at him, he’s flushed, his eyes scanning the empty tub behind me. I wonder if he’s thinking about those same memories.
“What should we name them?” I ask, just to focus on something else.
“I’ll leave that up to you.”
“You sure? You didn’t seem too crazy about the name Lemon when I first came up with it.”
He gazes lovingly at the box before darting his eyes back to me. “It’s grown on me.”
“Let’s wait awhile. It’s been an eventful day already.” I fixate back on the kittens.
He nods once. “Good plan.”
I swallow, willing the heat inside of me to dissipate. It doesn’t. In fact, the longer I stay in his presence, the hotter I feel. I need to say something before I combust. The messy aftermath of our argument is nowhere near resolved, but I need to tell him that I love him. He deserves to know.
I clear my throat. “We should talk. Don’t you think?”
“About what?” Callum’s frown throws me.
“About us,” I say. “About what happened at the festival.”
Disappointment flashes across his face. It makes my heart plummet to my feet.
When he purses his lips, I can tell he’s choosing his words very, very carefully before he breaks me.
“Can we take a time-out on all of that?” he asks.
Time-out. Just like the one we took on the airplane. He suggested that one too. Only this time, it’s not going to lead to flirty conversation and a newfound closeness between us. This time-out is going to hurt like hell.
“I think today should be about Lemon and her kittens,” he says. “I don’t want to taint the joy of it by bringing up ugly moments from the past.”
His explanation is a total shock—and completely sweet. One part of me is aww-ing that he wants to keep today pure for Lemon and her kittens. But the other part of me is devastated that he rejected my attempt to hash things out between us.
I stand up. “I should go.”
Callum moves from the doorway to let me out. I power walk to the front door, but just as my hand grips the knob, his voice stops me.
“Nikki, wait. I’m sorry, it’s just—”
When I turn around, he’s got that same pained expression on his face as the day we fell out at the Maui Food Festival. It’s the same pain I feel now at his rejection. I steel myself anyway.
“It’s fine.”
I spin around, shutting the door behind me without another word.
Chapter 21
It’s okay, anak.” Mom stirs a pot of soup on the stove top. “Give it some time.”
It’s barely seventy degrees—hardly soup weather. But the normal fall-like temperatures that compel people to cook hearty soups don’t find their way to this part of the island. So anytime it dips below eighty, she thinks it’s perfectly fine to whip up her specialty: a giant pot of chicken soup with bok choy, wild spinach, and whatever herbs and spices she has on hand.
She throws in a handful of pork rinds, and my mouth waters. The salty strips get all chewy in the broth, lending a yummy texture and flavor. Usually, she’s right. Her soup has never failed to turn my mood around. But I’m not sure if it will work this time.
“Mom, I appreciate your pep talk and the soup, but you don’t have to coddle me. I know how grim things look.”
She pours a few ladles full of soup into a large bowl and sets it on the counter by the kitchen bar. I dip my spoon in, blow on the steaming liquid, and take a sip. The salty, satisfying liquid coats my throat. I close my eyes and hum in delight. She’s right. My problems haven’t magically disappeared, but having this soup to enjoy is the comfort I need right now.
Spinning around from the stove, she frowns. “No negative attitude allowed. You think you could magically make things better in one day?”
She shakes her head, turning back to the pot of soup. Carrying her own bowl of soup, she takes the stool next to me. “He told you he loved you, and you rejected him. That cuts deep. It takes time to earn back trust after that. Be patient.”
We finish our soup in silence. I let her words soak in, wondering if she’s right.
I do a mindless scroll through my phone. Chic TV has tagged our food truck in another Instagram post, and I smile reading all the congratulations from commenters. Tweets and messages inquiring about my and Callum’s relationship are sprinkled throughout the mostly positive comments.