Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
EZRA
It’s another lonely night in this house I wish I could call home.
A home that Violet and I share. Yes, we share it, but it doesn’t feel the same because she shared it with her ex.
We’ve both been moving forward together, and I think the next step is to get a place together.
This house has such an eerie feel to it. Like I have to walk on eggshells.
I need to talk to Vi about how she’s feeling about us. Our actions show we want to be together, but we’re still taking things day by day, and I don’t want to assume anything has changed.
I get in my truck and head over to her bakery to see if I can surprise her and take her for a drive.
Once I get to the bakery, the chimes of the bells ring through my ears as I walk in.
“Hi,” Liv says, greeting me as I walk in.
“Hi, Liv.”
“Are you looking for Violet?”
I nod.
“She’s in the back,” she says, pointing toward the back. “I’m sure she’s fine with you going back there.”
I smile and nod and head that way. “Thank you.”
The sweetness that lingers in the air gets thicker as I go into the kitchen. Violet has her back to me as she washes dishes and sways her hips to the song she’s blasting in the kitchen.
I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe, my eyes fixed on her.
There’s something about her that pulls me in—the way she moves, the calm she carries.
She has always made my darkest days feel lighter.
As I stand watching her, I pay attention to the song lyrics to “Take Me Away” by Morgan Wade.
I’ve heard it once before. The song lyrics kind of resonate with us. Is that how she feels?
Her eyes grow wide as she clutches her chest. “Oh my god!” she yells over the music. “Ezra. How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to watch you work your hips like that,” I say with a wink.
Her face grows red as she shakes her head and walks over to turn down the music.
“I wanted to see if you wanted to go for a drive with me. Get some fresh air.”
“That would be nice. I feel like I haven’t been outside in weeks.” She throws her apron onto the counter. “I go from here to the house and then back here.”
“You have been pretty busy. Have you found another baker yet?”
“I found two that I like and would like to hire them both.”
“You should. I don’t think that will be a bad decision.”
She walks closer to me, turns the kitchen lights off, and fills me in as we walk out to the front. “They’re both going to culinary school right now, so they would both need to be part-time. But even that will help me. Hey, Liv, are you ready to lock up?”
Liv gets up from her chair. “Yup. I was waiting for you.”
“You don’t need to wait for me if everything is done.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Vi flashes her a smile before we all head out, and she turns to lock up the bakery behind us.
“Are we going to the river?” Vi asks, turning towards me.
“Yeah.”
Call me cliché, but I thought it would be fitting to have a conversation about us at the first place we laid eyes on each other.
We both step out of the truck, the cool air wrapping around us as we make our way into the forest on the trail that leads to the river. It’s not a forest, but that’s what we called it when we were younger.
The soft crunch of fallen leaves echoes beneath our feet. The trees are shifting into shades of amber, gold, and deep crimson. I reach over and intertwine her hand with mine, her fingers fitting perfectly between mine. She glances up at me with a small smile.
It feels like we’ve stepped back in time—two people lost in nature with no care in the world.
The soothing sound of the river flows over the rocks and gets louder as we make our way closer. I lay the blanket down on the dirt and we both sit. Her shoulder brushes against mine.
We’re silent for a moment, listening to the nature around us.
“This is the very spot I knew I would love you,” I tell her.
She glances my way, and our eyes meet. The setting sun casts a golden light across her face, making her eyes shimmer and glow.
“How would you have known that?”
“Because I did.”
She turns away, grabbing a smooth rock. She throws it in, and the rock skips through the water, making ripples appear on the surface. “This is the spot we would always catch skeeter bugs.”
“Yeah, and it’s the first spot I first laid eyes on you.”
Her gaze snaps to mine. A small smile forming. “You remember?”
“Of course. How could I forget?”
“But we were so young. How could you remember?”
I lean back on my hands, looking towards the water. “You never forget your first.”
“You’re crazy.”
“For you.”
She snaps her gaze towards me again, then she looks back over the water.
“How do you feel about us?” I ask. Every nerve in my body is awake. I can’t stop my heart from hammering against my ribs as I look at her, trying to steady my voice.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean us.” I take a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Have you thought more about giving us a chance?”
She looks at me, her face blank. It’s making my stomach twist. She looks back towards the water.
“Vi,” I say softly, terrified and hopeful all at once.
“I want to. I really do.” She pauses, glancing over at me.
“I still feel like such a hypocrite for saying this because I’ve taken our relationship further than it ever has.
But what if it doesn’t work out and we ruin our friendship?
I can’t handle losing someone else. Do you ever get scared that might happen? ”
I lean back up. “No. We’re both mature enough not to let our failed relationship ruin our friendship.”
“Are we?”
“I believe we are.”
“Look what happened to us, though,” she says, her brows drawn together.
“You can’t compare us to those idiots.”
“I know, and I hate that I do, but sometimes it’s hard not to.”
“I would never let anything get in the way of us. If we don’t work out, I know I can continue as friends.” I pause. “I did it for so long. I can do it again. We both did it. We both can do it.”
As soon as my words leave my mouth, my chest feels heavy.
I watch her, searching for something, anything.
But all I see is that guarded look, the one she gets when she’s scared to let someone in.
I get it. I really do. She’s lost so much already.
We both have. But hearing her say she’s afraid of losing me hits deeper than I expected.
I know I can’t rush her. I can’t force her into something.
The thought of walking away without us ever giving it a shot truly fucking hurts.
I’ve waited years for her, and I’m terrified of letting her go.