Chapter 25
Iwalk back into my house, my whole body feeling pleasantly heavy.
My muscles feel loose, the afternoon sun still lingering on my skin. Flour dust clings to my shirt, and no matter how many times I rinsed my hands, I can still smell blueberries and lemon.
Neptune trots in behind me, worn out in the same satisfied way I am.
I kick my shoes off near the door and let my bag slide from my shoulder onto the floor.
The house greets me with stillness. After a day full of voices, movement, and the easy rhythm of working beside Aiden, the quiet settles around me like a soft pause.
Today feels… full.
Not loud. Not overwhelming.
Calm in a way I haven’t felt in a while.
I move toward the sink and run my hands under warm water again, rubbing my fingers together. Lemon zest. Sugar. Bread dough. The smell lingers anyway.
A small smile pulls at my mouth.
I keep thinking about how easily the day unfolded — how natural it felt to exist next to him without trying to be anything different. No awkward pauses. No pressure to perform or fill the silence. Just… doing things together.
I lean against the counter for a moment, letting my head rest back.
Neptune sighs dramatically from the floor.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I’m tired too.”
Outside, the evening light is already softening, stretching long shadows across the yard. The quiet hum of the ocean sneaks through the open window.
It’s been several hours since I last talked to April, so I pull my phone from my pocket to check for any unanswered messages.
I open our battlefield thread.
June:
I was able to schedule a flight for 8:05 P.M. Looks like I’ll be landing at 9:12 your time.
April:
I’ll meet you at arrivals.
My stomach dips a little as I scroll out of the thread and into my messages.
There’s another text from April directly to me.
April:
Hey May, give me a call when you get a chance.
I check the time.
8:45.
She’s probably already driving to the airport.
I tap her name and lift the phone to my ear. She answers after the first ring.
“Hey,” she says, voice tight in a way that immediately makes me straighten.
“What’s going on?” I ask, stepping toward the counter.
There’s a small pause. I can hear traffic through her speakers.
“June’s not doing well,” she says. “I don’t know everything yet, but… apparently she got photographed with that soccer player she’s been seeing.”
“Moretti?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah.” April exhales. “The internet’s being awful. Comments everywhere. Guys saying horrible things about her. About her body. Saying someone like him would never be interested in someone like her.”
My grip tightens around the phone.
“That’s… disgusting,” I mutter.
“I know,” April says. “She’s taking it harder than she’s letting on. Catalina told her to take some time off, and I convinced her to come stay with me for a bit.”
I lean against the counter, thinking.
“I can’t really leave work right now,” I say slowly. “I’m still so new here.” My eyes drift toward the window without really seeing anything. “But you guys could come here instead—both of you. Stay with me for a while. It might be good for her… different scenery. Quiet.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“That’s actually a really good idea,” April says. I can hear the relief slipping into her voice. “Let me talk to her when I pick her up, and make some arrangements with Max.”
“Yeah. Just let me know what you decide,” I say. “And tell her she can stay as long as she needs to.”
“I will.” The sound of her blinker clicks softly through the line. “I’m almost at the airport.”
She pauses, then her tone shifts slightly. “How was your day?”
I smile.
“It was… really nice,” I admit. “We spent the afternoon making jam and bread. It was just… good.”
“I like this version of you,” she says softly. “You sound happy.”
My smile lingers.
Then she adds, “So… what about Finn?”
I sigh.
“Ah. We kind of kissed last night.”
There’s a beat of silence, then —
“What?” April says sharply. “What do you mean by ‘kind of kissed’?”
“It means we kissed,” I say, rubbing my forehead. “That’s it. I don’t really know how I feel about it yet.”
She hums, clearly filing that away for later interrogation.
“Okay,” she says finally. “We’re definitely talking about this later.”
“Sure,” I mumble, then change the subject before it gets any deeper. “The closest airport to me is Portland,” I say. “Let me know what you decide, so I can make arrangements to come pick you up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know once she lands.”
“Drive safe.”
“I will. Talk soon.”
The line goes quiet.
I lower the phone slowly, staring at the screen for a moment before locking it again.
About thirty minutes later, my phone dings.
I glance down at the screen.
April:
June has landed. We’re going home. Max just picked up dinner.
I smile, relief settling through me. June is safe. She’s with April, and April has Max. Someone solid to lean on when things get heavy.
I think about how lucky she is to have found that. The way Max makes taking care of her feel natural, like it’s never a question.
My thoughts drift, uninvited, toward Aiden.
