Chapter Five
Jinnie
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I WIPE DOWN A TABLE for the fifth time in ten minutes, scrubbing at a spot that’s been gone since the second pass. The bakery is nearly empty now, just a couple of regulars nursing their coffees in the corner. This has been the longest and shortest day of my life.
“You’re going to wear a hole in that table,” Lisa says, appearing beside me with a fresh towel. She takes the one from my hand. “What’s wrong with you today? You’ve been a million miles away.”
I force a smile. “Sorry. Just tired.”
“Bullshit,” she says. “This is about Jack, isn’t it?”
The sound of his name makes my chest tighten. “Maybe.”
“I thought this was a good thing,” she says. “Why are you sulking?”
“Because he’s leaving, Lisa.” My voice cracks, and I hate how small it sounds. “Memphis is eight hours away. And after that, there’s touring, recording—he’ll be gone for months at a time.”
“So?” She shrugs, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “You can visit. You can go with him.”
I shake my head. “It’s not that easy. He needs to focus on this. I don’t want to be a distraction.”
“You sure you’re not just scared?” Lisa asks quietly.
“Of course I’m scared,” I admit. “What if he gets out there and realizes he doesn’t need me anymore? What if he forgets about this little bakery girl while he’s out there living his dream, surrounded by people who want to be near him just because of the spotlight he’s in?” I take a deep breath to steady myself. “I’ve seen how this goes, Lisa. People leave, and they don’t come back. And even if they do, they’re not the same.”
Lisa studies me for a moment. “Listen to me. You’re not just some girl. You’re Jinnie Parker. And Jack Hayes isn’t just some guy chasing a dream—he’s your guy. If he’s half the man you say he is, he’s not going to forget you. He’s not going to leave you behind.”
I want to believe her. I really do. But the doubt gnaws at me. It’s that same doubt that has kept me up every night since I heard about the offer. I didn’t want to be needy. But he had not really offered me anything concrete. Our relationship was understood but never clarified.
“He hasn’t said much about our future,” I tell her. “He says once he gets settled, we’ll see each other. He hasn’t promised to be faithful. We don’t really have a strong history to fall back on.”
“If he does forget you, he doesn’t deserve you in the first place.”
I let out a shaky laugh, brushing a tear from my cheek before it can fall. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple. You’re not chained to this place. You can leave and chase your dream as well. I think you’ve got this idea you’re trapped here.”
“I know I’m not trapped but this is...home.”
“It’s not the end of the world, Jinnie,” Lisa says. “You’ve been acting like this is some kind of death sentence for you two. It’s not. People make long distance work all the time.”
I shake my head, brushing crumbs off the table even though it’s already clean. “It’s not just the distance. It’s everything. He’s going to be living this whole new life, and I’ll still be here, doing the same thing every day. What if he outgrows me?”
Lisa rolls her eyes and grabs my hand to stop me from scrubbing. “First of all, stop cleaning. You’re gonna rub the finish off this table. And second, you’re talking like you’re some boring old shoe he’s going to toss aside. You’re not. You’re smart, funny, gorgeous, and you’re going places, too. If anything, he should be worried about you outgrowing him.”
I snort, but there’s no humor in it. “Right. Because I’m so impressive working here. I’m not even nineteen and I’ve already been divorced.”
“Stop that,” Lisa snaps, her voice sharper than I expect. “You didn’t fail at your marriage; your ex failed at being a decent human being. Which technically wasn’t even a marriage to legally, you’re not divorced. The marriage never happened. And working here? Yeah, it’s a bakery, but think of it as practice. You’re learning more about social media marketing. We all know you are the reason we stay as busy as we do. People see your posts and get a craving for whatever you’ve posted. You make people happy every single day. That counts for something.”
Her words hit me harder than I want to admit. I slump into a chair, leaning my elbows on the table and resting my face in my hands. “I just... I don’t know if I’m ready to let him go,” I whisper, the words muffled. “What if he doesn’t come back? What if he finds someone else? Someone better suited for the life he’s about to live? Or maybe he decides being single is way better for his career choice.”
Lisa sits across from me, her expression softening. “Jinnie, you can’t live your life waiting for the worst-case scenario. If you love him, then you have to trust him. Trust that he’ll stay true to you, even when he’s out there living that dream. And if he doesn’t? Then it’s his loss. You’re not going to sit at home crying over him. You’re stronger than that.”
I blink back tears, staring at the table. She’s right. I know she is. But that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.
