Epilogue
Idon’t look over my shoulder when the bell to Flo’s chimes behind me, not immediately. I’m still trying to let Flo’s advice seep into my brain, hoping it’ll settle.
“It takes time,” she told me. “I know that when Jacob was helping me bake, in those early months, I felt sick every time he offered to. My head was just a constant ball of guilt and shame and I was angry that I wasn’t doing it on my own.”
“What helped the guilt?” I’d asked, nudging the ice in my coffee with the straw.
“Ignoring it.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Okay, it was hard to ignore it, but once I treated it like it weren’t there, things eventually started getting easier. And I realised that it was okay to have a helping hand from time to time.” Her hands then gripped mine, as I was practically on the verge of tears. “I promise.”
It had been a few months since the world found out about my little disappearing act on the set of Forever and Always, and let’s say that the world had some opinions. There were all sorts of allegations thrown at me, some saying I’d quit because I wasn’t being paid enough, some calling me out for being pregnant, and others saying that I was finally saying no to rom-coms and cheesy franchise movies.
The digital voices of the world stopped talking once it was announced that I’d been assigned to a literary agency and that four of my books, the most grammatically correct and gripping ones, were being published.
And while I should have been celebrating, while I should have been screaming from the rooftops that what I’d wanted since I wrote my very first story after a day of auditions was happening… the world wasn’t about to let me off the hook that easily.
People were claiming that I didn’t deserve it, that I had the connections and the contacts to skip through all the loopholes and show jumps that every other writer had to for their work to have a chance at being seen.
It was only when Eleanor came out and made a statement, saying she”d secured an early copy of my book and referred it to her agent, that the voices quieted.
But one or two seemed to have a screaming fit from time to time. Which was why I was here in Flo’s fifteen minutes before she opened, to ask her how she’d dealt with her guilt.
“It’ll come in waves,” she’d said. “There are some days when I see an article online saying that this place wouldn’t be as famous as it is if it weren’t for Jacob. And then I’ll spend the day overthinking until I realise what a waste of time it is, and that my happiness, my contentment, matters so much more than what others are saying about me.”
As her smile grew, the bell on the door chimed through the room.
Once what she’d told me had floated to a part of my brain I’d venture back to later on, I swivelled around on my ballet flats, my hair whipping me as I locked eyes with the man I woke up next to this morning, and yesterday, and every day before that for however many months it had been since we met at the pier.
“Morning ladies, how are we?” Nate asked as he strode through the door, turning on the latch before he made his way over to us.
I didn’t care that Flo was behind me when I skipped towards him and planted a kiss on his mouth, and another, and a few more for good luck. I shivered at the way his hands wrapped around my waist and hoisted me off the ground, my foot popping and one of my shoes falling to the floor.
It was still weird being affectionate in front of everyone. I’m pretty sure Jacob and Flo still prepped themselves for the awkwardness and the silence that used to follow us around every time we saw them. But if anything, I think they’re as happy for us as we are, as the world seemed to be.
That was until I felt something that resembled the ballet flat I’d just lost hit my back.
“Hey!” I shouted as we paused our kiss, Nate lowering me down so I could shout at the shoe thrower instead, meeting Flo’s humour-filled scowl not a second later. “Can I help you?”
“Fifteen minutes before opening or right before we close, those are the only rules I give you two, and it’s currently ten to nine, and as much as I love this,” she waved her arms at us. “Can you pull the Cinderella act when we have time?”
I felt Nate snort a laugh into my shoulder as he bent down, while I blew a middle finger kiss at my best friend, who then stormed behind the counter, a scowl that was more or less a smile sporting her face.
“You two just lost wonky pastry privileges.”
I gasped “Awww,” at the same time Nate muttered. “Not fair.”
Flo had a cloth in her hand now as she wiped down the glossy white counters. “My decision is final, unless these cinnamon buns that you’re making at this dinner party tonight, which I’ve heard can rival mine, are in fact better than mine.” I dared a glance at Nate as he lounged behind me, matching grins adorning both our faces. “If they’re better than mine, I’ll lift the wonky pastry ban.”
Nate sauntered from behind me and took a seat on one of the spinning stools. “Well, if that’s the rule, then I’ll see you tomorrow morning for my wonky pastry.” His smile was addictive, so wholesome and charming. It was my favourite way to watch him, so caught up in his own happiness.
“You have eaten Flo’s cinnamon rolls… right?” A deep voice questioned as it entered the room. I turned my head to see my other best friend striding up behind Nate, placing a hand on each of his shoulders.
“Where’d you come from?” I asked, nodding my chin at Jacob as I sank into one of the booths.
“Just taking stock before I have to head to set.” His eyes shift to Flo, all round and doh-like. “The only thing you’re out of is the lemon and blackberry blondies.”
Nate’s eyes roll to the back of his head, Jacob’s body catching it as he stood behind him. “God, they’re so fucking good.”
“That’s why they’re sold out,” Jacob said, resting his chin on Nate’s head. “What are you doing here?” he asked me.
“I was just here for Flo’s advice on something.” Then my attention drops to Nate. “Wait, what are you doing here? I left the apartment like… twenty minutes ago.”
His smirk spurred on something in my soul. “I thought I’d come and bombard your Monday.” I felt my lips tug up. “Turns out they don’t need me today; it’s just the press interviews with Asher and Amber today. Ours aren’t until next week.” He swatted away Jacob, who was still resting his chin on his head, and stood up from the stool and made his way over to me. “Plus, I know you’re sad about Goldie going home for a while, so I thought I’d keep you company.”
He was right. I was sad about Goldie not being in the city anymore. She’d been here practically all summer, getting to know the city, finding her way around, touring the Liberty Grove campus and seeing everything and anything she could before she came back in the fall.
After it was decided that she was going to study here, our parents let her out of their reigns for the summer months. She stayed at my apartment, while I bunked with Nate at his place. And just like she knew she would… she loved it.
New York seemed to love her, too. I remember bringing her here for the first time, introducing her to Flo, Jacob, and even Rory and Cora, who stole her away and asked her a zillion questions about God knows what. Then, when we left, she couldn’t stop talking about them, babbling about how happy she was to make friends before she”d even taken her first class.
It turns out that all three of them were put in the same dorm block. I can only imagine the trouble they’ll cause during their college years.
The way Nate’s thumb grazes across my jaw pulls me out of my memories. “Thank you,” I whisper up to Nate, his hand trailing the centre of my back, leaving shivers in its path.
He smiles at me before he lifts his head and surveys the room. “And I know this is usually your first stop of the day, so…” His green eyes were back on me. “I came here.”
This smile that bloomed on my face felt natural. It was the same expression I’d been wearing all summer, ever since that day at the pier.
For the first time in years, I felt whole. I felt the path of my life had been cleared, leaving behind the walkway to the future I’d wanted since I was little. But what made the corners of my mouth tug higher and my body feel as light as the lightest feather, was that I wasn’t walking that path alone.
No… holding my hand was the boy I fell in love with who lived next door. Behind me were my two best friends… equally in love as they both deserved to be. On the path to my right was my sister, conquering it the way I always knew she would.
And for once, I wasn’t scared about whatever fate had planned for me. What it had planned for the people around me.
The probability of us being here, in this moment, was all I was thankful for as I angled my head and took in what was around me.
“Shall we head out then?” Nate’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
And as I settled my eyes back onto his, my lips pried open with a smile as I whispered, “Yeah, I’m ready.”