Chapter 20
Harmony
Drool practically leaks out of my mouth as I place a few of Barb’s baked goods in the display case. Yesterday, she prepared some sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, and apple pie on top of our usual muffins and croissants. It takes all of my willpower to not gobble them up before we open for the day.
“If you eat them, you gotta pay.”
I jump at Elias’s voice and turn to face him. “Don’t I get at least one for being an employee?”
He shakes his head. “You get fifty percent off anything, though.”
I’ve got to admit that is a pretty sweet deal, no pun intended. Patting my belly, I say, “I’m going to gain so much weight here, but it will all be worth it. Barb is the best baker I’ve ever met.”
“You’ll look gorgeous either way.” His cheeks turn a deep red, but he doesn’t look away. “I mean, it’s just a fact, not a compliment or anything.”
I press my lips together, trying to hold back a laugh. “Of course not. It might make things awkward if you think I’m attractive.”
“Good thing I find you completely repulsive then.”
The bell over the door dings. Who is here when we’re still closed? Instincts kick in, and I duck down.
“Is that my ex-BFF hiding from me?”
Wait. Is that Abigail’s voice? Last time I saw her … Ugh, I still can’t think about my mother. Once I can go in public without worrying about my safety, I think it will be time to start therapy to deal with the lingering grief.
Popping back up again, I find my best friend since kindergarten standing in the middle of Cutesy’s. Her long, platinum blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She has her hands on her hips, and she clicks her tongue.
“I-I’m sorry—” My words are cut off when she closes the space between us and pulls me in for a long overdue hug. A piece of my heart snaps back into place as she squeezes me.
“Don’t be sorry. It definitely hurt, but after everything with your mom, I understand.”
A tear streaks down my cheek, and I choke back a sob. After my mom passed, I ignored all of Abigail’s texts. Anything that had to do with Granite Falls was too much for me to handle. “Thank you, Abby.”
“No need to thank me, girl. I know how you feel, as you know.” She pulls back and swipes away my tears. And she’s right, I do know. Her mother walked out on her and her father when she was young. “We definitely need to hang out and catch up, though.”
“I wholeheartedly agree. But what are you doing here?” I glance at my watch. “We’re not open for another five minutes.”
She laughs. The sound is like medicine. “I work here! I’ve been on vacation. So the better question is why are you here?”
“I work here, too.”
We both turn to Elias, and he raises his hands in front of him. “This isn’t my battle.”
“But you didn’t tell either of us that the other works here?” Abigail chases him down as he ducks into the break room, and she disappears out of sight along with him. “Get back here, you chicken!”
“This is between the two of you. I didn’t want to get in the middle—” His voice cuts off when something crashes. It sounds suspiciously like a box.
Elias bolts back into the cafe. Abby trails after him while holding a makeshift weapon that looks like an apron wrapped around her fist. I shake my head and place the last croissant into the display case.
Abigail follows Elias around the tables, weaving in and out of them.
He changes tactics and runs to the counter and hides behind me.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen her chase him down inside this shop.
And I have a feeling it won’t be the last.
Elias wraps his fingers around my arms as he pokes his head out. “Tell her to stop.”
His body heat seeps through my shirt and envelops me. It takes everything in me to not sink back into him. I crane my neck to look up at him. “I thought you were a big, bad bodyguard now.”
My voice comes out a little breathless, and Abigail’s mouth forms an O. She fans herself with a dramatic flair, and I resist the urge to smack her.
If Elias notices, he doesn’t show it. “Yes, but no one can handle the wrath of Abby.”
“Then you shouldn’t have pissed me off.”
She raises her hand as if to punch Elias when the entry bell rings. With her fist raised in front of my face and my ex-boyfriend behind me, I find John standing by the door, taking us all in.
Talk about timing for Elias’s backup to waltz in.
“What’s going on here? You three don’t have me to interfere, so you’re still acting like teenagers?”
Abigail flicks her blond hair behind her shoulder. “As if you’re the mature one.”
“You’re the one with your hand raised like you’re going to punch your boss.”
That new information filters through my brain, and I turn to face Elias. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re the manager?”
Abigail opens her mouth to say something, but Elias holds a hand up and says, “We all kind of run Cutesy’s together, so I didn’t feel it was imperative.”
“He’s right. I am pretty important to this place,” Abigail says with a shrug.
John rolls his eyes. “Can I have my regular, please? I have a job to get to. Or do you need to continue beating up Elias first?”
Elias steps forward. “I’ll do it. I don’t trust her not to poison you.”
“Who says I’d poison him?” Abigail makes a motion like she’d put a knife to his throat. “I’d get up close and personal.”
I glance between John and Abigail. They were once so close but now, she’s talking about how she’d murder him.
But John doesn’t miss a beat and winks. “I look forward to it.”
