Chapter 27
Natalie
Tip #27: If you’re disappointed when you can finally end your fake engagement, perhaps you need to rethink your feelings.
T he rich scents of coffee and cocoa filled the air, and I heard the hissing whistle of a barista heating up milk. I took a sip of my chocolate strawberry latte and peeled off my vest, the comfy warmth of Literum heating me right up after my frosty walk from city hall to the quaint café/bookstore.
It was quiet in the back room, away from the hustle and bustle of customers perusing books and sipping on their own drinks. I couldn’t help but think back to the last time I sat here in the back room, proposing my fake dating idea to Samuel. So much had changed since then.
“Hey, Nat.” Owen smiled awkwardly as he slipped into the back room. He carried a ceramic cup and saucer, likely filled with a French vanilla cappuccino, his usual drink of choice.
“Hey, Owen.”
Owen set his cup and saucer down on the coffee table before shrugging off his jacket.
I watched him impatiently. “Spill it. What’s so important that you needed to meet up over my lunch break?” I asked. “I had to promise the mayor I’d bring her one of Literum’s giant molasses cookies to get permission to come here.”
Owen fussed over his cappuccino cup, rotating it so the handle faced him, and remained standing. “I was thinking… Samuel fit right in at our family get-together last Sunday.”
“Uh-huh.” I raised an eyebrow, amused by his obvious stalling. “You don’t say?”
Owen nervously rubbed his hands together. “Do you think the Manns have accepted your relationship?” He made air quotes after peering down the hallway to make sure no one was heading our way. “Based on how they treated him, I’d say so.”
“I agree.” I took another sip of my mocha, the rich chocolate and tangy strawberry flavors mingling together perfectly. “They seem less hostile toward the Warners too.”
“Good.” Relief washed over Owen’s face. “That means introducing Jenna to the family as my girlfriend will be easier than I thought.”
I stared at Owen with a mixture of shock and excitement. “Are you serious?” I set my latte down on the coffee table with a slight tremble in my hand.
“Dead serious.” Owen’s smile grew even wider. “I finally took the plunge and asked Jenna to be exclusive last night. She said yes!”
“Owen!” I squealed, unable to contain my excitement. I leaped to my feet and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!”
“Thanks, Nat.” Owen hugged me back, almost lifting me off the floor. “I can hardly believe it myself.”
As we pulled apart, I grabbed his wrists and yanked his arms up and down in a cheer, my enthusiasm bubbling over. “You did it, Owen! I knew you two would make a great couple!”
“Thank you.” Owen was all smiles when we both plopped down in chairs.
“Alright.” I picked up my latte once more. “This definitely deserves a toast.”
Owen raised his ceramic mug, and I tapped my paper to-go cup against it.
“To your new relationship!” I said.
“To happiness!”
We both took sips of our hot drinks.
I savored the velvety taste and barely noticed when Owen set his mug down and looked at me intently.
“Speaking of relationships,” he began. “What are you going to do about you and Samuel?”
I choked on my latte, the liquid catching in my throat as I coughed and spluttered before setting my drink down on the coffee table. “What?” I croaked.
“Come on, Nat.” Owen’s voice was gentle but insistent. “I’m your brother. You can’t fool me. There’s something going on between you two.”
“ Something ” felt like an understatement, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it.
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and tried to regain my composure. “Seriously, what do you mean?” I asked.
Owen leaned forward in his chair. “I’ve seen the way you two have been around each other lately. All the cuddling and touching? That’s not just acting.”
My heart clenched, and I felt a flicker of panic. How on earth did he pick up on my feelings for Samuel so quickly when I had only just realized them myself?
I gave him a dismissive wave. “Samuel and I are friends.”
“Maybe I would’ve believed that before Sunday. But after seeing you two snuggled up on the couch together, there’s no way that’s all there is to it.”
I swallowed hard and was incredibly grateful Owen hadn’t caught us kissing. Also, was this how Owen felt every time I got nosy about him and Jenna? Because if so, I repented of my sins of nosiness.
“Nat,” Owen’s expression softened as he continued, “I just want you to be happy.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Samuel and I haven’t really discussed the finer details of how to plan out the end of our relationship.”
“I’m not asking about your playacting,” Owen said. “I’m asking about your feelings.”
I exhaled slowly as I realized Owen wasn’t going to let me squirm out of this.
Admittedly, it was healthy to face my feelings for Samuel, but it didn’t make it any less scary!
“Fine. I like him, and I wish dating him weren’t an act,” I said.
Owen just nodded in that obnoxious older-sibling way. “Alright, then what are you going to do about it?”
The question hung in the air, suffocating and impossible to ignore. “I don’t know.”
I’d assumed I had weeks before Owen would officially ask Jenna to date, but now my prep time was reduced to nothing. I had no idea how to proceed.
“Talk to Samuel about it,” Owen said. “You two are friends now, and with Jenna and I dating, you’re free to do whatever you want.”
The knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. “Just because I like him doesn’t mean he feels the same way.”
“Look, I can’t say for sure how much Samuel likes you, but the guy obviously feels something for you. His excuse that family pressure made him propose to you is laughably thin.”
Could Owen be right? Was there a chance that Samuel felt the same way about me? The engagement thing was very sudden. Still, as much as I wanted to hope, I was afraid to let myself believe it.
“I don’t know, but either way, thanks for encouraging me, Owen.”
“Sure. I owe you for all the support you gave me with Jenna.” Owen sipped his cappuccino. “You know, when you first told me about your crazy fake dating plan, I thought Samuel must be trying to pull one over on you.”
“Really? Why?”
Owen grimaced. “Because it’s insane that Samuel agreed so easily to such a harebrained plan that didn’t benefit him much.”
“Didn’t benefit him? What are you talking about?” I asked. “Since our families are in a truce, way fewer people are hostile to the Warners.”
“Yeah, but Samuel isn’t the type to care what people think about him.”
I paused, thinking back to the gala and how recklessly Samuel had confronted the Hurtzes. “You’re right.” I drummed my fingers on my thigh. “Do you have any guesses why he agreed so easily to my plan?”
“Nothing I feel certain about,” Owen said cautiously. “But I think his easy compliance means something.”
I stared at my latte, scared to ponder Owen’s observation too much. I didn’t want to give myself false hope. “Maybe you’re right. Either way, I need to tell Samuel about all of this.”
“Including your feelings?” Owen asked.
I rolled my eyes. “I would like to be more subtle than trumpeting that to him, but yes. I meant we’ll have to talk about what we want the future to look like for us.”
“And you won’t wait to discuss it?”
I scowled at him. “I can’t put it off since you and Jenna are official, so we have to discuss it regardless of how I feel.” I tugged at the sleeves of my sweater. “I’ll try visiting him at his office after work tonight.”
“Good luck,” Owen said, supremely self-satisfied.
I nodded and tried to ignore the nerves that were starting to shudder at the thought of my future conversation with Samuel.
Owen picked up his cappuccino cup and again raised it in a toast. “To a romance with a Warner!”
I laughed and picked up my latte to tap it against his cup. “Cheers.”