Chapter 1
Chapter one
Ava
Present day
Every day for almost four years, I’ve stopped in front of my shop, smiled, and soaked it all in. Even now, I still find it hard to believe this place is mine, and that it’s actually thriving.
Like any new business, getting started was tough. There were long nights, stressful days, and moments I doubted everything. But we kept pushing, and now, every day is an adventure I’m genuinely grateful for.
Today marks exactly four years since I signed that lease. Four years since I took a leap that changed everything. This little coffee shop/bookstore has given me more than just a career, it’s given me joy, peace, purpose, and friends who’ve become family. One of those friends is Eli.
Yes, we’re just friends. After that infamous door incident, where he opened the stubborn thing like it was nothing, I invited him to lunch. We talked about everything, and somewhere between the jokes and coffee, I let it slip that I was divorced and completely closed off to dating. He didn’t push.
Sure, he still flirts now and then, but it's always light, never crossing a line. And even though my friends constantly tease me about him, I value what we have. His friendship is something I don’t want to lose, even if a tiny part of me wishes for more.
But that’s what book boyfriends are for… them, and my little battery friend which, let’s be honest, might as well be classified as a high-end sex toy at this point. That thing knows how to hit the spot better than most men I’ve met.
I walk into Books & Beans with a smile, instantly wrapped in the comforting scent of fresh coffee, warm pastries, and the paper-and-ink perfume of new books.
No, we don’t bake here, our pastries come fresh each morning from a neighborhood bakery that partnered with us a couple of years ago. But the vibe? All ours.
“Good morning, boss,” my friend and employee, Mía, calls out from behind the counter.
“Hey, Mia. How are you? How was the big date last night?” I ask.
She sighs. “It wasn’t bad, if you ignore the fact that she spent the entire evening ranting about her ex. And apparently, ordering a cheeseburger and fries is a personal offense now.”
Poor Mía. Every week it’s a new dating app story, and somehow, each one is worse than the last.
Before I can offer sympathy, the front door swings open and a familiar voice echoes through the space.
“Mía, honey, if you can’t eat a burger and fries in front of the person who might be your forever, they’re not worth it. Food is meant to be enjoyed, just like curves,” Eli says with a wink.
He walks toward me with a smile that knocks the air out of my lungs. With a gentle kiss to my cheek, he hands me a small box tied with a bow.
“Congratulations, beautiful,” he says.
I blink. “Congratulations for what?”
Eli tilts his head and gives me that look, the one that says, Seriously?
“Today marks four years since you started this place,” he says, his voice full of pride.
When I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect anyone to remember. Sure, Laura texted me, but she’s the one who helped me through the beginning of it all. But him? I never expected that.
“When you’re done staring into space, open the box, will you?” Elijah says, voice light, but his eyes holding something deeper.
“You remembered?” I ask, glancing between the box, him, and Mia, who’s standing there with an expression that screams aww, that’s so sweet.
"Of course I remembered, how could I forget the day I almost opened a locked door without a key?"
He winks at me and my heart stops beating for a moment
My emotions hit harder than I expect, stealing the breath from my lungs. Needing space to ground myself, I step behind the counter and lift the lid of the box.
The tears are instant.
Inside is a small cake, maybe four inches across, shaped like the number 4. It's delicately decorated with dahlias and tiny black sugar pearls. A white chocolate plaque rests on top, etched with: Happy 4 Years of Books & Beans.
“Eli, this is... beautiful. Thank you so much,” I say, my voice cracking as I reach across the counter to hug him.
The second his arms are around me, I’m surrounded by his warmth, like a cozy blanket on the coldest winter day.
His scent is familiar and intoxicating, a mix of cedar and something darker that makes my pulse stutter.
Without meaning to, I lean in and inhale.
And the moment I do, I know I’ve messed up.
We’ve hugged before. We've shared space, laughter, and quiet moments. But there was always something there, an invisible line, a wall I needed between us. And now... now something’s shifted, and I’m not ready to admit what it means.
“Anything for you, babe. I hope those tears are the happy kind,” he says, his voice rough around the edges, like gravel laced with emotion.
“They are. Of course they are,” I whisper, barely managing the words.
He clears his throat, a subtle signal as I slowly pull away.
Nodding at the cake, he adds, “Red velvet. Your favorite. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve got a client coming in soon.”
“Of course,” I say, blinking away the tears. “I don’t want to keep you. I’ll save you a slice.”
He gives me a small smile, opens the door, and with a little wave, he’s gone.
The moment the door closes behind him, it feels like something's been pulled out of me. Something I didn’t even realize I was holding on to. Deep inside the heart I’ve locked behind a thousand walls, I know exactly what’s missing: him. But I’m not ready to unpack the feelings that truth stirs.
Mia steps closer, her hand landing gently on my shoulder.
Her voice is soft, careful, as if she's trying not to break me.
"Someday you’re going to have to do something about these feelings, Ava. You can’t keep this up forever. All you’re doing is hurting yourself in silence when it’s painfully obvious he feels the same.”
She’s right. I know it. But still, I shake my head.
“I can’t lose him, Mia. His friendship means too much.
If we cross that line, there’s no going back.
And if it falls apart… if the sex ruins this between us, then it’s over.
We won’t be us anymore. So I’ll keep things the way they are.
Just friends. I’ll bury my feelings under piles of books, pretend I don’t notice how my heart races when he walks in, and dread the day he shows up holding someone else’s hand. ”
Mia’s eyes search mine, gentle but unrelenting.
“And what will you do if that happens?”
It’s a question I’ve asked myself a hundred times but never dared to answer aloud.
“I’ll do what a good friend is supposed to do. Smile. Wish him happiness. Because he deserves it.”
She wraps her arms around me, holding me tightly for a few seconds. “You deserve it too, Ava. You deserve someone who brings light into your life. Someone who sees that heart of yours and takes care of it.”
Then she’s gone, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the store.
I stare at the door, waiting. He always comes back in the afternoon for his coffee. He’ll walk through that door like he always does, with that crooked smile and the smell of cedar and ink.
But he’ll never walk in just for me. He’ll never wrap me in his arms, press his lips to mine, and tell me he’s been waiting for me too.
Because I’ll never let him know.