Chapter 21
Gwen
ME: Let’s lay low for a bit.
I’ve read the message I sent to Zane more times than I can count. Half of me stands by it, we need to lay low. I can’t risk his career. The other half wants to delete the message, rewind everything, and pretend I never sent it.
Instead, I sit with it.
I go to Sunrise & Salt early and open the bakery with Tess.
I bake like I’m trying to earn a merit badge in Avoiding Feelings.
Flour ends up on my cheek, and I don’t even notice until a customer points it out.
I laugh like it’s charming. I make small talk.
I rearrange the pastry case more times than necessary, as if the perfect angle of a croissant will somehow restore order to my thoughts.
Leo shows up at nine-thirty wearing his “responsible boyfriend” face, which is ironic considering I’ve seen him eat cake for breakfast with a fork he once found in his hoodie pocket.
He leans against the prep table, watching me pull a tray out of the oven. “You don’t look so good.”
I don’t look at him. “Good morning to you, too.”
“I’m serious,” he says, nodding toward my hands. “You look grumpy. And you’re angry baking.”
“I am not angry,” I reply too quickly, setting the tray down harder than necessary. One muffin visibly collapses on impact.
Leo raises an eyebrow. “That muffin was innocent.”
“It was smug,” I mutter.
Tess, at the register, doesn’t even glance up. “Gwen. Take a breath and drink some water.”
I point at her without turning around. “Stop being right over there.”
Leo lets out a quiet, amused hum. “So. How’s the lay-low era going?”
I freeze for half a second, just long enough for it to be noticeable.
“It’s going great,” I say brightly. “I love lying low. I’m basically subterranean.”
Leo nods slowly. “You’ve been reorganizing the sugar packets for fifteen minutes.”
“They were chaotic,” I snap.
“They were in a jar,” he replies.
“They were emotionally chaotic.”
That finally earns a look from Tess. She lifts her gaze and studies my face, not the flour, not the muffin casualty, just me.
“You ok?” she asks.
“I’m fine,” I answer automatically.
And the second it leaves my mouth, I wish I could take it back. Not because it’s entirely false, but because it feels too rehearsed, like a line I’ve said before when things weren’t fine.
I am fine.
I’m not falling apart.
I’m not sitting in a puddle of anything.
I’m just… tense. Like everything inside me is holding its breath and refusing to exhale.
Leo watches me for a moment, his expression shifting from teasing to something softer.
“Did he text you?” he asks.
My stomach flips at the word he.
“No,” I say.
Leo’s voice loses its edge completely. “Do you want him to?”
I open my mouth, ready to deflect, ready to joke that I want everyone to text me because I thrive on attention like a houseplant.
But Tess is watching. And Tess notices everything.
So I don’t joke.
“Maybe,” I say quietly.
Leo doesn’t look smug or surprised. He just nods, like that answer confirmed something he already knew. “Ok.”
And that’s the end of it.
Customers walk in, the bakery bell rings, and the conversation dissolves back into the rhythm of the day. Life keeps moving. But something in my chest stays tight, refusing to settle.
It lingers all day.
It’s not until Tess flips the “open” sign to “closed” and I check my phone that it really hits me.
Lying low means no texting. No meeting up. No seeing each other.
It means distance.
It means everything I don’t want.
“She’s right here,” Tess says, holding out the phone.
For a split second, hope sparks in me sharp and immediate. Maybe it’s Zane. Maybe he found a way to reach me. Maybe he lost my number and is going through Tess because that’s the only contact he has.
“Hello,” I say as I take the phone.
“Hi,” comes Lisa’s voice.
The hope fades just as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a small, quiet disappointment I can’t quite hide. Still, I smile through it. “How are you?”
“I’m alright. How are you?” I reply, defaulting to the easiest way to keep the conversation balanced.
“I’m good,” she says. “I think I need a girls’ night. Are you free on Friday? Tess said she is.”
“Isn’t there a game on Friday? I thought that was the semi-finals?” I ask, a little surprised.
“There is,” Lisa says with a light chuckle, “but I want to hang out with you. Besides, semi-finals don’t really count. The finals are where it gets exciting.”
I hate the small, guilty feeling that follows like I’m somehow pulling her in two directions at once.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say with a quiet sigh.
“Gwen, stop,” Lisa replies immediately, her tone firm but warm. “We’re friends. I like you. Stop pushing me away.”
Her words catch me off guard.
And yet… they land exactly where they’re supposed to.
I hadn’t realized I was doing that, pulling back, creating distance, but now that she’s said it, it feels obvious. Clear in a way I couldn’t see before.
“Ok… so Friday?” I ask.
“Girls’ night. We can meet at my place if that’s not too weird?” she suggests.
I swallow, then let out a small, uneasy laugh. “No, that’s fine. I’ve only been there once anyway.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow,” she says before hanging up.
I hand the phone back to Tess.
“I’m really looking forward to this,” Tess says, her excitement immediate and genuine.
“To what?” Leo calls from the back.
“A girls’ night. Just Gwen, Lisa, and me,” she explains.
Leo pauses, processing that. “So who do I go to the game with?”
The genuine confusion in his voice makes both Tess and me laugh.
“Maybe try your friend Julian,” Tess suggests. “I think he misses you.”
Leo’s expression shifts instantly like a light switch flipping on. His face brightens as if an idea just clicked into place.
“Yeah… yeah, that might actually work,” he says, already thinking it through. “I’ll be right back,” he says, grabbing his phone before stepping out toward the alley.
We finish up at the bakery, and by the time Leo returns, we’re all ready to head out.
