31. The Break-up

On the ride to the diner, Kyle filled the air with stories from their past, his voice animated and nostalgic. He recounted the time he flew her to New York in his family's private jet just to get bagels, calling it a grand romantic gesture. Cara, however, found little romance in the memory, especially considering he was the same man who slept with his personal assistant just a day after his girlfriend's death. What a shining example of chivalry, she thought dryly.

Still, she managed polite smiles and soft nods, feigning amusement at his jokes, though none of them truly landed. She kept her responses minimal, letting him ramble on while her thoughts wandered elsewhere.

When they arrived at the diner, Cara unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to him. "Thank you, Kyle, for the ride," she said, reaching for the door handle. But before she could step out, Kyle's voice stopped her.

"I'd love to pick you up this evening," he said, his blue eyes bright with hope. "Maybe take you to some of our favorite spots. What do you say?"

Cara froze momentarily. *Oh, great. Now I have to crush this Casanova's heart.*

[Better to rip the bandage off now than let it fester,] Hagrit advised, her tone as blunt as ever.

'You're right,' she thought.

Cara turned back to Kyle, her expression calm but resolute. "Kyle, you seem like a good guy, but I don't feel any connection to you right now. I think it's best for me to be alone until I remember everything."

Kyle's hopeful expression faltered, his brow furrowing. "Wait, are you breaking up with me?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

Meeting his gaze, Cara didn't flinch. "Yes, I think it's what's best right now," she said firmly.

"What's best for who? Because it's not best for me," Kyle replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "This doesn't feel right."

"This is how it has to be for now," Cara said, her voice steady. "I hope you can understand and give me the space I need."

Kyle exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging. "I don't like this, but I'll try to understand. Just know this doesn't mean I'm giving up on you. I'll always be around."

Cara could sense the sincerity in his words, but reading his mind revealed the deeper truth. His sadness wasn't just about losing her; it was also rooted in the harsh realization that he might never get to devour her gorgeous body again.

She offered him a faint smile. "Okay, see you around," she said, leaving the car before he could say more.

As Cara approached the diner's entrance, the sound of Kyle's car pulling away echoed behind her. She didn't turn back, keeping her focus ahead. She pushed the door open, stepping into a bustling diner filled with the clatter of dishes and the hum of breakfast orders being shouted back and forth. A quick glance at her watch told her it was ten past eight.

Moving quickly, Cara weaved through the crowd toward the staff locker room, her thoughts racing about the impending breakfast rush. But before she could make it, she locked eyes with Jackie, who was assisting the overwhelmed staff. Jackie's hair was a frizzy mess, and her face was bare, devoid of makeup, but somehow, that only added to her effortless beauty.

For a moment, time seemed to slow. Cara couldn't look away.

'Damn. How is she doing this? Frizzy hair, no makeup, and she still looks like that?'

Her chest tightened as her thoughts wandered.

[She really is beautiful.]

'This isn't just a mission for me anymore, Hagrit. I want her. No, I have to have her.'

[She is all yours, I guess.]

Jackie broke the gaze, turning her attention back to the task at hand, snapping Cara back to reality. Cara shook off the momentary daze and pushed through to the locker room, where she found Farrah mid-change, slipping into her uniform.

"Wow, are you just arriving?" Cara asked, pulling her uniform from her locker.

"Yes," Farrah replied, sounding sheepish. "I overslept after chatting with your stepbrother."

Cara froze for a moment, her attention snapping to Farrah. "You were chatting with Travis? What did he want?"

Farrah grinned, clearly amused by Cara's reaction. "That man can get almost anything he wants from me—he's a total beefcake. Twenty minutes after you guys dropped me off at my dad's house, he texted me. We kept chatting, and then out of nowhere, he asked me to go to a party with him. At a ranch."

Cara clenched her jaw, her mind racing. A ranch? Ashley was right. That bastard couldn't have me, so he went after my friend instead.

"Did you go?" she asked, her voice calm, though she hastily tugged on her uniform as if channeling her irritation into the task.

"I wish I could," Farrah replied, shaking her head. "But I had to say no. My dad's strict about curfew—no one goes out after 10 p.m. unless it's an emergency."

Cara paused, frowning. "But you're an adult. Why's he that strict with you?"

Farrah sighed, adjusting her shirt. "He says it's for safety reasons. Claims ungodly creatures roam freely at night. And honestly, he's not wrong."

Cara raised an eyebrow. "Still, it's your life. Have you thought about finding your own place?"

"Of course, but rent in this town is outrageous. The housing crisis hit us hard. A one-bedroom apartment costs a thousand bucks a month. My salary here doesn't even come close to covering that, so I'm stuck with my dad for now," Farrah said, now styling her hair in the mirror.

Cara smirked. "I'm guessing studio apartments aren't your thing?"

Farrah rolled her eyes. "Girl, those are like unicorns—rare and gone before you can blink."

"Seriously? It's that bad?" Cara asked, starting to grasp the severity of the situation.

"You don't know the half of it," Farrah replied with a resigned sigh. "Homeowners are greedy as hell. They're the real problem."

Cara, now fully dressed, followed Farrah out of the locker room and into the chaos of the diner. Together, they worked quickly to serve the endless stream of patrons, the breakfast rush consuming the next hour of their lives. Slowly, the pace began to ease as the crowd thinned and the clamor subsided.

As Cara wiped down a counter, Farrah approached, a slightly nervous expression on her face. "Hey, Jackie wants to talk to you in her office. She says it's urgent."

Cara paused, surprised. "Do you have any idea why she's summoning me? Is she pissed about something?"

"I don't know," Farrah replied, looking uneasy. "But she seemed agitated."

Cara sighed, setting down her cloth. "Great. Just what I needed."