Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Cassie
It’s been two full days since Miranda’s dramatic departure from Pine Grove, but I’ve experienced a lifetime’s worth of emotions in that time.
Joy and relief that I’m finally free of her, but also sadness and anger over her not being a better mother.
I think it will be a long time before I can truly wrap my head around everything that happened between us, but it’s something I’m going to work on unpacking in therapy.
At first, I was uncomfortable when Abby recommended her therapist—the appropriately named Angel—to me.
Surely it would be weird to share a therapist with my boyfriend’s mum?
Then Abby made it clear she doesn’t see Angel anymore, but that she found sessions with her an immense help after making the decision to fully hand over the running of Bowman’s to Austin last year.
Knowing I need a healthy way of processing all of this beyond songwriting, I gave Angel a call and now we have our first official appointment set up for Tuesday two weeks from now.
It’s scary, but it’s another step towards the future I want for myself.
Beyond connecting me with Angel, Austin’s mum has been incredibly supportive since finding out the truth.
She came by Austin’s house on Wednesday morning to see how we were doing after she had to cover for him at Bowman’s the day before with no explanation why.
Any worries Abby was upset with me were banished by the end of her visit.
The next day she texted me saying she’d streamed all my albums, then proceeded to list her favourite songs from each one.
It was weird having a mother-figure be so supportive of my work.
I might have cried. Austin looked like he was about to commit murder when he came home to find me sobbing on the sofa on Thursday evening until he realised I wasn’t crying because someone had upset me but because I was feeling too much and my emotions had nowhere else to go.
Speaking of emotions, mine are a mess once again, as I stand outside Beans & Bakes, too afraid to go in.
When I messaged the group chat yesterday afternoon asking if we could all meet for coffee this morning instead of waiting for Monday, it seemed like I good idea.
Now that I’m here, I regret not putting it off.
“Are we going inside or…?” Ant trails off, giving me some serious side-eye.
He’s seamlessly stepped back into his role as my bodyguard.
Luckily, his grandma is English, so he’ll be able to get an ancestry visa and continue working for me here.
I worried he wouldn’t want to leave Nashville, but he’s excited for the change.
“I’m hyping myself up.”
“People have gone into combat with less preparation. Get your butt in there.”
“Ew. Don’t talk about my butt.”
Ant rolls his eyes. “You asked them to meet you, remember?”
“I know, but now I’m scared. What if they all hate me?”
“They don’t hate you.”
“How would you know?”
“I was there when you showed Bailey and Liam texts they sent when they found out you’re Melody, remember?”
“Right. I was agonising over waiting until Monday to clear the air with them, and then you were all, ‘Why wait? Ask them to meet up sooner’—now here we are. This is your fault.”
“Screw it, this is for your own good.” Then, my dear friend, the man who has been like a brother to me for the past four years of my life, pushes me inside.
My cursing draws the attention of several people.
Or maybe it’s because everyone knows I’m Melody Night now.
I’ve not really been out since what Liam’s started calling the big reveal.
Ant lays his hands on my shoulders, then turns me towards the tables in the window where my friends are gathered.
Hm, I guess people could be staring because of the gigantic wall of muscle at my back.
I’ve grown so used to walking around Pine Grove without security that it’s strange having Ant with me now.
It’s going to take me and the locals a moment to adjust to his constant presence.
As if I’m walking towards the gallows, I trudge towards the women who helped make Pine Grove feel like home. Thanks to Ant’s ‘help’ with my entrance, their attention is already on me. An awkward silence greets me when I reach our usual spot by the window.
Unsure how to begin, I raise my hand in a little wave.
Ant’s soft huff of amusement from over my right shoulder confirms that looked as uncomfortable as it felt.
Great. Silence stretches between us as we all stare at each other.
Well, they stare at me. I’m staring at a spot between Phoebe and Gem as if looking any of them in the eye might turn me to stone.
“God, this is painful,” Mei groans. “Please stop looking at us like we’re about to bite your head off and sit down.” Using her foot, she pushes out the chair next to her, inviting me to take my usual spot.
“Thank you.” I sit. Fidget with the pot of sugar packets in front of me. Drop my hands into my lap. “I’m sorry. For lying. For not telling you the truth myself. I wanted to, but then Molly posted the video of me at Bowman’s, and I didn’t get the chance.”
“Look, we might not understand what it’s like to be you, but we all know what it feels like to want to keep parts of yourself private. Nobody here is mad at you, I promise,” Erin assures me.
I look around the group as they all echo their agreement.
“We’re good. Fair warning though, I am going to bring up the fact that I mentioned how similar you and Melody Night are and you straight up denied it every time I want to win an unserious argument,” Mei chirps.
“An unserious argument?” I ask, confused.
“Yeah, like, if we’re out for drinks and want to get a snack to share, I will absolutely bring that up to get my way, but I won’t bring it up when the conversation is serious. It’s emotional blackmail, but in, like, a fun way.”
I try to suppress my laughter, I really do, but then I can’t contain it any longer, and soon enough everyone around the table has dissolved into giggles.
