Chapter 30
HOLDEN
When I showed up at Second Story Sunday, the first thing I noticed wasn’t the colorful string lights or the crowd spilling out onto the sidewalk. It was the street name outside of Ellora’s store.
My blood went cold.
No fucking way.
For a long second, I just stood there, staring at that godforsaken name and realizing what this meant.
I’d seen these window displays and the block itself in so many pictures.
I’d spent months preparing to pitch these exact storefronts to the board, using those pictures of what the place had become as the before to strengthen my case.
This block was the one that was about to be torn down and rebuilt under the Renewal Initiative. Her shop, her beloved little store that Sara had helped her conceptualize and bring to life, was right in the middle of it.
Oh no, oh shit. Oh no, oh shit. The words kept repeating in my head like a blaring alarm.
All the times we’d talked about it, I’d never asked where her store was. I’d never even thought to. I’d just thought of it as her shop, this cozy little dream she talked about and was working so hard to keep alive.
I was the one holding the wrecking ball. Almost literally. I’d signed the papers to order the damn demolition machinery this morning.
Oh no, oh shit.
I wasn’t a man who panicked. I dealt in pressure, in billion-dollar decisions, and boardrooms full of sharks, but this sent a jolt of sheer, gut-deep panic straight through me.
All the necessary contracts were signed. Our permits were in motion and the construction plans had been approved. Millions of dollars were already moving. I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.
Oh no, oh shit.
I’d spent my whole career fixing problems before they exploded, but this one was about to blow up right in my face and take down the woman I cared about right along with it. My company was about to wipe all this out.
Every table lined up on the sidewalk, colorful tablecloths underneath candles, paintings, handmade jewelry, and jars of marmalade, all of it would be gone in a few months. These weren’t just vendors. They were Ellora’s people. Her neighbors. The heartbeat of this block.
And I was the guy about to pull the plug.
My feet felt like they’d been planted in the concrete. My heart pounded against my ribs. All I could do was stare at them, these people who were talking and laughing, looking so excited to be showcasing their wares.
An elderly man selling birdhouses refilled a feeder hanging from a branch nearby. A young woman carrying a basket of muffins handed them out with a huge smile on her face. It was all so wholesome and sweet, and I was the monster about to ruin everything.
A woman high-fived Ellora, who mercifully hadn’t noticed me yet, after another woman walked away from her table with a box of mugs that seemed to have been hand-painted.
Kids ran down the street, squealing when people who appeared to be random strangers but obviously weren’t scooped them up and gave them cuddles.
Balloons floated outside one of the storefronts. The windows were already boarded up, but a graying woman handed out cupcakes anyway. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but she hugged her neighbors and spoke quietly to the adults while the kids devoured their cupcakes.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she’d already accepted our offer, and the other people would either take the buyout they’d been offered or we’d force them out once the construction permits cleared.
It was business. Progress. My legacy. That was everything I’d told the board to believe, but now, standing here, it felt like destruction. Empty, cold-hearted demolition.
“Holden!”
Fuck. She’s seen me.
For a minute there, I’d hoped she wouldn’t. I’d hoped I would have one more moment to gather myself before she noticed me, but I was shit out of luck.
As I turned, I saw her racing toward me.
Wintery sunlight caught her hair, warming the coppery strands to a fiery halo.
If she ever found out I was behind what she no doubt already knew was happening on this block, she’d for sure turn into an avenging angel, smashing my heart to pieces with that apparent halo of hers.
Yet right now, she was beaming at me like she’d never been happier to see anyone. I wanted to be happy too. I really did. It’d been days since I’d last seen her, but my stomach was in knots, and for the first time in my professional life, regret was coursing through me like lava.
“You came,” she said happily when she reached me, her voice sing-song and her eyes brighter and happier than I’d seen them in a long time. If not ever. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
Without hesitating, she came right up to me, molding her soft body against my front and wrapping her arms gently around my neck. On instinct, my arms looped around her hips, and when she tilted her head back, I bent to kiss her lips, but it was all happening on autopilot.
I was reeling, so shocked that I could barely form a coherent sentence. Why the hell did I not ask where her store was located?
Then I realized that it wouldn’t have mattered. As I stared into those twinkling green eyes, taking in the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, it occurred to me that by the first time I’d ever laid eyes on this beautiful face, the wheels had already been in motion.
All our plans had been drawn up with this very block in mind for the development. I swallowed hard, instinctively tightening my grip on her. She was going to leave me when she found out. And she would find out.
Maybe not today or tomorrow but eventually. Our relationship had always had a built-in detonation device. I just hadn’t realized it until now.
“Where else would I be?” I asked mildly, smiling back at her while I died inside. “I’m happy to be here, Ella. This looks great.”
I finally let go of her reluctantly and motioned toward the street. “I love what you’ve done here, bringing out the whole community for a day of fun and supporting each other.”
Her smile dimmed a notch as she reached for my hand, threading her warm, smaller fingers around my own. “Yeah, it’s great. It might be the only time we get do it, but at least we’ll have done it once.”
She dragged in a deep breath, her eyes fluttering closed for a second as she visibly composed herself. Then she reopened them and grinned at me. “Come on. I want to introduce you to everybody. You’re going to love them. They’re awesome people.”
“I’m sure they are.” My stomach slowly sank as she led me to the closest group of community members.
In their story, I was the villain, but they didn’t know it, and here I was, about to smile and make nice with them like I wasn’t the asshole responsible for wiping them all out.
