10. Drew
DREW
Ten minutes later, I’m pulling up in front of Bramble & Bean, the coffee shop everyone in Hollow Creek seems obsessed with.
Warm lights glow through the windows, easing some of my tension.
I step out of my car, already smelling espresso and fresh pastries.
The bell jingles when I step into the bustling shop.
Yeah. This is exactly what I need.
The owner, Gracie, has somehow turned the place into organized chaos. Great coffee. Ridiculously delicious seasonal drinks. And a handwritten board near the counter tracking the number of days since the last “incident.”
Last I checked, they made it to four. Which, apparently, was a record for Gracie.
I move toward the counter to order… and then stop.
For a split second, I swear I feel it again. That same awareness of being watched.
I look around, but don’t notice anyone paying attention to me.
Weird.
Right as I reach the counter, the bell jingles again.
Goosebumps erupt across my skin before I turn and suck in a breath. My eyes lock onto the woman I can’t stop thinking about.
Violet.
She smiles as she approaches.
All I can do is stand there, staring at her like she’s a ghost. The one who haunted my dreams last night in ways that would probably make a priest pass out.
“Hi, Drew,” she says softly. “I was hoping I’d run into you again.”
I snap myself out of my stupor.
“Violet. Hi.” The words rush out. “N-nice to see you.”
Jesus. Christ. Get it together.
Her smile doesn’t falter. “In need of caffeine?”
“You have no idea.” I chuckle. “I have a serious case of the Monday blues.”
She nods. “Completely understand. It’s been a busy morning for me already.”
“Did something happen? Or just busy with work?”
“Work. And the usual struggle to get out of bed and be productive.” Her gaze flicks to the counter.
“I get it.” I turn to the counter, my eyes scanning the menu. I always drink the same thing… and I’ll probably get the same pastry I always order. But it never hurts to look.
“Hi,” I say to the clerk, then rattle off my order. “Violet. What would you like?”
She waves her hand. “Oh, I can get it.”
“No, I insist. What would you like?”
She stares at me for a moment, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Drew.”
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. Hasn’t anyone ever bought her coffee before?
She steps beside me while I pay, and I catch the flowery scent of her shampoo mixed with jasmine.
My hands shake so badly I have to swipe my card twice.
“Are you planning to eat here?” I ask.
She nods. “Are you?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you join me?”
Her smile widens. “I’d like that.”
When the barista calls her name, I grab her coffee and hand it to her. She takes it, staring at me like I just gave her the keys to the kingdom.
I chuckle. “You must need caffeine more than I do.”
She arches her brows. “How so?”
I gesture to her cup. “When I handed it to you, the look on your face was… intense.”
She laughs and takes a sip. “You have no idea.”
When the barista hands me the rest of our order, I grab it and gesture to the tables. “Where would you like to sit?”
“How about that table in the corner? More private and less… loud.”
“Okay.” I follow her, trying not to stare at her ass, ignoring the prickle of unease that runs down my spine from her reactions.
I set my drink and the pastries on the table, then pull out her chair and push it in once she’s seated.
“Wow. Quite the gentleman. Your ex-wife was lucky.”
“Oh,” I wave a hand, blushing. “Isn’t that what all men do?”
Her face is blank. “No. They don’t.”
“Oh. Well…” I sit across from her and grab my coffee. “That’s a shame.”
“It is.” She takes a sip of her drink, her eyes locked on me. “Good thing she let you go.”
I freeze with my cup halfway to my lips. “What?”
“Your ex. If she hadn’t let you go, you wouldn’t be sitting here with me.” Violet’s bracelets jingle as she pulls the pastry from the bag.
“Oh, um. Right.” I scratch my collar.
“You strike me as loyal,” she says softly. “Very loyal.” She says it like she’s impressed. Like I’m exactly what she’s been looking for.
“Oh. Well. Um… yes.” I laugh, the sound awkward. Nervous. “You’re a good judge of character. I’ve always been loyal.”
“See. I knew it. My instincts are correct.” Her eyes don’t leave mine when she says it.
Wonder what else her instincts are telling her?
She pulls the croissant apart and takes a small bite. My gaze drops to her lips as she chews.
Why is that sexy?
I shouldn’t be this flustered. It’s just coffee and a casual conversation with a beautiful woman I met in a bar.
I definitely need to get laid.
I glance at her, and all thoughts flee from my head. I take a sip of my coffee, mostly to give myself something to do other than stare at her.
It doesn’t help.
Violet watches me over the rim of her cup, her eyes steady. Focused. Like she’s intentionally studying me.
No one has ever paid this much attention to me before.
I shift slightly in my seat. The silence I normally prefer is now grating on my nerves.
“So,” I say, clearing my throat. “You come here a lot?”
Smooth. Real smooth.
