I picked up my phone and pressed Low’s speed dial number.
“Cage?”
“Yeah, you good?”
Larissa squealed in the background and started clapping while calling my name.
“Someone wants to talk to you, hold on.”
Smiling, I waited for Larissa’s little voice. I hadn’t seen her since I came out here. Larissa was Low’s niece. Until Larissa’s father decided to become part of her life I’d helped Low take care of Larissa while Larissa’s mother did other things. At times it was like Larissa was Low’s child. Things changed though once Low’s fiancé, Marcus Hardy, walked into her life. Now, Larissa only came to visit Low when Low asked for her.
“Hey Cage,” Larissa said into the phone.
“Hey baby girl. You having fun with Low?”
“Yes! Martus here too,” she yelled into the phone. She hadn’t figured out yet that she could just speak normally into the phone.
“Then I bet you’re getting all kinds of attention. How are all your princesses doing?”
“Got a new one! Martus buyed me Media. Her has Low Low’s hair.”
I had no idea what that meant but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
“You’ll have to show me next time I see you.”
Low started talking and Larissa told me, “Bye”
“Did you get that thing about the princess’s new hair?” Low asked with an amused voice.
“Nope.”
“Didn’t think you would. Disney has a new princess. Her name is Merida and her hair is long, red, and curly. It is much messier than mine but Marcus is having entirely too much fun with it. He’s bought Larissa several Merida things and calls her Princess Low instead.”
The happiness in her voice made everything that was wrong feel right. She’d been handed one shithole life. Now things had changed and Low had finally found herself a break.
“I can’t wait to see this new redheaded princess.”
“Hmmm, but that isn’t why you called. What’s up?”
“I need,” I turned around to see Eva standing in the doorway with an odd expression. “Uh, let me call you back.” I ended the call and walked over to take Eva’s hand and pull her inside so I could close the door behind her.
“Hey, you’re back.”
She stared up at me with a softness I wasn’t expecting. “Did I just hear you talk to a little girl about her princesses?”
How long had she been standing there?
“Yeah, it was Low’s niece, Larissa.”
“And you talk to her on the phone about her dolls? I really don’t know you at all, Cage York.”
I reached out and wrapped one of her long curls around my finger. I just needed to touch her somehow. “You’re back,” I repeated.
She tried to smile and failed. I could see the small wobble in her bottom lip.
“What’s wrong?” I asked already knowing this was about Jeremy.
A small tear escaped and I quickly swiped it away with my finger. “Jeremy is moving. He needs to. I want him to. I mean he needs to live his life.” She swallowed hard then closed her eyes tightly. “I knew he was moving before he told me. Seeing his apartment and his new life just was a lot to take in. I’m happy for him but I’m going to miss him. I’ll be lost without him.”