Chapter 26
SIENNA
Any self-respecting woman would put herself first, lift her chin, and own her decisions with zero remorse.
Me, though, that’s not the case.
It’s been three months since my less-than-twenty-four-hour kidnapping from Micah, and I’ve been more miserable than I was before.
I said what I said.
I thought it would’ve been for the best, and we both could’ve put this behind us. It’s not about miscommunication anymore, but constant reminders that he still exists.
In the same town.
School is out, and I no longer teach Heath Wolfe. No more strained parent-teacher conferences, no more having to speak to Micah about how Heath is doing, and no longer being a small piece of his life.
I’m completely out now.
And it feels like I’ve isolated myself more than needed.
Because all it’s done now is make me feel empty and think about how I may have made the wrong decision.
We could’ve broken more rules—well, the same one; no dating parents—and I wouldn’t be sitting in Maple & Main diner sipping away my heartbreak on too much coffee and sugar.
When I thought the summer would offer me solace, it has done the exact opposite.
Micah and Coach Wilson have commissioned the town to pick a new mascot.
The River Otters were…well, honestly, I have no idea where it came from, but Micah has been on a mission to change it and even had the kids make flyers to vote on the new one.
I think it’s between the Stallions, Coyotes, and the Marsh Hogs.
Yeah, I don’t know or understand where the last one came from, but the town has been voting all week, and I’m tired of hearing about it.
“Two large coffees, three blueberry muffins, and one piece of peach cobbler, please and thank you,” says a feminine voice in a quick and out-of-breath tone.
Mindlessly, I glance over to find a woman two stools down to my left, standing and leaning up against the counter with a giant smile plastered on her face in front of Sherry.
Sherry just stares at her in the middle of refilling my own coffee. “Girl, what are you doing here?”
The woman smiles even brighter. “No, hello, nice to see you?”
“You ain’t runnin’ again with Micah, are you?”
“Where else would I be runnin’?”
My brows furrow as I soak in her white tank top that snugs at her curvy frame, then her jean shorts that aren’t shorts but an eye-turning neon sign for every person in this town with eyeballs.
Her long, light brown hair aimlessly curves around her shoulders and spine as she patiently waits for Sherry to get her order, in no hurry but the present.
“You know better,” Sherry lightly scolds. “I thought you got out of this town to keep yourself on the straight and narrow.”
“And leave Micah?” She moves her head to the side as if the idea is ludicrous. “You know that’d be crazy, right?”
“Not crazier than you comin’ back and stirrin’ up trouble again.”
“I never stirred up trouble, Sher. That was all Luca.”
“And that’s why we all told ya to get out of town because you could do better than him.”
Oh God.
Did I just run into another one of his ex-girlfriends?
I’m going to throw myself out in the middle of the road.
“And I did,” the woman quips. “But you know I just can’t help myself. Micah and I have always been inseparable.”
Sherry grunts and walks over to me, softly putting my mug back in front of me, which gives me something to do while eavesdropping. “I see you can’t help yourself.”
“Never could. I always come back.”
“That wasn’t a compliment, honey,” Sherry lightly scolds, retrieving two carryout cups. “You being here is going to be the talk of the town again.”
The woman shrugs. “I’m used to that.”
“He’s doin’ good with his son. Don’t mess it up.”
My stomach drops amid their back and forth, and I need to go.
I swear, every time I try to relax, I’m reminded of Micah.
“You know I love that boy,” the woman says.
“I’m sure you do.” Sherry suddenly jerks her head to me. “That’s his teacher.”
Crap.
The woman’s blue eyes flick over to me, and I feel my body coil into itself because there is no way I’d be surviving a conversation with one of the women Micah has had a relationship with.
“Miss Vesper?”
How does she know my name?!!
I bite the inside of my lip as I swallow my hot coffee while nodding, “That’s me.”
The woman doesn’t smile.
Instead, she drops her gaze and studies me like we’re in competition with each other.
“Did you say one slice of peach cobbler?” Sherry asks.
“Yep,” the woman deadpans, not bothering to acknowledge her with another sweet glance because she is taking way too much interest in me.
Openly.
And rudely.
“You don’t want one?”
“That’s my piece,” she replies. “If Micah wants one, he can fight me for it.”
She flicks her eyes up at that exact moment as if passing along a silent message. That she knows who I am, and I have zero clue why Micah would tell her anything about me.
Unless he was trying to be genuine about what he’s been up to while this woman has been gone.
Because I’ve never seen her a day in my life in Magnolia Ridge.
“Well, whoever loses will need to wait another hour because Tom is back there makin’ another.”
“We can share,” the woman replies, peeling her attention off me as Sherry places a white bag in front of her. “Thanks.”
“Be good now,” Sherry calls out to her as she quickly takes the things and waltzes out of the diner.
“Can’t promise you a thing,” she calls back when the bells chime with the opening of the door.
And she’s gone.