Ellora stopped when we reached the group, proudly introducing me before I could say a damn thing or make up an excuse to leave. “This is Holden. He’s the friend I’ve been telling you about who helped me brainstorm this whole thing.”
The old man selling the birdhouses immediately extended his hand toward me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, son. Thank you for inspiring our girl to do this. We needed an initiative like it around here.”
Initiative. Ha. What a fucking word.
I smiled and shook his hand, saying all the right things. I moved from him to the others. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“This is incredible work.”
“I love what you’ve done here.”
Inside, I was dying a little more with every hand I shook and every megawatt smile that was aimed at me. I was looking at people my project was going to displace—and they were thanking me for being here.
I was about to bulldoze the place they loved to make way for my vision. I’d thought the Renewal Initiative was about rebuilding something dead or dying and making it beautiful again, a real asset to the city, but I might’ve miscalculated.
This block needed some TLC, for sure. There was no denying that, but there was vibrancy here that hadn’t been apparent in any of my research.
While I kept spiraling internally, Ellora led me from one group of people to another. As we went, I bought a bit of everything from everyone. It wouldn’t make up for forcing them out, but it was the least I could do.
She watched with a faint, amused smile on her lips as I purchased a dozen hand-painted mugs, two whole boxes of scented candles, birdhouses, baked goods, artisanal sauces and spreads, some paintings, and a whole lot of other things I had no clue what I was going to do with.
Monday was going to be like Christmas at Langton Development if I took all this stuff to the office and let my people take what they wanted.
I wonder what they’d think if they knew that all these businesses would soon close, all these vendors moving away to be replaced by high-end stores with sterile glass facades and artfully chipped brick.
“You’re really enjoying this, huh?” She smiled as she wrapped her arm around mine, a pile of my purchases tucked in the corner of the lobby of the building her store was in.
“Just so you know, I didn’t invite you here to spend money.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, everyone is super grateful for every sale, but I just wanted you to see it and be part of the experience. ”
“I know, but I can’t even remember the last time I was at a market like this. All this stuff is great. If I’m going to be buying gifts and knick-knacks to give to people throughout the year for birthdays and whatnot, I might as well do it here, don’t you think?”
“Is that what you’re buying it all for?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Right now, I’m just buying it, but I know my assistant would love a birdhouse and Jimmy is a sucker for any hot sauce.”
Now that there were faces and names, laughter and stories behind the stalls, it was all real. Not just numbers on a page. Not just square footage and return on investment.
People.
A soft, almost wistful chuckle came out of her and she wound her arm tighter around mine, pulling me closer and resting her head against my bicep.
“I didn’t think so many people would come out.
I hope Jimmy likes the hot sauce. If he does, I can put him in touch with Steven, the seller.
He won’t be around for much longer. He owned the laundromat down the block, but he’s sold, so… ”
She trailed off and inhaled a deep breath.
Her head turned so she could take in a band that seemed to be made up of high-schoolers setting up across the street.
“See that girl over there, the lead singer? Her name is Carol. She’s a senior this year and she has such a quirky, unique sense of style.
Almost everything she wears comes out of my store.
I always sneak in a few items she admired but couldn’t afford to get right away. ”
My throat went tight and dry. “That’s very kind of you.”
She sighed. “Nah. Carol’s mom was one of my biggest supporters when I first opened the store. She was my first official regular and Carol herself sings my praises at her school. She’s sent quite a few other teenagers my way. I owe them, and besides, it’s what you do for your neighbors, right?”
“Right.” Fuck.
She squeezed my arm. “I couldn’t have done this without you, you know.”
The words landed like a punch straight to the center of my being, but I forced a smile and shook my head. “You did this all by yourself, Ella. I just gave a few suggestions.”
She laughed, tilting her head to glance up at me with those green eyes still sparkling with joy. “You’re sweet when you pretend to be modest.”
If only she knew. God, if she only knew.
“I feel like this is what Mom would’ve wanted.” She gestured toward the crowd. “Something that brings people together, you know?”
I swallowed hard. “She’d be proud of you. I know I am.”
She looked up at me, her eyes soft and full of trust. “Will you come home with me later?”
For a heartbeat, I almost said yes. I wanted to hold her and pretend none of this existed, but I rubbed the back of my neck, trying not to sound as wrecked as I was as I shook my head. “I wish I could, but there are a few things I need to handle. Just some work stuff.”
Her smile faltered just a little. “On a Sunday?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, it can’t wait.”
She studied me for a moment before she nodded. “Okay. We’ll take a rain check, then.”
“Definitely.” I glanced at my watch, knowing that if I was going to try to do this, I had to get started. Now. “In fact, I should probably get going. Thank you for inviting me. I loved it.”
She pressed herself up on her toes, her soft palms on my cheeks before she kissed me. It was quick and sweet, her lips a mere brush against mine before she pulled away. “Good luck with work.”
“Same to you.”
After giving my arm one last squeeze, she turned and walked back toward the crowd, waving to a couple of vendors. I watched her laugh with them and finally turned away, already pulling out my phone.
On my way back to my car, I scrolled through my contacts, already planning the calls I had to make and looking for anyone—any leverage, any legal wrinkle, any human decency—that might let me stop what I had set in motion. I didn’t even know if it was possible. I doubted it, but I had to try.
Before I lost her and the last part of myself that I could actually live with.