Chapter 33 Scarlett
THIRTY-THREE
Scarlett
I’ve always been stubborn. That’s how I’ve been able to survive all the hard knocks in the past year. But after this weekend, I suddenly don’t feel like fighting anymore. I feel hollow, like there’s no more grit left in me.
I open the door to the cafe and flip on the lights.
It’s early and I’m exhausted, but customers will arrive just like they always do.
That’s one constant in life: no matter how difficult things are, the rest of the world keeps moving.
I guess if there’s one thing to be grateful for, it’s the fact that Dad is home and on the mend. Wish I could say the same for my heart.
I shove a hand into my pocket and finger the business card, the one I still haven’t made a decision about.
I know what I want. But I can’t seem to do what needs to be done.
The envelope from our landlord still sits on the counter, a reminder that I can’t ignore the impending lease increase, no matter how much I want to.
I grab the broom and start sweeping the floor near the coffee station. The door clicks behind me, and when I turn around, my brother walks in. He doesn’t say a word as he stops a few feet away from me.
I pause, broom in hand. “What are you doing here?”
He takes off his cap, fiddling with it. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“I thought we talked at the hospital.”
“No, you talked.”
My brother had been working on Mona’s engine and hadn’t heard his phone, which is why he didn’t get Mom’s call.
When he finally arrived at the hospital, I told him everything—about the dating agreement, the loan Brendan had given him, and Rafael’s ultimatum.
And then, because I was done keeping things to myself, I told him the part that mattered most: that I loved Brendan Marco and he loved me.
Eli and I have never been great at telling each other the truth. We’re better at circling around it, trying to protect each other and ourselves. But I was done with that, too. I knew if I wanted honesty from Eli, I’d have to give it first. Eli listened in silence, then walked out without a word.
I lean against the broom. “Okay, what do you want to tell me? I’m about to open for the day.”
“I want things to be different between us.” He drags his hand through his hair, then slaps the cap back on. “It’s time for me to be honest with you.”
“About time,” I mutter under my breath before I return to sweeping.
He watches the broom move across the old pine flooring. “Everything Brendan said was true.”
I stop mid-sweep. “What do you mean?”
“I borrowed money from him for the app developer and asked him not to tell anyone.” He looks down at the floor. “When the company went belly-up, I didn’t want to admit to you that I couldn’t repay the loan.”
I frown. “Why?”
“Because I cared what you thought. And I couldn’t take that look—the one you have in your eyes now.”
I shake my head and return to sweeping. “It’s over, Eli. Behind us.”
“No, it’s not.” He steps toward me. “Scarlett, I heard what you said in the hospital. I’m paying back everything I owe. I don’t want the Marcos holding my mistake over our family anymore.”
I stare at him for a long moment. “You don’t even have a full-time job right now.”
He pulls something from his pocket, then holds it out for me.
“Is that a check?” I look at the amount on it and let out a short laugh. “Where’d you get that kind of money?”
“I went down to Eddie’s Garage and told him I’d accept the apprenticeship position he offered me a week ago.”
“At the mechanic shop?”
He nods. “Instead of tinkering around on my truck, I’m going to work for him until I become a full mechanic.”
“Wait,” I say, my eyes sliding from the check to him. “Did he pay you in advance before you started working?”
“No.” He glances over his shoulder, and that’s when it sinks in—there’s no truck outside. Only his bike.
“I sold my truck,” he says before I can ask.
“Noooo,” I gasp under my breath. “Not Mona.”
He loved that beat-up truck, the same one I burned the clutch out on.
“Eddie bought it. He sells cars online for extra cash, but he’s holding on to it for a few months—hopefully until I can buy it back from him. Between that and what I have in the bank, I have enough to pay Brendan back.”
I don’t want him to lose his truck over this. But it isn’t my decision to make.
“Eli,” I murmur, swallowing the lump in my throat at the sacrifice he’s making. “Are you sure about all this?”
He nods, and his expression tells me his mind is made up.
Maybe this is what a fresh start looks like for Eli, not erasing who he was, but choosing who he wants to become.
“But losing Mona has to be so hard for you,” I say.
“Yeah, well, maybe not as hard as seeing the look on your face when you confronted me at the hospital. I’m sorry, Scarlett.”
I drop the broom, walk over to my brother, and wrap my arms around him in a bear hug. He hugs me back—tightly, maybe the first one we’ve had in years.
