"You eat like a child. You’ve got ice cream all over your mouth," Bryce remarked, reaching over to wipe Lucia's mouth.
Lucia giggled. “Oops! It’s not my fault ice cream tastes so good.”
I stared at the road ahead, willing myself to feel nothing. But the tightness in my chest betrayed me. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take of this.
Just as I thought we were heading home, Bryce turned the car toward a small café.
“Lucia wanted to treat you,” he explained. “She feels bad about everything that happened.”
Lucia jumped out of the car, pulling me along. “Come on, Isla! Let’s get something sweet. My treat!”
I resisted the urge to pull away and bear with her, thinking it would only take a few minutes.
"These were all Bryce's favorite," Lucia mentioned as she ordered.
But I was shocked when a plate of chocolates and sweet pastries came to our table. Bryce had always refused to eat sweets around me, reasoning his low tolerance for chocolate. Now, Lucia was telling me Bryce loved it? The thought lingered bitterly in my mind. Suddenly, I found myself asking, “You’re a fan of chocolate now, Bryce?”
Lucia beamed. “He always eats chocolate with me! Isn’t that right, Bryce?”