Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Savvy
Dawn crept through my bedroom window, painting everything in shades of rose and gold, including Henry Kingston's sleeping form beside me.
Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
I eased out of bed, careful not to wake him, and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. My hands shook as I typed:
Me
911. Timeless Treats. NOW.
Ivy responded instantly:
OMG, what happened??
Maddy
On my way. Do we need weapons?
Me
Just caffeine and carbs. Code Henry.
Maddy
CODE HENRY??? Be there in 10.
Ivy
I'll be there in 5.
I glanced back at Henry, his face peaceful in sleep, dark lashes fanning against his cheeks. He looked younger like this, like the boy who used to sneak up to my window with coffee and dreams. My heart ached at the memory.
Focus, Savvy.
I dressed quickly and silently, years of practice sneaking around my parents' bookstore coming in handy. At my desk, I hesitated before scribbling a note:
Had to run out. Used the last K-Cup, so you’ll have to go downstairs if you want coffee.
Sav
Short. Professional. Nothing like the emotional mess churning inside me.
Would I regret this note the way I'd regretted letting him stay? Or would I regret not writing something more? Something that acknowledged how he'd whispered "forever" against my skin, the way I'd wanted desperately to believe him?
I dressed and crept down the back stairs, praying they wouldn't creak and alert my mother. The last thing I needed was to explain why I was sneaking out of my apartment at dawn.
I stepped onto the sidewalk, exhaling in relief—until I rounded the corner and nearly collided with my mother. She stood outside, a spray bottle in one hand, a squeegee in the other, washing the bookstore’s front windows.
Her gaze flicked from my messy hair to my wrinkled clothes, then past me to Henry Kingston’s very distinctive, very still parked car.
She arched an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?”
“Uh… meeting the girls for breakfast,” I blurted out, smoothing a hand over my hair like that would somehow erase the evidence.
Mom hummed, giving the window an exaggerated swipe. “Mmm hmm. And would this early morning breakfast meeting have anything to do with Henry Kingston still being upstairs?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing resembling an actual excuse came out.
She just smiled. “Thought so.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. "Mom?—"
"I'm just saying," she continued, "maybe it's time to consider an apartment that isn't connected to your mother's workplace."
"Trust me," I muttered, "that thought has crossed my mind."
I started to walk away, then hesitated. "Mom?"
She didn’t even look up from her window washing. "Don't worry, honey. I won't tell your father. Yet. "
Perfect. Just perfect.
I turned onto Main Street, walking fast, as if I could outpace the growing list of complications in my life. Mrs. Patterson was already out with her tiny dog, and the perceptive glance she shot me suggested today's neighborhood watch update would be anything but dull.
Timeless Treats glowed like a beacon ahead, the smell of fresh pastries and coffee drawing me in. I could see through the window that Ivy and Maddy had claimed our usual corner booth. Karen, the owner, was heading their way with what looked like emergency-sized portions of everything.
The bell chimed as I pushed through the door, and my friends' heads snapped up.
"Spill," Ivy demanded the moment I slid into the booth. "Every. Single. Detail."
"Starting with why you look like you've been thoroughly—" Maddy began.
"Don't finish that sentence." I grabbed a chocolate croissant, needing sugar before this conversation. "I might have done something stupid."
"Define stupid," Maddy said, sliding a massive latte toward me.
I took a fortifying sip. "I may have slept with Henry."
"May have?" Ivy's eyebrows shot up.
"Okay, fine. Did. Definitely did." I buried my face in my hands. "Multiple times."
"Multiple!" Maddy crowed, drawing looks from other early-morning customers. She lowered her voice. "Details. Now."
"It was..." I searched for words that wouldn't sound downright pathetic. "Perfect. Intense. Everything I remembered and somehow more." The croissant crumbled in my nervous fingers. "And probably a horrible mistake."
"Why?" Ivy asked softly. "If it was so perfect?"
"Because it was amazing. He was amazing. Sweet and passionate and..." I swallowed hard. "He said it was forever."
"And that's bad?" Maddy looked confused.
"It's terrifying! Five years ago, he walked away without a word. Now he's talking about forever?" I grabbed another croissant. "What if I let myself believe him and he disappears again?"
"Or," Ivy said, "what if he means it?"
"God," Maddy sighed dreamily, "I can't remember the last time I had sex that warranted this level of panic."