“I don’t blame you for anything, Eli,” I say against his old t-shirt with the Chevy logo on it. “People make mistakes. I should’ve told you the truth about Brendan and me from the start.”
“I can understand why you didn’t tell me,” he murmurs. “I didn’t exactly welcome Brendan back with open arms.”
“Can you at least promise me one thing?” I step away from him. “That you’ll try to be friends with Brendan again? For my sake?”
He looks at me, then pauses. “I’ll try.”
“Maybe you two can teach me to drive a stick again.”
“Not a chance,” he says with that smug grin. “One time was bad enough.”
“Hey!” I say, elbowing him.
Then he smiles wider, and it feels like something’s starting to mend that’s been broken for a long time. “I’m proud of you, sis. You’re really good at running this place.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. If I’d been in charge, we would’ve closed down already. You’re a fighter, and if anyone can figure out how to keep this place going, it’ll be you.” He steps back, then glances at his watch. “Well, I gotta run. Eddie’s expecting me at the shop for my first day of work.”
“Good luck, Eli,” I say as he starts to head out. “You’re going to be amazing at this.”
He opens the door, and it’s the most hopeful I’ve felt about my brother in years.
I go back to sweeping when voices outside the cafe catch my attention. Isabella, Elana, and Rosa are approaching the door, murmuring with their heads together.
They’re probably coming to tell me they’ve heard the news about what I’ve done, before they brush me out of their lives forever.
My gut tells me this is how it ends—the end of their good opinion of me, the end of pulling me in as part of their family, which I’ve grown to love like my own. Rafael probably told everyone that I’m just an opportunist who manipulated their beloved Brendan for a vendor contract.
But avoiding them won’t change anything. And at some point, I’ll have to face them. Might as well be now.
To my surprise, Isabella greets me with her usual, warm smile, her dark eyes crinkling behind her colorful glasses. “Good morning, Scarlett. So good to see you!” She kisses my face before the others do the same.
“Is it?” I reply, then seeing her puzzled reaction, I shift gears, “I mean, it’s so good to see you, too.” I keep my distance, looking between their faces, waiting for a sign. “So…what brings you in today?”
Surely, they’re going to ask me if the accusations are true. If I’m really a fraud…
“We all want Americanos with cream today,” Grandma Rosa announces before settling into a nearby seat.
“Americanos? Is that it?” I ask, confused.
Aren’t they here to set the record straight?
“No, I’ll take a plain coffee. I’m on a diet,” Elana replies bluntly.
“Again?” Isabella asks with a frown. “When are you not on a diet?”
“At the wedding. I wanted to enjoy that cake.” Elana pats her stomach and smiles. “It was worth every calorie.”
For some reason, this seems like their usual banter. Which can only mean that Rafael hasn’t told them yet.
The business card burning a hole in my pocket reminds me that it’s only a matter of time.
As I start making coffee, the women chat about the Crushers’ win, which I watched online while Dad was in the hospital.
They discuss Brendan’s coaching and whether Jaxon will finally retire, but my mind isn’t really on their conversation.
It’s on the weight in my chest, growing heavier by the second.
I need to tell them the truth myself. If I don’t, Rafael will do it his way, and I won’t get the chance to tell them how much Brendan really means to me.
“I keep telling Raf to get rid of that Jakowski.” Isabella waves her hand dismissively. “But does he listen? Nooo. My brother listens to no one.”
“Sounds familiar,” I mutter to myself.
“What?” Isabella says.
“About brothers.” I clear my throat, changing the subject. “So, have you seen Rafael since the wedding?” I ask, just as I spill coffee grounds all over the counter.
Very smooth, Scarlett.
“Not yet,” Rosa says. “He got in early this morning from San Diego and then went straight to the arena.”
“Why do you ask?” Isabella tilts her head.
I stop cleaning up the coffee grounds, anxiety ballooning in my chest. I want them to like me. But they’re not going to after this, and that’s a really painful thought.
Then again, being the most authentic version of yourself requires bravery and the ability to accept that some people might not like what they see. And wow, does that suck.
But on the other side of that, there’s freedom in not hiding anymore, or pretending to be someone I’m not. And I’m finally ready to unlock that version of myself. The woman who can walk in a room and find her place at the table, regardless of whether others think she belongs.
All this time, I thought I needed someone else’s permission to be myself. But I never did.
“Ladies, I have something to confess,” I say, trying to find my voice. “And I want you to hear this from me before anyone else.”