Reclaimed Hearts: A second chance, forced proximity romance

Confronting Truths

Ishot Emma a look of desperation from across the restaurant the next morning. We both had the first shift, but she had shown up late, meaning I had to set up the cafe alone while my brain exploded.

She had hurried in, tying her apron around her waist as a slew of customers followed right behind her. We got caught up with coffee and pastry orders as the kitchen started working on eggs and omelets.

She mouthed sorry to me while wiping down a table a couple had just left. She pocketed the cash tip and collected the plates.

“Need to talk to you,” I whispered as I hustled by her with a tray full of orders. For a Tuesday, it was abnormally busy. Of course it would be, on the day that I needed to speak with my friend alone.

“Grace came by the beach after you left. Looking for you,” she replied, talking so fast I almost missed it.

I smiled at George, one of our regulars, as I handed him his coffee and omelet with a side of super crispy bacon. “Here you go, George. I may have thrown some of those pieces of bacon back on Cook’s grill for an extra minute while he wasn’t looking. It’s right to our liking.” I winked at him, and he chuckled. We both agreed that bacon should only be consumed when it had a good crunch to it.

After three more tables left and we finally hit a lull, Emma and I settled in a booth by the front door, where we could see the rest of the cafe and anyone who came in the door. I started rolling napkins around silverware while Emma took a cleaning spray and wiped down the laminated menus, then dried them with a rag.

“Grace, you said? What did she want?”

But Emma shook her head. “Nope. Not starting with that. Rewind, restart. What happened yesterday?”

I shrugged. I didn’t know exactly which moment she was talking about and didn’t want to lead into the wrong part of the conversation first. “What do you mean?”

That got a small giggle out of Emma. “Okay, you’re being vague like me. Sure. I can play that game. What I mean,” she said with emphasis, leaning in closer to me, “is that the second Reid noticed you weren’t next to us anymore, he sprinted over like his butt was on fire.”

I thought back to when he found me on Palm Grove Drive, his brows pinched together in worry. How he said it took two full minutes for the girls to tell him what happened.

“And when he realized you left, he was distraught. And you know I don’t use the word distraught lightly.”

I rolled my eyes at her, securing a napkin bundle with a small rubber band. “He was not.”

Emma’s jaw dropped, and she blinked a few times. “What planet are you living on, Marlowe Mitchell? Because it can’t be this one. You cannot be on the same Cove I am and not see that Reid Bennett still has it bad for you.”

I tucked my lips in and blushed something hard. Emma gave an approving hum, like she knew what was going through my mind.

After letting out a deep sigh that rumbled through my bones, I looked up. Then, I spilled. I told her how Reid chased me down. How concerned he looked. And what he said, while holding my hand on the side of the road.

After Mason poked his head out and told Emma to keep her squeals to herself, she covered her mouth with both hands, choosing to stomp her feet in excitement instead.

“Mars! This is fantastic!”

I frowned, not sharing in her excitement. “It’s not, though.”

Her face fell, her brows furrowing. “What do you mean it’s not? You love him. He still loves you. What’s wrong with that?”

I settled the last napkin bundle in the basket to my right, piling up the rest of the silverware I didn’t use and stacking them together too. Then I leaned back in the booth and pouted. “Because he broke up with me, Emma. He doesn’t really want me. He’s just caught up in the nonsense because we’re in the same house and around each other all the time.”

Emma snorted. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at my friend. “No. I’m not. Remember why he broke up with me?”

The smirk she gave me said she wasn’t buying into my foolishness. “Because he was stupid.”

My face crinkled. “No, because—”

“Because he was scared.”

“Emma, no—”

“Because he was stupid and scared and so out of his mind in love with you that the thought of not being with you terrified him into thinking that breaking up was the best option. He wasn’t dumb, but he was head over heels in love, which made him dumb. He couldn’t see past his overwhelming feelings for you long enough to know that you were better together than apart, and distance would be no challenge for the two of you. Because you’re Reid and Marlowe, the best, cutest, strongest couple Covington Cove had ever seen outside of Nathaniel and Genevieve Covington themselves.”

How she said that all in one breath astounded me.

A few heads turned our way, but neither Emma nor I moved. I blinked, trying to process everything she said. Most of it made sense.

It was too bad most of it wasn’t true.

