A New Leaf (Hemlock #1)

Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Charlie

I’m so late.

It’s been hours since the store opened, and I have about fifteen missed calls from Marnie. Stumbling into the store in a frenzy with Vera by my side, Marnie glances up from the counter and gives me the look . Her You were clearly up to something and didn’t tell me and, for that, I’ll make your life a living hell for the next seven hours look.

I’m not making eye contact with her because you don’t look directly at Medusa or you’ll turn to stone. Stealthily, I make my way to the back office when a body appears in the doorway, blocking my way.

“So, Charlotte. How was your night? Hmm?” She has her arms crossed over her chest.

Does she know? She couldn’t know. Could she? How could she know? Panic must be written all over my face because she laughs villainously.

“How was it?” she inquires.

I swallow thickly. “How was what?”

“Don’t be coy. It’s not a good look on you.”

I slap my hands to my side. “How the fuck do you know?” The pitch of my voice jumps to a new high while she laughs even harder.

“Well, funny story, actually. I stole your phone while you weren’t looking one day and turned on your location since sometimes you like to go AWOL.”

My jaw drops. I’m not sure if I should be impressed by her hacking skills or furious due to the invasion of privacy.

Marnie continues, despite my bewildered expression. “When I saw you weren’t here, I checked your location and saw you were home. I assumed you were exhausted since you often don’t sleep well. Being the lovely and generous friend that I am, I decided to get some coffee for myself and a tasty little treat for you. Figuring you had a tough night and needed something to turn your grouchy little frown upside down. But, I didn’t anticipate that our beloved, small town coffee shop would also be closed. After that, I connected the dots. Decided that you didn’t need a treat to make you smile since . . . well, by the looks of you right now, I’m sure you got a very special treat last night.”

The way this woman’s mind works is downright terrifying. At the same time, it’s impressive. How could you be angry at someone with this level of detective skills? You can’t.

Finding my voice, I squeak out, “Have you thought about a career with the FBI?”

Marnie waves her hands at me, brushing me off. “Nah. This is only an extracurricular activity. Now. You need to tell me everything, and I mean everything. Did hot professor Finn give you a lesson? Did he have to reprimand you for bad behavior? Please say yes. What is under his slutty sweater vest?” She looks at me with hopeful eyes and clasped hands, her stream of consciousness making my head spin.

I let out a deep sigh, making my way to the front of the store to put the closed sign up. Before I get there, the man of the hour walks in. And, as if this situation couldn’t get any more awkward, Finn walks up towards the counter, acting as though everything’s normal. My stomach’s a queasy pit of anxiety because Marnie has a wicked gleam in her eye, and her mouth is curved up on one side.

“Well, good morning, Griffin! You look well-rested this morning. Sleep well last night?” Marnie beams.

Finn looks utterly confused, and I would simply like to die—potentially pay my parents an early visit.

“Hey, Morticia,” Finn says slowly. “I brought you your usual and something new for Charlie.” He hands me a drink and a pastry.

Marnie waggles her eyebrows. “Yeah, I bet you brought something new for Charlie. You little devil, you.” She clicks her tongue, giving him a mischievous grin.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Finn’s eyes dart right to me, and I lift my hands in defense. “I said nothing! Marnie is part witch,” I say quickly. “Thanks for bringing us coffee. How’s the shop this morning?” I ask, trying my damndest to change the subject.

“Did you thank him last night, too?” Marnie says, egging us on.

Oh my fucking god.

I’m going to kill her.

“MARNIE!” Finn and I both yell in unison. I cover my face in my hands, shielding myself from mortification while Finn takes off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. True to form, Marnie takes off to the backroom, cackling like the shit disturber she is.

After the horrifying encounter earlier, the rest of the day went by without too many more comments from the peanut gallery of one. Although I lost count of how many times Marnie called me a “Little Gremlin Minx.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I sit back in my office chair and slump down. It’s late. Very late. It’s almost midnight and I’m still at the shop. My heart feels incredibly heavy because, in about ten minutes, it’ll be my birthday.

My first birthday without my parents. My first birthday without my dad singing “Happy Birthday” off-key. My first birthday without my favorite funfetti cake.

The wave of grief is about to come crashing ashore any second now.

Vera senses the impending doom and practically crawls into my lap.

