Chapter Twenty-five
Severine was only gone for five days. It felt like five weeks.
The hurt was still raw, but what made her mad more than anything was the fact that her dad’s visit overshadowed the true reason for her visit.
She tried to focus on homework. The open laptop beckoned her to finish her report. She couldn’t focus on anything because she kept replaying the dinner spent with her mom and dad. They talked like everything was okay—like they were the closest of friends. When he left that night, true to form, her mom was more of a basket case than before he arrived. The silence inside her dorm room was killing her. Severine grabbed her phone and quickly texted Lily.
Meet me at the coffee shop. Overwhelmed.
Lily’s reply was instant. K chica. See you soon.
Severine could call Macsen and meet him. There was a chance that he wouldn’t answer. There was an even higher percentage that he would be distant if he did meet up with her. He was treading lightly around her, acting afraid to say anything wrong.
Severine just wanted things to be normal between them. Everything else in her life was already turned upside down. She didn’t need for him to change. Right now, she needed him the most. She needed his shoulder to lean on and for someone to open up to.
In a rush, Severine grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and hurriedly put it over her tan sweater. She didn’t give her car time to warm up, rather, she pulled out the minute it started and sped to the coffee shop.
There was so much on her mind. Lily was the only one she could trust with her feelings. She wasn’t a journal type of girl. Most times, she harbored everything. Right now, she had to have her friend.
She saw Lily already sitting at a couch facing the windows. Her coffee sat on the coffee table and next to it stood a frappe. Severine hurried inside and sat down next to her. This was the exact same spot she had discovered the Sloan brothers; the same spot Thayer had challenged her with one glare, and Macsen had snatched her curiosity. It seemed like a fitting place to be.
“Please tell me that drink is for me.”
Lily glanced up at her magazine and pointed. “Spiced chai frappe, with extra whipped cream. It seems like an extra whipped cream kind of night.”
“Are you psychic? This is exactly what I needed.”
“What’s up? Why did ya wanna meet so late?” Lily still flipped through the magazine. She was giving Severine time to say what was really bothering her.
Her hands held the plastic cup tightly. Straight to the bone, her fingers felt numb—just like her feelings. “I saw my dad while at my mom’s.”
Beside her, the pages stopped turning. “Are you serious?” Lily asked quietly, for their ears only.
Severine clenched her eyes tightly and turned her body towards Lily. “He came with Rennick and only stayed for a few hours. But it just ticked me off.”
“Maybe he wants to reconnect.”
Severine shrugged. “He’s had nineteen and a half years to do that.”
“So do you think he has an angle?”
Severine snorted and leaned back against the decorative pillow. “I have no freakin’ clue. It’s just weird.” Lily nodded her head, but she was already flipping through her magazine. “Rennick was with him though.”
Lily’s eyebrows rose high in shock. “Really? Now that’s interesting.”
“I know, I haven’t seen him in so long.”
“So how’s that piece of hot man meat doing?”
“Blech, Lily, stop.”
“He is...” Lily stared off. Severine cringed, knowing Lily was thinking about him. “God...what I’d give for one night with that dude.”
“You’re with Ben,” Severine mentioned.
Lily wiped the goofy smile off her face and was back in the real world. “I know that. I’m just saying, if I had a chance at that...”
If Severine mentioned anything about him asking about her, their conversation would quickly turn into an episode of 90210. Lily had a teenage crush on him that Severine had assumed she was over. Clearly, they were harder to forget than she thought.
“If we’re done with girl talk of the century, I need to pick out a book real quick and finish up some homework.”
Severine gave Lily an amused smile. “If? You were the one gushing over Rennick like a middle schooler.”
The two of them stood. “I’ll always go all middle schooler on that dude. He is-”
Lily paused mid-grab for her magazine. She stared at the window in horror.
“Lily, come on. You’re in the wa-”
Lily snatched Severine tightly by the wrist, dragged her to the back of the couch and yanked her toward the ground. She crouched there with flushed cheeks and eyes as wide as saucers.
“What the hell are we doing?” Severine hissed out.
Lily ignored her and peeked over the couch. She lowered her head back and banged her head against the back of the couch.
Around them, a few customers gaped at them like they were idiots. Severine turned her face away from them, toward the couch. This was bordering on psychotic.
“I think you need to call Macsen and ask him where he is.”
Severine had seen that look. She had given that look to so many girls throughout the years. It was a look of pity when they’d been steamrolled by a guy. Her heart slowed. She wanted to look over the couch to see what Lily was talking about, but there was no need, she already knew.
Mutely, Severine nodded and found his name immediately. When she called his phone, he answered after the fourth ring.
“Hey, Sev.”
“Hey...” she paused and glanced over at Lily’s frantic face, before continuing. “I think I’m gonna come over and hang out. I really want to see you.”
She strained to hear anything as he breathed across the phone. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Lily peeked her head over the couch once more and quickly moved back down. “Still there,” Lily mouthed.
Severine closed her eyes tight. Please don’t lie to me. Please don’t lie to me...
Her stomach was already dropping before he spoke, “Really? Okay, that’s fine. I’m not home yet though.”
“I’m just going to stop by Java. Do you want me to get you anything?” she gritted out through her teeth.
He paused on the phone. It felt like minutes. Severine glanced back at her spy, and found her looking over the edge of the couch. Lily reported back instantly and pointed her index finger at Severine, whispering. “Looking around for you!”
“You don’t have to,” Macsen said back. “But that’s really sweet of you.”
Severine mouthed to Lily, “Girl?”
Lily’s gaze was painful. But she nodded her head up and down. She confirmed it all.
Anger made her voice sure. It fueled her to speak. “You know what? Let’s forget coffee. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
She hung up before he could respond, stood to her full height, and walked with determination to the clear glass door.
Lily trailed behind her. “Severine, you need to wait.”
If he turned, he’d be able to see Severine looking at him. If he turned, he might be able to prepare himself for the shit Severine was about to unload on him. But that would give him a heads up. It was something he had never given her. Severine wasn’t going to extend him any favors.
He bent his head down to whisper in the girl’s ear. Severine could hear the laughter clearly. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“Shit,” Lily muttered. “I could be wrong. That could be his niece or cousin visiting for the holidays! Maybe his family is super close.”
Severine gave Lily a look and rammed her back into the door and walked outside, toward Macsen.