"Right?" Ivy agreed. "My last date spent twenty minutes talking about his cryptocurrency investments."
"At least yours didn't describe his relationship with his mother as 'very close' while showing you pictures of their matching Christmas sweaters," Maddy countered.
Despite myself, I laughed. "You two aren't helping."
"We are," Ivy said. "We're reminding you that good men—especially good men who know exactly how to make you scream their name?—"
"I never said anything about screaming!"
"Your face says it all, honey." She smirked. "The point is, good men are rare. And when one shows up, ready to fight for you, maybe don't run away because you're scared."
"I'm not running," I protested. "I'm being cautious."
"You're hiding in a bakery at dawn," Maddy pointed out. "That's the definition of running."
"I'm not hiding," I insisted, reaching for my third pastry. "I'm ... strategizing."
"With carbs?" Maddy grinned.
"They're brain food." I licked chocolate from my fingers. "And I need all the help I can get right now."
"Okay." Ivy leaned forward, all business. "Let's break this down. The sex was clearly amazing?—"
"Mind-blowing," I admitted.
"Obviously. Your hair's still doing that post-sex thing it does."
I frantically patted my head. "What thing? "
"That 'I've been thoroughly ravished' waves thing," Maddy supplied helpfully. "Very romance novel heroine."
"I hate you both."
"No, you don't." Ivy pushed another latte toward me. "Now, besides the clearly epic sex, what else happened?"
I traced the rim of my cup, remembering. "He was ... different. More open. He told me about fighting his father at the board meeting and about trying to protect River Bend. About wanting to make things right."
"That sounds promising," Maddy said.
"And terrifying." I slumped back. "What if I trust him again and it all falls apart? What if?—"
"What if you spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been?" Ivy cut in.
"Look, we were there five years ago. We watched you piece yourself back together. But Sav, maybe it's time to stop running the breakup business and let yourself believe in happy endings again."
"Says the professional bridesmaid," I muttered.
"Exactly! I see true love every day. And the way Henry always looked at you? That was the real deal."
"Plus," Maddy added, "even though I'm not fully in Camp Henry yet, I’ve gotta admit ... when it was good, it sounded really good." She shrugged. "And good isn't easy to come by."
"Good isn't enough," I said, though my voice wavered. "Not after everything that happened."
"Sure," Ivy agreed. "But maybe good could be the start of something better—if you're not too stubborn to give it a chance."
I thought about how he'd held me last night like I was something precious he'd found again. "Maybe."
"Only one way to find out," Maddy sing-songed.
"By not running away before he wakes up?" I sighed.
"Exactly!"
I glanced at my phone. "I should probably head back."
"To face the music?" Ivy grinned.
"To face my mother, who saw his car outside all night."
They winced in sympathy.
"Could be worse," Maddy offered. "Remember when my mom caught me and Jake Morrison making out in the wine cellar?"
"Wasn't that how you learned Gloria keeps a Super Soaker behind the bar?" Ivy asked.
"Why do you think I'm still single? Trauma like that leaves scars."
Laughing, I stood to leave. "Thanks, guys—for everything."
"That's what we're here for." Ivy hugged me tight. "Now go get your man."
"And maybe grab a romance novel on your way up," Maddy called after me. "For inspiration!"
The bell chimed behind me as I stepped into the morning sunshine. River Bend was energetic, the streets humming with the usual morning crowd. I squared my shoulders and returned to the bookstore, doing my best to ignore the glint of amusement in Mrs. Patterson's eyes as I passed.
Mom was helping a customer when I slipped in, but she still caught my eye with a look that said we'll talk later. I grabbed a romance novel from the new releases display—something about a second chance with a billionaire because apparently the universe has a sense of humor—and headed upstairs.
My apartment was quiet when I opened the door. Too quiet. My heart sank as I realized Henry must have left. But there, on the kitchen counter, was a note.
I had to run to a meeting, but last night was perfect. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I promise to earn back all the trust you're willing to give me.
Henry
There seems to be a lack of your once-favorite romance novels. I always believed the real thing was better than fiction. But if you’re willing to rewrite our story, I promise to make it a bestseller.
I pressed the note to my chest, fighting a grin. Maybe Ivy was right. Maybe it was time to stop running and give happy endings a chance.
Starting with dinner.