Friday is usually one of our busiest days, but today has been unusually slow. Even worse, the day has dragged on endlessly, as if time itself were moving in slow motion.
And still… I haven’t heard from Zane.
At this point, I’ve considered throwing my phone away just so I won’t have to keep checking it. I’ve thought about calling him maybe six times. Probably more. I’ve even caught myself wondering if I should just go to his apartment.
Every time the bell above the bakery door rings, I look up, hoping it’s him.
He hasn’t left my mind all day.
“Ready to go?” Tess asks as she grabs her purse. I don’t know how she did it, but somehow she convinced Leo to close the bakery early, even though he has the game to attend, so we could all go to Lisa’s place.
“Do you think it bothers her that she’s not going to the game?” I ask Tess for what feels like the fifth time as we get into the car.
“If there’s one thing I know about Lisa,” Tess replies, starting the engine, “it’s that she speaks her mind. If she wanted to go, she would’ve invited us another night instead.”
That sounds exactly like her. I nod, accepting it.
When we arrive at the building, my stomach tightens. I’ve only been in Zane’s apartment once, and that memory isn’t exactly a pleasant one.
I remember overhearing him and his dad while I was in the bathroom. His dad’s words still echo in my mind: how I wasn’t good enough, how I was bad for his career, how Zane was throwing everything away.
Given everything that’s happened since that night and the reaction to the article, I can understand where his father was coming from, even if it hurt.
“Are you ok?” Tess asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah… I’m good,” I reply with a small smile.
We head inside, take the elevator up, and step onto Lisa’s floor.
“Finally,” Lisa says as she opens the door, immediately pulling us both into a hug. “I’ve been dying to hang out with my own gender.”
Her playful, slightly dramatic tone makes me laugh, and just like that, I feel some of the tension ease out of me.
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of testosterone in your life,” Tess jokes.
“I am surrounded by Grizzlies,” Lisa replies. “I need my girls.”
I smile. It really does feel good to be here with her.
“What have you been up to this week?” I ask as we settle in. The last time we were here, things were… different. We’ve texted since then, but nothing too in-depth.
“I’ve been job hunting,” Lisa says. “Went on an interview, but I kind of ruined it by telling the manager the company was too profit-driven. Not exactly what they want to hear,” she laughs.
Besides that,” she continues, “I’ve been on the most amazing date of my life, and I got my nails done.
” She holds up her hands, showing off pink nails decorated with small flowers.
“Tell us more about the date,” Tess says, already pouring three glasses of wine from the bottle we brought.
Lisa’s expression brightens as she takes her glass.
“Honestly, it’s been the most unexpected thing,” she says. “I thought he was just a simple guy… maybe even a bit of a player. But he turned out to be the sweetest, most romantic person.”
“What’s his name?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Evan,” she replies with a soft smile. “I think you’ll meet him soon.”
“He sounds wonderful,” Tess says. “Do you have any pictures?”
The question seems to pause Lisa. A flicker of hesitation crosses her face, subtle but noticeable.
“Not yet,” she says after a beat, her smile returning. “But I’ll get some soon.”
I let it pass.
“So,” I say, taking a sip of my wine, “what are we doing tonight?”
“I have a surprise for you two,” Lisa says. “I can’t tell you where we’re going, but we’re leaving in thirty minutes.”
The mystery immediately makes me uneasy. I don’t know what to expect, and that alone makes me nervous.
“I’m up for anything,” Tess says with a shrug.
Her calm confidence amazes me. She’s always been like that, unbothered, steady, letting life unfold without resistance.
“You’re lucky I trust you,” I say with a laugh, trying to shake off the nerves.
We continue chatting about Lisa’s date, and Tess shares updates about how Leo has asked her to move in with him.
“Do you think you’ll redecorate the place?” I ask as Tess leans back against the couch.
“He said I can do whatever I want,” she replies. “I jokingly told him I’d hang pictures of Pedro Pascal on the walls, and he immediately vetoed that, but everything else is fair game.”
I laugh. “I can’t wait to come up with a housewarming gift.”
“Our ride is almost here. Finish your drinks, ladies, we’re going out,” Lisa announces, standing up and grabbing her purse.
Tess and I quickly finish our wine and follow her outside. By the time we step out of the elevator, a car is already waiting.
Something about it feels familiar.
When we get inside, I recognize the driver, it’s Josh, the same driver Zane usually uses.
“Hi,” he says, sounding slightly nervous. “I’ve been instructed to ask you, ladies, to put on blindfolds.”
“A blindfold? Is that really necessary?” I ask, laughing.
“It is,” Lisa says confidently, handing one to Tess and one to me.
Mine is red, and the fabric is soft like velvet. I slip it over my eyes and tie it securely at the back of my head, just above my ponytail.
“We’re ready,” Lisa says.
Josh starts the car, and we pull away.
About ten minutes into the drive, I’ve completely lost track of where we are. At first, I could recognize the route, but after a few turns, everything became unfamiliar.
“If you’re looking for ransom money, you’re going to need Tess,” I joke. “I own nothing.”
Lisa laughs, and even Josh lets out a quiet chuckle.
“I don’t have anything either,” Tess adds.
“You do have a billionaire boyfriend,” Lisa replies, and we all laugh together.
Eventually, the car slows and comes to a stop. The engine shuts off.
“I’ve got one more step,” Lisa says as I step out of the car. I can feel her standing close by. “You’ll only need the blindfolds for a minute more.”
Before I can respond, she places something soft over my ears, earmuffs.
“This better be worth it,” I shout, though my voice is muffled and no longer audible to them.
A moment later, I feel Lisa take my hand.
In that instant, I decide to trust her completely.
And I follow her lead.