Loner by Harloe Rae Page 0,87

point to my expression. “It’s my brave face.”

She quirks a brow. “No one is believing that.”

“It’s working so far.” I shrug, flicking imaginary lint off my shirt.

“Well, not for me.”

“Me either, Mama.” Millie pops out of seemingly nowhere. Was she hiding in a rack?

I blow some stray hair off my forehead. “Awesome, you two. Thanks for ganging up on me.”

Josey offers a lopsided smile. “It’s okay to miss him, Keke. Breakups are tough.”

“There was nothing to break up. He wasn’t my boyfriend. We weren’t dating. And I’m fine with that.” I find myself once again very thankful that I don’t have a Pinocchio tell.

“What kind of friend do you take me for?”

“The best?” When all else fails, try flattery.

“Well, that’s obvious. And because of that, I’m well aware that you’re lying. Which is fine, but not necessary or appreciated.”

I drape an arm over her shoulder. “Okay, I’m sorry. You’re right. There’s a pretty good chance my spirit is crushed. But I’ll rebound.”

“Was that so hard?”

“Extremely.”

Millie has been quietly watching us, waiting for an opportunity to pipe in. “I miss Ford, Mama.”

I flinch at his name coming from her mouth. We’ve managed to dodge addressing him personally. That small avoidance felt like a victory in our column. My soul cries out at the reminder, but I shush that susceptible piece of me. I kneel to Millie’s level, placing a kiss on her nose. “Well, I love you. Did you know that, sweetie?”

She scrunches her brows. “Love you, Mama. But is Ford going to call soon?”

The throbbing in my chest cracks me wide open, spilling all of that sensitive gibberish onto the flood. I press a palm to my sternum, attempting to trap the sentimental goo from escaping. The loss is too great, and my knees wobble in this crouched position. Falling onto my ass would be icing on the damn humble pie. I try to suck in my lips when the corners tremble. How could that stupid jerk do this to her?

I gulp at the thorns stabbing in my throat, brushing a thumb over Millie’s slightly chubby cheek. “I don’t think we’re going to hear from him anymore, baby girl. We talked about that, remember?”

She frowns. “But Ford can’t be on timeout forever. He’ll come hang out with us again. I know he won’t stay away too long.”

Another quiver attacks my lower lip. I rub at the sting expanding across the bridge of my nose. My vision clouds, a smoky film obscuring the exit route from this mess. How do I tell this innocent child that the man she idolizes doesn’t plan to see her ever again?

Josey must notice that I’m two seconds away from crumbling. She claps her hands and ushers us toward the door. “How about we go to Springing Swirls for some ice cream?”

Millie’s slouching shoulders perk upright. “Yay! Can I get extra sprinkles, Mama?”

“Of course, sweetie. Double the cherries, too.” Whatever gets her mind off the man who I’m not going to name, even in my thoughts.

She cuddles into my side as we stroll along the sidewalk. “Can we take Elsa for a walk this afternoon?”

I comb my fingers through her silky hair. The sunshine makes her golden strands shimmer and glow. “Absolutely. We just have to steer clear of the woods. Auntie JoJo is scared of monsters.”

My friend snorts, gaining the attention of a few older ladies passing us. She waves at them as if her obnoxious noises are a typical occurrence. In her case, they most certainly are. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound farfetched. I mean, that Boogie Man is terrifying. If only some mighty knight could rescue us.”

Millie gasps. “Ford could save us!”

I roll my eyes toward my so-called bestie. “Thanks a lot, Josephine.”

She scoffs again. “Put a little sparkle on that drab tone. There’s nothing wrong with a little hero worship. You’re the one trying to avoid him on purpose.”

“For good reason,” I grumble.

A jingle announces our arrival when Josey guides us into the sweet shop. “A heaping helping of sugar will boost your mood.”

“Fingers crossed.” The idea of eating turns my stomach with a somersault. My appetite has taken a serious blow since that incident with the culprit. Yeah, that’s a good attitude to have. I roll the knot from my neck and stride toward the counter to order.

We settle into a booth along the far wall. Millie attacks her banana split with gusto. Josey is licking her twist cone with overt enthusiasm. Porn stars would be jealous of her tongue-curling technique. Damn,