14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Ryan
T he moment I walk into Bella’s café, I know something’s wrong.
She’s standing behind the counter, phone pressed to her ear as her free hand rakes through her hair. Her voice is sharp, edged with frustration. “I understand, but I just need a little more time. A week—two, tops!”
She listens for a moment, her lips tightening as her eyes dart around the café, though she hasn’t seen me yet.
“I know it’s overdue, but I’m doing everything I can! Please…just...please.”
The tone in her voice twists something in my chest. Bella Parker is many things—stubborn, resilient, independent—but desperate isn’t one of them. And yet here she is, clinging to a phone call like it’s her lifeline.
The call ends with a curt “Fine,” and she slams the phone down onto the counter. She mutters something under her breath before grabbing a stack of papers, but her hands tremble as she sorts through them.
“Bella,” I say, stepping closer.
She jumps, spinning around to face me. “Ryan! I didn’t hear you come in.” Her voice is a little too bright, her smile forced.
“You okay?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” She busies herself with the papers, but I see through her act.
“Don’t lie to me, Bella,” I say softly. “What’s going on?”
Her shoulders sag, and for a moment, she doesn’t answer. Then she tosses the papers onto the counter, her movements sharp and agitated.
“It’s the bank,” she admits finally. “They’re threatening to foreclose on the café if I don’t pay what I owe by the end of the month.”
I take a step closer. “How much do you owe?”
“Too much,” she says, shaking her head. “And don’t even think about offering to pay, Ryan. I don’t need your help.”
“Clearly, you do,” I say, my voice calm but firm. “You just said the bank is about to step in. That doesn’t sound like a situation you can handle alone.”
Her eyes flash, that familiar fire of hers sparking to life. “I’ve handled everything on my own for years, Ryan. I don’t need a knight in shining armor riding in to save me.”
I exhale, running a hand through my hair. “This isn’t about saving you, Bella. It’s about keeping the café open. It’s about giving you some breathing room so you’re not drowning in stress.”
She looks away, her jaw tight. “I’ll figure it out.”
“How?” I challenge. “By begging the bank for more time? By calling every person you’ve ever met, hoping someone will lend you the money? You can’t keep fighting this battle alone, Bella.”
Her voice breaks when she responds. “I have to, Ryan! It’s my café, my responsibility. No one else’s.”
Her words hit me harder than they should. I step closer, lowering my voice. “You don’t have to do this alone. You’ve been fighting by yourself for so long, you don’t even realize it’s okay to let someone help you.”
Tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks them back, refusing to let them fall. “It’s not that simple.”
“It can be,” I say, reaching out to gently take her hand. “Let me help.”
She pulls her hand away, her voice trembling as she says, “No. I’m not taking your money, Ryan. I won’t owe you or anyone else.”
“Then don’t think of it as me helping you. Think of it as me helping the café. Think of it as a business decision.”
Her brows furrow. “What are you talking about?”
I lean against the counter, meeting her gaze. “I’ll invest in the café. Not as a loan, not as charity. As a partner. I’ll put up the money to pay off what you owe, and in return, I’ll have a stake in the business. It’s a win-win.”
She stares at me like I’ve just grown a second head. “A partner? You? In my café?”
“Why not?” I ask, shrugging. “You said it yourself—you need the money, and I have it. Plus, I have experience running businesses. I could help you turn this place around.”
Bella lets out a dry laugh. “Oh, so now you’re a café expert?”
“I’m not saying I’ll be in here every day brewing coffee,” I say, smirking. “But I know how to attract customers. I know how to market, how to expand. You wouldn’t just be getting my money, Bella. You’d be getting my expertise.”
She crosses her arms, her expression skeptical. “And what’s in it for you?”
“I get to see this place thrive,” I say simply. “And I get the satisfaction of knowing I helped someone I care about.”
Her eyes soften for a moment, but then she shakes her head. “I don’t know, Ryan. This is my dream, my baby. Letting someone else in, even as a partner...it feels like I’m giving up control.”
“You wouldn’t be,” I assure her. “This would still be your café, Bella. I don’t want to take over. I just want to make sure it’s still here a month from now.”
She bites her lip, looking torn. “I don’t want to need you.”
Her honesty floors me, and for a moment, I don’t know how to respond. Then I take a step closer, my voice low but steady.
“Needing someone doesn’t make you weak, Bella. It makes you human. And letting someone help you doesn’t mean you’re giving up control. It means you’re smart enough to know when to accept help.”
Her eyes meet mine, and I can see the internal battle she’s fighting. Finally, she lets out a shaky breath.
“You really think this is a good idea?” she asks quietly.
“I do,” I say without hesitation. “And I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t believe in you and this café.”
She looks down at the papers on the counter, then back at me. “Fine,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “But if we’re doing this, it’s strictly business. No special treatment, no favors.”
“Deal,” I say, extending my hand.
She hesitates before shaking it, but her grip is firm.
As I look at her—tired but still standing, still fighting—I feel a surge of admiration. Bella Parker might be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, but she’s also the strongest. And now, she doesn’t have to fight alone.