After we’ve all caught our breath, Daphne asks, “Do you want to talk about it? If not, we can totally pretend nothing’s changed—which it hasn’t. Not in any of the ways that matter.”
“She’s right,” Gem agrees. “You’re still just Cassie to us.”
Relief floods my system, and I smile at them all, beyond grateful to have found such a wonderful group of friends.
“I know you’ve probably got questions, and I promise I’ll answer them, but I’m kind of over talking about me.
” It feels like that’s almost all I’ve done over the past few days between telling Austin the truth, then repeating the process with his mum, and filling Liam and Bailey in on everything about my life here.
I’m sick of the sound of my own voice. “Could we treat today like any other day? Or at least try to?”
“We absolutely can,” Phoebe agrees with a firm nod. “So, on Saturday this guy came into Wordplay asking about monster romance ‘for a friend’ and now he’s joined my spicy book club.”
The next hour flies by and soon enough it’s time for us all to get going.
Everyone agrees to join me, Austin, Ant, Liam, and Bailey at Quill and Dagger for dinner tomorrow night and I leave with a spring in my step knowing that I’ll get to introduce my favourite people to each other before it’s time for two of those people to head back to London.
* * *
Our table at Quill and Dagger is overflowing with good food and even better company.
My new friends from Pine Grove are getting along with my older friends even better than I hoped.
Liam and Phoebe talk about books and their favourite book-to-screen adaptations, and Bailey and Daphne bond over their mutual love of baking.
It turns out Gem—secret badass that she is—has a black belt in karate and is currently taking boxing classes. She and Ant chatter away effortlessly.
“You look happy,” Austin says, leaning in close, his lips brushing the shell of my right ear as he talks.
He looks unfairly handsome in his burgundy henley with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his toned forearms. If I hadn’t been so excited for tonight, I would have made us late after seeing him in it and the dark-wash jeans that fit him perfectly.
As it is, knowing I get to have him all to myself when we get home has kept my desire steadily simmering all evening.
I let my head fall to rest against him. “I am happy. Tonight is exactly what I needed. Thank you for setting it up with Jeremy.”
Austin gives my thigh a comforting squeeze over the blue satin of my skirt. “Anytime.”
“I still can’t believe your mum has been so cool about all of this. I was convinced she was going to hate me for hiding so much from you both.”
“Mum had a soft spot for you right from the start. She could never hate you.”
“I know the two of you have had your differences in the past, but Abby really took me under her wing—I’ll always be grateful to her for that.”
“I’m glad she’s been here to support you. It won’t make up for everything you went through with Miranda, but I’ll gladly share my mum with you, although you may end up regretting that.” He gives me a wry smile. “I overheard her referring to you as her daughter-in-law at work yesterday.”
Hiding my face in his arm, I groan, “Oh my God. That’s adorable, but I’m going to need her to stop before the whole town ends up thinking we got married. Not that us being married would be a bad thing, but we’re not so—”
“Relax, I knew what you meant. I already asked her not to call you that until it’s official.”
He says it in such a matter-of-fact tone that it takes a moment for the words and their implication to register, but when they do, I nearly choke on my mocktail. “Official?” I take another sip to wet my suddenly parched throat. “You planning to marry me, Boss?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not getting down on one knee anytime soon, but one day? Sure. If that’s something you might be interested in?”
Butterflies flit around in my stomach at the idea. “One day?”
He nods.
“I’m good with one day.”
Our group stays until closing when Jeremy good-naturedly sends us packing. Even after a long evening filled with laughter, I’m reluctant to let go of Liam and Bailey when it’s time for us to say goodnight.
“I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Are you drunk?” Liam asks, his tone threaded with amusement.
I roll my eyes. “You know I’m not.” He witnessed the one time I tried drinking on my meds and took responsibility for getting me home safely. Turns out when your medication’s information booklet says you shouldn’t consume alcohol, it’s important to take that advice. “I’m going to miss you both.”
“We’ll miss you too, but we’ll see each other way more now than we did before,” Bailey insists.
“She’s right,” Liam agrees. “We might still be a few hours away, but at least we’re in the same country.”
“Until you leave to go film stuff,” I grumble, even though I’m not actually mad. Liam’s incredibly talented and he’s worked hard to get to where he is. He deserves every great opportunity that comes his way.
“Work is work—you of all people should know that.”
“I know. Promise you’ll both come to visit again?”
“We were already talking about booking the barn again for Christmas since it’s big enough for us, my family, and Liam’s mum.
If not, we’ll come back up another time, and you’re always welcome at our place even if Liam’s off filming.
Scratch that—especially if Liam’s away—you can come keep me company. ”
“Even if our schedules make it difficult sometimes, we’re only ever a phone call or text away,” Liam reminds me.
“Yeah. I know, I’m sorry. So much has changed lately, it’s making me clingy.”
“It’s natural to want to hold on to what’s familiar,” Bailey replies, her grey eyes full of understanding. “Just remember how much happier you are now compared to before.”
She’s right. I look over to where Austin waits for me, leaning against the side of his SUV with his legs crossed at the ankles.
My entire life may have changed over the past couple of months, but those changes brought me the man I love, friends who feel like family, and a beautiful small town I’m proud to call home.