“You’re not a lap dog anymore,” I groan. But Vera doesn’t care that she’s borderline-crushing me. All she cares about is giving me the love I need at this tough moment. My hand absentmindedly strokes her fur as I watch the seconds go by with a chest full of anxiety.

The clock strikes midnight, and the tears that I so desperately tried to suck back into my eyes are now falling freely on top of Vera’s head. She begins to lick my face, catching any stray tears with her floppy tongue.

“Okay. Okay. Enough. I don’t need a bath right now.” I sniffle as Vera keeps licking my face, and I let out a giggle. Our moment is interrupted by a soft tapping at the store door. Vera gives out one loud bark, which is shocking, considering she normally only ever groans. Lifting Vera off of me, I grab my trusty golf club and make my way over to the front of the store.

Slowly approaching the door, I see it’s Finn and Frank. He smiles when he sees me and looks at the golf club.

“Again? Don’t you know by now that it’s always me?” His voice is muffled by the glass door, and I roll my eyes.

Unlocking the door, I usher them inside. “What are you doing here at midnight? Is everything okay?” I look up at him, then glance down at the box in his hand. My brows furrow as my eyes trace back to him again.

“Happy birthday, Charlie.” Finn opens the box to reveal a funfetti cake.

My birthday cake.

The cake I never thought would be made again for my birthday.

Uncontrollable tears begin streaming down my face.

“Oh no. Oh god. I’m so sorry. Did I fuck up? I fucked up. Dammit,” he says. “Charlie, I’m so sorry. I just thought?—”

I interrupt him, shaking my head. “These aren’t Finn messed up tears.” My voice cracks. The weight of grief that was crushing my chest moments ago has now been replaced with a comforting warmth and a deep appreciation for the man standing before me. Clearing my throat, I look back up at him. “Thank you. So much,” I whisper, my voice trembling with overwhelming emotion. My heart feels so full that I’m surprised it hasn’t burst.

He knew I needed this. Knew I needed him .

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and sniffle when Finn digs into his coat pocket, once again, pulling out a tissue. And, once again, I eye him suspiciously.

He tilts his head, giving me a tender smile. “It’s clean, you little weirdo.”

I huff out a laugh at his term of endearment. Taking the tissue, I dab the corners of my eyes as I motion for him to follow me to the front counter. “Did you bring?—”

“Forks? Of course I did. I’m not some kind of animal . . . that is . . . unless you want me to be?” he replies.

I turn around, looking at him wide-eyed.

“Too soon?” Finn grimaces. “Yeah, probably too soon,” he murmurs under his breath while looking at the ground.

He’s nervous tonight, and honestly, it’s quite cute. The tips of his ears are tinged with pink, and his hand is anxiously running through his wavy hair. Yet, he still finds a way to make flirty little remarks that get a rise out of me—even though that rise is usually an eye roll and a shake of my head. An incredibly unladylike snort escapes, and I cover my mouth in embarrassment.

“You snort when you laugh? How did I never notice that?” he bellows with excitement. “Damn. You keep getting better, don’t you?”

Finn places the cake on the counter, takes off his long wool jacket, and pulls out a stool. As he sits down, Finn removes his glasses and carefully wipes them off with the hem of his navy blue sweater vest. Trusting that Finn won’t be able to notice without his glasses on, I take the opportunity to admire his handsome features. The way his hair effortlessly falls across his forehead, how his eyes crinkle at the corners every time he smiles, and the charming dimples on his cheeks all come together to make him irresistible.

It’s my birthday after all. I deserve to ogle a guy who looks like he stepped out of my nerdy professor fantasy.

“Whatcha thinking about over there? You’re looking a little flushed, sweetheart.” Finn’s voice shocks me out of my thoughts. His eyes, which look larger and more blue without the shield of his glasses, bore directly into me.

Clearing my throat, I pull a stool out and sit across from him. Finn opens the box, removes the cake, and sets it between us. Pulling out two forks, he hands me one and gives me a devastating smile. My heart is about to flutter right out of my chest.

I have never felt like this before about anyone.

This feels different. It feels good.

“Cheers,” he says when we clink our two forks together. “Birthday girl first.” He winks.

Hesitantly, I sink my fork into one side and take a bite.

