only ended up choking on my own spit, causing the entire room to erupt into laughter.

I was thankful I could sit there and fake my way through the pain I was feeling.

That it could go undetected by those around me. It was what would save me, in the end.

Raya squealed as she took off toward the living room. Even though I kept my eyes on her, I could feel Magnolia watching. “I’m still trying to wrap my brain around you with kids, Lex. You’re a natural.” she questioned me.

I shrugged. “She makes it easy.” I didn’t need to tell her that I loved kids, loved them so much, but I’d made up my mind a long time ago that kids probably weren’t in my future. Not after what my dad did to my mom and I. How could I? Heck, I hadn’t even thought about marriage until…

“Tonight, we can make a plan. Maybe we can take a vacation…a few weeks…” I heard her start talking to herself, planning, and I had to hold in my flinch.

I had a feeling, by her words, that Magnolia thought I’d be leaving temporarily.

But I was thinking something a bit more long-term…

more work-related. And off the grid, if possible.

“Lexie!!!!” Raya’s half scream from the other room kicked me into gear. I followed the laughter that did its best to warm up the hollow feeling that was doing everything it could to consume me.