The door opens and a mother and her three children walk in. The kids rush to the case already talking about what they want. I quickly wipe my eyes, paste on my smile, and move behind the case to help them.
I focus on the family, taking their orders and chatting with the kids about their favorite treats. The distraction helps, even if only for a moment. But once they’re settled with their cookies and hot chocolates, my thoughts drift right back to Jack.
Trust him.
It sounds so simple, but it feels like standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure if the ground beneath me will hold. I’ve trusted before—trusted my ex, trusted that life would work out the way I wanted it to—and both times, I ended up with nothing but heartache. What if this time is no different?
“You’re doing it again,” Lisa says, snapping me out of my spiral as I refill the condiment bar.
“Doing what?”
“Overthinking. You’ve got that look on your face.”
“I can’t help it. How am I supposed to just not worry?”
“You don’t,” she says bluntly. “You worry. You freak out. You cry into your pillow at night if you need to. But you don’t let it control you.”
More customers come in and I don’t have time to worry about worrying. After the afternoon rush, the bakery case needs refilling again. Lisa has taken her lunch, leaving me to handle customers and stocking. I wipe my flour-dusted hands on my apron and crouch down to grab a lemon tart from the lower shelf. I put it in the box and wait for the customer to make his next selection. I don’t know why, but I’m exhausted. I feel like I’m running on empty.
“Gimme two of those and a coffee, would you?”
I force a smile and slide the danishes into the pink pastry box. The routine soothes me—fold the corners, tie the string, put a sticker with the bakery logo on it. Normal things. Simple things. Things that won’t exist in Jack’s world tomorrow.
“Jinnie?” My boss pokes her head out from the kitchen. “Could you snap some photos of the new donuts for Instagram before you leave? The lighting’s perfect right now.”
“Sure thing.”
I pull out my phone and arrange the donuts on our vintage cake stand, adjusting the napkins just so. I pour a cup of coffee and arrange the donuts next to it. For a few minutes, I lose myself in cropping and filtering, choosing the right caption. It’s easier to think about baked goods than about the fact this is the last night I’ll have with Jack.
I have an hour left in my shift. This week has felt like a blur. I’ve never had to force happiness. I like that I’m not fake. I like that I have always been able to be an honest person. But this last week I know I’ve been a fraud. I’ve been pretending to be happy for Jack. While I am happy, I’m also absolutely terrified. There’s that word. Terrified. Of being forgotten. Of being left behind. Of Jack meeting some gorgeous woman with connections and talent of her own. Of him realizing how small and insignificant I am compared to what’s waiting for him.
With the photos posted, I start the process of restocking the case. With the duties done for the day, I leave the bakery. I know Jack is waiting for me at my place. It’ll be our last night. I can’t keep that phrase out of my head.
Last night.
I walk to my car, twirling my keys around my finger while thinking about how our night would go.
“Jinnie! Jinnie Parker!”
I turn.
Liz Belfer is climbing out of a sleek black car, her designer sunglasses hiding half her face. She’s wearing a tight, short skirt and heels that look lethal.
I’ve heard all about Liz. Jack has made sure to tell me all about her and all the things she’s promising him. And I want to like her. I really do, but seeing her in the flesh again confirms my initial opinion of her.
I don’t like her.
“I was hoping I’d catch you,” Liz says.
“Were you waiting for me?” I ask. “How do you know where I work?”
“Jack told me.” She smiles. “He tells me everything.”
I grit my teeth. I know what she’s doing. “Good to know,” I reply calmly.
“Jack’s all packed. So eager. It’s adorable.”
My fingers tighten around my keys. “What do you want, Liz?”
She tsks, shaking her head. “Just wanted to tell you I hope you enjoy your last night with him.” A pause as she pulls down her sunglasses. “Because he’s never coming back to this stupid little town.”
The words land like a slap.
She steps closer, close enough that I can see the perfect blonde highlights in her hair, the diamond studs in her ears. “He’ll be mine now,” she murmurs. “And let’s be honest—no small-town baker is ever going to compete with that.”
My throat closes. The keys dig into my palm.
Liz smiles—a real one this time—and turns on her heel. I watch as she gets back in the car. I stand there, rooted to the pavement, watching the black sedan disappear around the corner.
She’s wrong. She has to be wrong.
But the doubt creeps in anyway, whispering that maybe she’s not. That Jack’s already slipping away, already trading our quiet nights for bright lights and Liz’s sharper smiles. Liz knew exactly what she was doing. She was staking her claim.
I fumble with the car door, my vision blurring. Should I tell him about Liz’s visit? Would he even believe me?