The quiet way he moves through things—the way he notices without being asked. The way today felt easy without either of us trying too hard.
I type back quickly.
Me:
Glad she’s with you. I’m going to bed early. I’m exhausted. Let me know what you both decide.
I hit send and set my phone down.
Neptune follows me into the kitchen as I fill his bowl, his tail thumping against the cabinets. Once he’s settled, I make my way upstairs, already imagining hot water and silence.
A warm bath, and then I get to crawl into bed after this long, beautiful day.
I wake up with a small jolt, feeling a bit disoriented.
The room is bright, the sunlight already stretching across the walls, and for a moment, I have no idea what time it is. I slept hard. Deep enough that my body still feels heavy against the mattress.
It’s that time of year when the days are endless here. The sun comes up before five and doesn’t really disappear until after nine, so it could be any time of the day.
I reach for my phone on the bedside table and squint at the screen.
8:07.
Neptune lifts his head from his bed, watching me.
I scroll through my messages and see one from April, sent late last night.
April:
June is up for flying over to you. I’m rescheduling my week, and Max is arranging our flight for Monday.
Another message follows.
April:
We’re taking his private jet, so we’ll probably fly into Newport so you don’t have to drive all the way to Portland. I’ll let you know once I have all the details.
I chuckle, shaking my head.
“Sometimes I forget my sister is dating a millionaire,” I tell Neptune, and he leans back down on his bed.
I type back.
Me:
Sounds perfect. Just let me know when and where, and I’ll be there.
A second later, she reacts with a thumbs-up.
I send another message.
Me:
How is she?
The three dots appear almost immediately.
I wait, staring at them.
April:
She’s really hurting.
I exhale slowly.
“Oh, Juney girl…” I murmur to myself.
I react with a sad face and close the thread.
As I’m about to lock my screen, another message pops up.
Finn.
I forgot to message him yesterday.
I open the chat.
Finn:
Haven’t heard from you, lass. Everything alright?
I hesitate, thumb hovering over the keyboard. I have to answer. If I don’t, he’ll probably show up here, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that conversation in person.
I type.
Me:
Hey Finn, I’m sorry I didn’t respond yesterday. I had a really busy day. I’m okay, thank you for checking on me.
The message marks read almost instantly.
Finn:
Good.
Another one follows.
Finn:
Was starting to think I scared you off.
I smile a little.
Me:
I had a great time with you, Finn.
Finn:
Any plans today? I’d love to take you out.
I hesitate before answering.
Me:
I can’t. My sisters are coming tomorrow, so I’ve got a lot to get ready.
Finn:
Anything I can do to help?
Me:
I think I’ve got it, thank you.
I lock my phone and set it down.
“Come on, Neptune,” I say, pushing the covers back. “We’ve got to prep for these crazy girls.”
He’s up instantly, tail already wagging.
I make a quick stop in the bathroom first.
Brush my teeth. Splash water on my face. Pull on clean clothes. My hair is still damp from last night, sticking out in every direction, so I part it down the middle and braid it into two loose braids. Good enough.
Neptune follows me downstairs, nails tapping softly against the floor.
I open the back door to let him out, and he takes off immediately toward his favorite bush.
I lean against the doorway, already making a mental list of the things I’m going to need. Groceries. Maybe a few things June likes. Snacks. Something comforting.
I’m in deep thought, staring out into the ocean, when a familiar voice drifts over the fence.
“Good morning.”
I look up.
Aiden is in his backyard, in a sleeveless shirt and a backwards hat.
“Morning,” I say. “You’re up early.”
He grins. “Been up since six. Using every last minute of my last day off to bake.”
I laugh softly. Of course he is.
“You want to use my oven?” I offer. “That way it goes faster.”
“That would actually be perfect.”
He wipes his hands on the towel he has hanging from his pants, glancing toward me.
“Have you had breakfast yet?”
I shake my head.
“Come over,” he says. “I have a fresh loaf that just came out. I’m about to make avocado toast.”
The thought alone makes my stomach wake up.
“I’ll be right over.”
“Preheat your oven to four-fifty,” he calls.
I let Neptune back inside, turn the oven on, and grab my keys before heading out the front door.
When I get to Aiden’s, Nathan is standing at the entrance holding a large crate filled with baked bread.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Morning,” he replies, adjusting his grip on the crate.
“You’ve been busy.”
He nods toward the crate. “My wife’s in the middle of writing a novel. She works better at night, so she baked these through writing sprints.”