“Emma, this is Reid Bennett we’re talking about. Classic nerd. Straight-A student. Future lawyer or doctor or engineer or president or something. The smartest guy we all know.” I had to point out that fact, since it negated the ones where she tried to say he was stupid.

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s all true. But there’s being book smart and then there’s love smart. And everyone knows the smarter the guy is with books, the dumber he is when it comes to love. They try to compartmentalize things, try to make everything logical. And if there’s something love isn’t, it’s…” she trailed off, waiting for me to finish.

“Logical,” I mumbled. “But—”

“But nothing. He may be the smartest guy you know, but he’s the stupidest when it comes to love. That boy was shakin’ in his boots when he came back last year. Or his sandals. But whatever.”

I forced air into my lungs, remembering last year. “He came to the island early for my birthday.”

Emma nodded, her smirk turning into a smile. “I know. We all knew. You didn’t, but we knew his plans. He was downright terrified.”

“But I thought—”

Once again, she cut me off. “You thought he was all cool and collected. That when you showed up at the beach, finding Reid there instead of us, that it was a big surprise and he had all his wits about him.”

I nodded, not really knowing what else to say. For my birthday last year, I got a text from Norah in the morning, asking me to meet her on the beach. I had already been grumpy, as I hadn’t heard from Mom or Dad, and Grandmum had been called to the mansion early.

When I arrived, I didn’t find Norah. What I had found was a full picnic set up in the sand, with all my favorites from the cafe and Cove Candy spread out.

And Reid, watching the waves crash on the shore, his hands clasped behind his back.

My body had gone into shock then, tears streaming down my face. He wasn’t supposed to show up for another week, something we had talked about extensively. We had been talking all year, and I had been counting down the moments until he arrived.

When he had finally turned around, I had broken into a run, digging my feet into the sand, my calves burning. I had leaped into his arms, which he wrapped around me tight, his face burrowing into my neck as he spun me in circles.

The moment he put me down, he had cupped my cheeks and kissed me for what felt like an eternity.

Then he had asked me to be his girlfriend and told me he loved me. He said he always loved me and only waited to tell me that until he could see me in person.

And I told him I loved him right back, no hesitations.

“He recruited us weeks before he showed up. Norah and I gathered all the supplies. Liam and Caleb picked him up at the airport and brought him straight to the beach. Almost didn’t make it in time because Liam got off on the wrong exit and—”

I held a hand up, not needing to hear the rest. Just thinking of Reid’s lips quivering as he kissed me on the beach brought back the memory of last night, on the pool patio.

“Girl… you’re holding out on me. What are you thinking about?” Emma leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, her chin propped up in her hands.

I licked my lips, then bit the bottom one. “Last night… when we got back from the beach… Fluff kinda tripped me up, and I landed—”

“In Reid Bennett’s arms, where he leaned down and passionately made out with you, stealing every ounce of breath in your body?” she finished for me.

I paused, not exactly sure how she came up with that, but nodded, as she was essentially right.

Not even Mason could stop her squeal. It was so loud it covered most of the bell jingling behind me.

She glanced over my shoulder and smiled, but didn’t get up. It was probably a regular heading to their normal table.

“Welcome to Seaside Cafe. Grab a table and someone will be with you in a moment,” we automatically said together.

Then she continued, staring straight at me. “So, does this mean you’re officially back together?”

I shook my head, keeping my voice low when I said, “No. His parents called right after, and I didn’t see him the rest of the night. I actually borrowed the car to grab Mrs. Ruth some food from Gennie’s and drop it off. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since.”

It was a little white lie, as I had spoken to him after we kissed. About the clue. But I didn’t bring that part up. I promised myself I would tell the group once it was all over.

“And this morning?” she inquired, her eyes narrowing as she looked behind me.

“Coffee pot was on. He left a mug for me, but I didn’t see him before I came to work.”

That brought a mischievous smile to her face. “Reid doesn’t drink coffee.”

I couldn’t help it. My lips quirked. “He goes for super early morning runs on the beach. He sets the coffee and starts it when he gets back, so I have some when I wake up.”

Emma waggled her eyebrows. “We all know how you are without your morning caffeine. Glad to see that boy is proactive about the situation. And,” she said, pointing over my shoulder, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this for the second time in less than a month, but you have a surprise waiting for you.”

I whirled around, my heart dropping, expecting Declan again.

But seated at the table in the back was none other than Reid Bennett.