Once again, I feel my eyes begin to mist over. I'm transported back to the memory of every birthday with a funfetti cake. Finn did good—no, Finn did great. Swallowing the bite, I look up at him and give him a soft, approving smile. His shoulders sag in relief as he takes a bite. We sit there quietly, eating cake, and simply enjoying being near one another.

Finn’s the first to break the silence. “If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to tell me, but I would love to hear about your parents. I mean, they must’ve been pretty kickass if they raised three kids—especially one that I’m particularly fond of—and ran this incredible store.”

His eyes dart around the shop, taking everything in, from the plants hanging off the ceiling to the tables filled with tiny succulents and huge tropical floor plants, and to the lush, green vines crawling over every available countertop.

For the second time tonight, warmth and appreciation for Finn settle in my heart. No one really asks me about my parents anymore, which stings in a way that only people who have lost someone can understand. It’s as though once they’re gone, people don’t feel the need to bring that person up again. I get happy when someone asks me about my parents, because I love sharing stories about them.

In a way, sharing their stories makes me feel like they’re still here.

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth, recalling memories of my parents. “They were pretty amazing. They had free spirit souls. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts and got married as soon as they graduated.”

Finn’s eyes bulge. “Wow. That’s incredible.”

I nod. “Both of them were a great example of what true love looks like. Sure, they fought like every couple does, but it never lasted more than twenty minutes, at which point my dad would always crack a joke to make my mom laugh.” I set my fork down and anxiously fidget with a random piece of receipt paper. “They taught my siblings and me to be strong and independent, but also to be empathetic and loving at the same time. They emphasized the importance of being unique and authentic. And taught us how crucial it is to embrace ourselves—flaws and all, because that’s what makes us special. Because that’s what sets us apart in this world.” His warm hand encloses mine to stop me from fidgeting, and I look up at Finn with tears pooling in my eyes.

Since my mom and dad died, I’ve recognized the importance of all the lessons they ingrained in my siblings and in me. There’s a fire in my belly to carry on their legacy through their store, because this is all I have left of them. For me, it’s physical proof that they actually existed. It’s proof that they were once here. In some weird, witchy way, I hope they see me here. Every day I come into this store, I try to apply the values and morals they instilled in me to keep their memory alive. The people of this town loved them—truly, wholeheartedly, deeply loved them. And for good reason.

I glance up at Finn, and he stares at me with so much intensity and genuine interest that I can’t stop myself from talking more about them. It feels so good getting all of this off of my chest.

So I continue. “The people of Hemlock loved them. They were the type of people who would drop off food at your doorstep if you were sick, compliment a stranger if they noticed they looked sad, and volunteer at the community center with what little free time they had. At one point, my parents took in three stray cats and four goldfish because a friend two towns over was moving out of state. My dad hated cats.” I huff out a laugh as I wipe a fallen tear from my eye.

Finn starts to chuckle. “Wow. They sound like amazing people. And they raised three people with the same integrity and kindness they had, which is exceptionally admirable.” He pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts. “We need more people like that in this world.”

I solemnly nod. “Yeah.” My quiet voice cracks. “They were taken too soon. They died a week before Christmas last year. A car accident. A reckless driver ran a red light and then?—”

Finn’s hand tightens on mine as I choke back a sob.

“Charlie. Don’t. You don’t have to continue.” His words are tinged with sorrow. Finn looks at me knowingly while stroking my hand. Unspoken words of comfort and safety pass between us as we sit across from each other. His hand around mine pulls me back to the present and away from that horrific day.

“Charlie, we have to finish this whole cake before tomorrow. You know that, right? It’s the birthday rule. You have to eat your whole cake on your birthday.” He shrugs, breaking the tension.

Instead of replying, I take my fork and dig into the cake, grabbing a big bite. I might as well eat up since nothing temporarily cures sadness like a sugar high. The tension in my shoulders eases, and I feel infinitely lighter. Smiling as I chew the colorful cake, a thought hits me. For the first time in a long, long time, I feel safe—emotionally, physically, and mentally. All thanks to the long-limbed man with piercing sapphire eyes sitting across from me.

Brick by brick, Finn was demolishing my walls—crumbling them into unrecognizable dust. Although some bricks took more effort to knock down than others, Finn wasn’t intimidated by the challenge.

In fact, he knocked them down with a smile on his face.