Her red lips curve into a smile. “Not usually.”
She pauses long enough that it feels... deliberate. Like she’s weighing her words.
“But I had a feeling I’d see you here today.”
Something in my chest tightens.
This was an accidental run-in. Right?
I let out a small laugh. “Yeah?”
I should be more concerned with her statement. Instead, I’m fixated on one thing: She wanted to see me?
“Mm.” She takes another sip. “You seem like someone who sets a routine... and sticks to it.”
I blink, a bit uncomfortable by her statement. It’s not wrong, but it feels that way.
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “You walked in and went straight to the counter like you already knew what you wanted.”
I glance at my untouched pastry bag and coffee. “It’s a coffee shop. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”
Her lips twitch. “Yes. But you still checked the menu.”
I freeze. She noticed that?
“Oh.” I pause for a moment, mulling over her words. “We met one time,” I say lightly. “That’s a pretty confident read.”
She shrugs one shoulder, completely unfazed. “I notice things.”
Obviously.
I take another drink, trying to ignore the way that answer sits with me.
It’s not weird. People notice things.
But my instinct says something about it is… off.
“Like what?” I ask before I can stop myself.
Her gaze flicks to my hands. “To start?” she says softly. “You drink your coffee before you eat.”
I glance down at the unopened bag containing the coffee cake I ordered.
I never gave it much thought, but she’s right.
That’s a coincidence.
Probably.
“Habit,” I say, waving it off. “I always look, even though I order the same thing.”
“I know.”
I tense.
That answer came awfully fast.
“You… know?”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “I mean, you seem like the type,” she says smoothly. “A creature of habit.”
My brows furrow.
Right… That tracks.
Sebastian’s voice echoes inside my head. “She looks at you the same way Ivy looks at me.”
No.
No way.
Impossible.
Sebastian doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He met Violet for what—five minutes?
I take a bigger sip of coffee than necessary.
It’s fine. She’s observant.
That’s all.
“She’s not like Ivy,” I mutter.
“What was that?” Violet asks, tilting her head slightly.
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “Just—uh—something my brother said.” I wave my hand. “It’s nothing.”
She hums softly, like she doesn’t quite believe me. Then she smiles.
I suck in a breath, mesmerized by it.
God. That smile.
And just like that, the tension eases.
“You work from home, right?” she asks casually.
I blink again, searching my brain.
Did I tell her that Saturday night? I was drinking, and I hardly ever do that.
“Mostly,” I say slowly. “How’d you—”
I stop, searching my brain for possibilities.
“It’s a weekday morning,” she says, gesturing at my clothing. “And you don’t look like you’re on your way into an office.”
I look down at my sweatpants and sweatshirt. I was so distracted, I forgot to change before leaving the house.
Not that it matters. But I’m definitely not dressed like I’m going to work.
I nod. “I do a lot of remote work. I try to go to the office once a week.”
“You said you were an accountant. What company? Or do you freelance?”
“I’m with a firm out of Burlington,” I tell her. “Corporate accounts, mostly. Budgets, payroll, forecasting, all the exciting stuff.” A self-deprecating laugh slips out. “It’s not exactly thrilling, but it pays the bills.”
She smiles at me, then pops another piece of pastry in her mouth. Surprisingly, she doesn’t seem bored.
“I like it,” I add with a small shrug. “It’s predictable. Structured.”
“Yeah,” she says softly. “You seem like someone who would.”
I shrug. “I’ve always liked routine. Menial tasks. The ordinary.”
She nods. “That tracks.”
There’s the tone again. Quiet. Certain. Like she already knew.
I shift in my seat, something in my chest tightening again. “You seem to have me figured out,” I say, my voice tight.
She smiles, tearing off another piece of her pastry. “I watch people.”
I blink.
Did she just say—
She laughs lightly, like she just told a joke. “I’m kidding,” she says. “I work in design and marketing, remember?”
Okay. Yeah. That makes more sense.
I let out a breath, shaking my head slightly. “You had me there for a second.”
Her eyes hold mine as she takes a slow sip of her drink. “I do enjoy observing, though.”
I clear my throat. “Yeah, well,” I say, forcing a smile, “you’re very… good at it.”
“I know.” She says it like it’s obvious.
I shift back in my chair, trying to ignore the faint prickle running down my spine.
This is fine. She’s just confident.
Across from me, she watches me for another second before her expression softens.
“So,” she says, leaning in slightly, “are you always this easy to read, or am I just special?”
I huff out a laugh.
“There it is,” I mutter. “I knew this was leading somewhere.”
Her smile widens.
I shake my head, smiling too.
My thoughts cut off when she reaches for her coffee, her fingers brushing mine.
It’s only a brief touch.
But it feels like a spark.
And just like that, the little voice in the back of my head goes quiet.