***
After our shift, Abigail and I go to her place to catch up and hopefully make me forget about all the bad. I haven’t had the time to explain my situation to her yet, so Elias is outside keeping watch.
She flips on the light switch, and I take in her apartment. I expected her place to be bright and vibrant, but the walls are white and bare. Her curtains are drawn, blocking out any natural sunlight. Her sofa is completely devoid of any decorative pillows or fluffy blankets.
I follow her through her small living room and into the kitchen. The only piece of furniture is a single stool at the small island with a gray and white swirly design on the granite. There’s not even a table. “Why haven’t you decorated? When we were kids, your bedroom was always alive with color.”
She waves a hand. “I have more pressing priorities, so I don’t waste money on frivolous things.”
The urge to find out what those “pressing priorities” are almost consumes me, but I hold back. If she wants to tell me, she will. “Do you have a roommate?”
“No. I’m not good at sharing space with someone else.” She cocks an eyebrow at me. “Why? Are you looking for a place?”
I shake my head and lean against the island. “I’m going to head back to New York when things calm down.”
Abigail turns to the refrigerator and grabs a pitcher filled with dark liquid. “Makes sense.”
John and Sophie pop into my mind. I can’t help but feel like Abigail is as lonely as this apartment screams.
“I can see something on your face.”
I force a smile. One of the first things I ask her can’t be about John. “It’s nothing.”
She pours two drinks and slides one over to me. Ahhhh, it’s her grandmother’s famous iced tea. “Did your Mema finally teach you the recipe?”
“Yes but don’t change the subject. Tell me what’s going on.”
I take a second sip, and my head lolls back as if I’m having an orgasm. “I’m not changing the subject, but wow, you have this perfected.”
Abigail crosses her arms over her chest. “If we’re still best friends, we can tell each other anything, so come on, and spit it out.”
This is a test. Simple as that. After I left and whatever happened with John, she has more walls up than before. And I get it.
“I was just wondering what happened between you and John.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can chicken out. “And, uh, I met Sophie.”
Abigail’s eyes shutter. “That was the last thing I expected you to ask.”
My stomach knots. “I’m sorry. You told me you wanted to know, and you’re right, we need to tell each other things.”
She sighs and slides onto the stool beside me. “I don’t have anything against Sophie. She’s a sweet girl. Every time she comes into Cutesy’s, she chats my ear off. But I’ll never forget that John betrayed me, and he never had the balls to come to me and say what happened.”
I try to remain calm even though everything inside me is screaming to know. “How did he betray you?” When she raises her eyebrow at me, I say, “Okay, I know he has a kid with someone else, but I thought you two got together. Wait.” Rage courses through me. “Did he cheat on you?”
“No, he didn’t cheat.” She pauses. The sadness in her voice tells me there’s more, so I wait for her to continue. “He and I talked right before he left for his annual family vacation, and we both finally admitted how we felt.”
She drops her face into her hands, and I reach over to rub her back. Her body shakes beneath my touch. I sidle over to her and wrap my arms around her. When Elias disappeared, I left in my own grief without realizing I left behind a broken-hearted best friend, too.
“Shhh. It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”
“Y-you’ll find out sooner or later, and I’d rather I tell you than someone else.” Her voice breaks off. She picks up her head and meets my gaze. Tears pool in her bright blue eyes. “When he returned at the end of August, he introduced me to his pregnant wife.”
Out of everything she could’ve said, that’s not what I was expecting. “That mother fucker.”
Abigail’s eyes widened. “Since when do you swear? I guess the city really hardened you.”
“No, I said it because he really is.”
“Please don’t take it out on Sophie. She comes in with her nanny often and is the sweetest little girl.”
I place my hand over my heart and say, “I promise. But where’s the wife?”
“She died a few months after Sophie was born.” Abigail’s voice wobbles. “I never wanted her dead, but sometimes I feel like it’s my fault with all of my negative energy.”
I tighten my arms around her. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Her shoulders slump forward. “I know, but on the hard days, it’s difficult to remember.”
We stay like that, hugging each other. This was what I needed when I was in New York, but I couldn’t reach out to her. Even when she called and sent me texts, I ignored her, and that’s something I’ll never be able to forgive myself for.
After another few minutes, she wipes under her eyes and asks, “Do you want to watch a movie?”
As much as I want to, Elias is still waiting for me outside. “I can’t right now. Do you want to hang out over the weekend?”
She taps the side of her chin, and her face lights up. “How about we go out, meet some guys, and drink tonight?”
I throw my head back and laugh. Even though she’ll probably hold a torch for John for the rest of her life, I won’t hold her back from going back out there and finding someone. She deserves to find happiness. Also, it’s Saturday night, and we open late on Sundays. So, why not? “Sounds like fun.”