Not From Out of Town (Honey Cove #1)

Prologue Poppy

“ I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

His words slice through the air like a knife, driving what little air I had in my lungs out. Gasping, I turn and see the eyes of every single one of his family members boring into me. He must be talking about trimming the tree or setting out the plates for dinner.

“What?” I ask tentatively, the light from the fireplace gives Steven’s face an ethereal glow. He’s always been so handsome. Forcing a smile, I wrap my arms around myself, sinking deeper into his family’s overstuffed chair.

“I can’t do this anymore. Us. I thought that I could, that we were endgame, but I can’t. We aren’t.” He looks away, into the fire. Doesn’t even have the decency to look me in the eye as he’s breaking up with me.

Blinking my eyes slowly, I glance again around the room and see his sister stifling a giggle. His mom is busying herself with adding more tinsel to the tree and his dad is nose-deep in his glass of whiskey. No words come to mind, everything blank with the incredible shock of what is happening. I nod, sliding my body slowly from the chair and look to grab my things and head towards the door. Tripping over the plush entryway rug in my haste, I see it’s started snowing outside again. Merry. Fucking. Christmas.

He doesn’t follow me, just lets me glide out of his life with the click of a door and an empty wineglass on his end table. His sister’s muted voice carries from the living room, “It was about time.” A giggle added to the end.

Once I’m finally outside, I breathe deeply and close my eyes, letting the snowflakes fall onto my face. Shit, he drove me here . Pulling my coat and hat on, I sink down onto the step and grab my phone to call Andi. I’m sure she’ll come pick me up, but even so, it’s an hour or so drive from Honey Cove. I could be here a while.

How did this happen?

“Andi?” My voice sounds small.

“Poppy! Did he do it? Oh my god, how big is the ring?” Her excitement at what we thought tonight was going to be brings me back to the present moment and I blink back tears, but it’s no use.

“No. I need you to come get me.” My voice cracks with every other word.

“Are you hurt? What happened?”

“Please, can you just come out here and pick me up? I’ll text you the address. I need to leave, now .” The sound of her grabbing things and whispering to her boyfriend Brandon on the other end lets me know she’s coming and understands the gravity of what’s happened.

“Of course, I’m on my way.”

***

The sound of crunching snow tells me Andi is pulling up the driveway. Shaking the snow that’s fallen on me, I walk towards her car but before I can get there, she’s out and moving for the door.

“They made you sit out here?” There’s fire in her eyes as she barrels through the snow.

“Please, don’t. Just let’s go.”

She looks back at me and sees the tears streaming down my face that I haven’t been able to stop no matter how many times I’ve tried over the course of the last hour. Rushing towards me, she envelopes me into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers into my hair before ushering me into the car. “I really want to yell something, but I want it noted that I’m restraining myself here.”

Despite the situation, a snicker makes its way past my lips. She pulls out of the driveway and away from the house without incident. Watching it blink out of view in the mirror, I replay the entire weekend, searching for anything that could have given me a sign of what was to come, but find nothing.

My brain starts to function again slowly, my initial fight or flight response fading. What was numbness now is being replaced with anger, doubt, sadness. I was so sure he was proposing this weekend. Who breaks up with someone on Christmas day at their parents’ house?

We’re silent for a while. I think she knows that I need a little space. My sniffles and occasional nose blowing are the only sounds echoing through the car. Once we hit the little town nearby, she pulls through a drive thru to grab us both some coffee. I’m thankful for the steaming, warm cup she hands me, breathing in the roasted scent deeply.

“What do you need?” She whispers it and for the first time I look over at her. My eyes spill over with a fresh round of tears.

“I just don’t know how I’m going to face everyone. Everywhere there are reminders of him. Five years. I can’t believe he did it like that after five years. I just can’t imagine telling everyone, I don’t think I can take the stares and pity.”

“He’s a jerk and he was never good enough for you.” She shakes her head and my jaw drops. She’s never said anything like that before. I open my mouth to say something, but she holds up a hand to stop me. “You don’t need to keep defending him, not any more. Everyone knows it. You were the catch in this situation and if he didn’t figure that out, well screw him.”

She pauses before continuing, “I will tell people. You don’t need to handle this. We can have Noah spread the word too so no one will bother you about it. But I’m not sure I can fix the pity looks, especially at work.”

“Oh my god, school. The kids. One of them made me a wedding invitation before break. I can’t do this.” I bury my face in my hands. Living in a small town is wonderful for the support and love we all have for one another, but when you go through a crisis or you’d prefer not to share something with its thousand residents, it can be a bit suffocating.

“Maybe you can take a break. A longer break. Do you have days saved up?”

“Not enough.”

“We’ll think of something. I got you.” She reaches into the back seat and produces one of the largest water bottles I’ve ever seen. “Drink, you’re going to dehydrate from all those tears and I will not let him take one more thing from you.”