Chapter 7
7
T he morning was crisp and cold as Emily laced up her running shoes, mentally preparing herself for another solo run. Lila had sent a text earlier, apologizing for oversleeping and skipping their usual routine. Emily sighed, pulling on her gloves. She had grown used to Lila’s chatter keeping her motivated. Running alone meant her thoughts had too much room to wander.
“Great,” she muttered as she stepped outside, her breath forming clouds in the chilly air. “How hard can it be?”
The streets of Mistletoe Hollow were quiet, with only the occasional early riser out and about. Halloween decorations still adorned the houses, adding a festive air with pumpkins, cobwebs, and paper ghosts swaying gently in the breeze.
For the first few blocks, the rhythm of her footsteps and the cold air stinging her cheeks were enough to keep her mind occupied. But it didn’t last. Derek’s sudden reappearance lingered in her thoughts, mingling with flashes of Noah’s steady, reassuring presence. The contrast was stark—Derek’s polished charm against Noah’s unpolished sincerity.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the patch of uneven sidewalk until it was too late. Her foot caught on the edge, sending her sprawling forward. Emily landed with a thud, pain shooting through her knee as it scraped against the concrete.
“Seriously?!” she groaned, sitting up to assess the damage. Her leggings were torn, and blood oozed from the fresh scrape on her knee.
Before she could even think about standing, the sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite runner,” came Noah’s familiar voice, tinged with amusement. “What’s the plan here? Taking a nap on the job? ”
Emily looked up to see him jogging toward her, his expression a mix of concern and amusement. “Perfect timing, as usual,” she muttered, brushing gravel off her palms.
Noah crouched beside her, taking in the state of her knee. “Looks like you took quite a hit. Can you stand?”
“I’m fine,” Emily said, attempting to push herself up. But as soon as she put weight on her leg, pain flared, and she winced.
“Clearly,” Noah said dryly, slipping an arm under hers to help her up. “Let’s get you cleaned up. My place is closer.”
Fifteen minutes later, Emily found herself sitting on Noah’s couch, a damp washcloth in hand and a mug of tea on the table in front of her. Noah knelt in front of her, gently dabbing at her scraped knee with antiseptic.
“You really don’t have to play nurse,” Emily said, though her voice lacked conviction.
“Just sit still,” Noah replied, his tone firm but not unkind.
As he worked, the silence between them felt charged—not with awkwardness, but with something unspoken. Emily’s mind raced, her thoughts flitting from Derek to Noah to the chaotic mess of feelings she couldn’t quite name.
Finally, Noah broke the silence. “You’ve been distracted lately,” he said, glancing up at her. “Everything okay?”
Emily hesitated, surprised by his perceptiveness. “It’s… complicated.”
He raised an eyebrow, waiting.
With a sigh, she relented. “Derek’s back in town.”
Noah’s hand stilled for a moment before he resumed cleaning her knee. “Derek. The ex?”
Emily nodded, her throat tightening. “He showed up out of nowhere, saying all the things I wanted to hear back then. But now… I don’t know. It’s like I can’t trust my own judgment anymore.”
Noah’s expression darkened, and he sat back on his heels. “And you’re considering giving him another chance?”
“I don’t know,” Emily admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Part of me thinks maybe he’s changed. But the other part… the pa rt that remembers how badly he hurt me…” She trailed off, shaking her head.
Noah’s gaze softened, and he reached out, resting a hand lightly on hers. “You don’t owe him anything, Emily. Not your time, not your trust—nothing. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s what’s right for you, not for him.”
Emily looked down at their hands, a lump forming in her throat. “Thanks, Noah.”
His thumb brushed against her knuckles briefly before he pulled back, standing. “Come on,” he said, his tone lighter now. “Let’s get you a Band-Aid and send you on your way before you start charging me for the tea.”
Emily laughed softly, grateful for the shift in mood. But as Noah handed her a box of Band-Aids, as she wondered just what exactly he meant by “what’s right for you.”
Later that afternoon at the Holly and Hearth Café , Emily sat at a corner table, a half-empty latte warming her hands. The café buzzed with its usual charm—fairy lights twinkling along the walls, the faint hum of holiday music playing in the background, and Evie herself bustling behind the counter.
Lila slid into the seat across from her, setting down a plate with two slices of apple pie. “You didn’t think I’d let you sit here all gloomy without pie, did you?”
Emily smiled despite herself. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“I know,” Lila said, digging into her slice. “Now spill. What’s going on? And don’t say it’s nothing, because I know that face.”
Emily hesitated, staring at her latte. “It’s Derek,” she admitted finally. “He’s back.”
Lila’s fork paused midair. “Derek? As in… Derek Derek?”
Emily nodded, her stomach twisting at the memory of their recent encounters.
“What does he want?” Lila asked, her tone sharp.
“He says he regrets breaking up with me,” Emily said, her voice low. “That he made a mistake and wants to fix things.”
Lila’s expression darkened. “And what do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Emily admitted. “Part of me wonders if he’s changed. But another part of me… I don’t trust him. Not completely. ”
Lila reached across the table, her hand warm and steady on Emily’s. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now. But you deserve someone who doesn’t make you second-guess yourself, Em.”
Emily exhaled slowly, the knot in her chest loosening. “Noah said something similar.”
Lila’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really? And when did this little heart-to-heart happen?”
Emily rolled her eyes, though her cheeks warmed. “This morning. Long story short, I tripped during my run, and he helped me out.”
Lila grinned, her teasing mood returning. “A knight in shining armor. Or running shoes, in this case.”
“More like a guy with a first-aid kit,” Emily quipped.
As they laughed, the tension in Emily’s chest lifted a little more. For the first time since Derek’s return, she felt like she could breathe again.