Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Gina
“Oh my gosh. Guess who’s in the office looking for you?” Louise whispers into the phone after I answer it. Hearing her familiar voice almost makes me miss working at the newspaper. Almost, but not quite. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel positive about my time there. Not after everything that it cost me.
“I have no idea. How are you?” I say.
“I miss you. I can’t believe that you no longer work at the Whisper Cove Guardian. I don’t know how any of us are going to get by without you.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re a brilliant reporter and journalist, Louise. Trust me—you’re going to be fine. Anyway, who’s there? Who’s looking for me?”
“Well… a certain tall, dark, and handsome man.”
“A certain tall, dark, and handsome man? I don’t know who you could be talking about.”
“That man. Hunter. Hunter Waverly.” She sounds gleeful, but my heart drops, and I freeze.
“Wait, what? Do you know why he’s there?”
“I don’t know. But he walked into the office, demanding to see Holly, and now he’s in her office. I don’t know what they’re talking about, but it seemed important.”
“That’s interesting.” My heart starts racing, and I’m about to ask her another question when Ginny comes from the back of the store with a stack of books in her hands.
“Hey, Louise, let me call you back in a little bit, okay?” I hang up quickly and rush over to Ginny, grabbing the books from her. “Ooh, the new books came in?”
“Yes, these are new books for the sci-fi section,” she says, beaming. “Will you put them away for me?”
“Of course, Ginny. More than happy to. I am so thankful to you and Otis for hiring me. I really appreciate it.”
“Darling, we love having you here at the bookstore. You know we’re getting older now, and it’s a lot of work. When your grandparents said that you left the Whisper Cove Guardian, well… we knew we would love to have you.”
“My grandfather sure loves to talk,” I say, laughing. “But yeah… I mean, I was about to get fired anyway.”
“I just think they run that paper horribly. That Holly—she doesn’t have a good reputation whatsoever.” Ginny is trying to support me, and I love her for it, but it doesn’t make me feel better about the situation.
“I guess she’s doing her job and trying to get subscriptions up. But I wasn’t able to do the job she wanted me to do, so I figured it was better to leave.”
“Well, dear, you’re doing amazing at the bookstore, and we would never ask you to leave. In fact, maybe one day, you’d like to buy it from us. Not that we’re ready to leave it just yet,” she adds with a wink.
“That’s sweet. Thank you.” I start sorting the books into stacks so that I can shelve them in alphabetical order.
My mind is not on the task at hand, though.
I really want to call Louise back. I really want to know what Hunter is doing at the paper.
But I don’t want to be weak-minded or weak-willed.
I am already depressed he hasn’t responded to any of my text messages.
It is understandable that he hates me. I would hate me.
I lied and betrayed him, in his mind. The worst part was that he admitted that he loved me, as well.
I ruined what could have been the greatest love story of my life.
I grab a stack of four books and head to the shelves, trying to think about anything other than him.
My phone rings again, and I can’t stop myself from answering, hoping it’s Louise with more information. This time, it is Emma.
“Hey. What are you doing?” she asks.
“Just about to stack some books. What’s up?”
“Hunter’s in the office.”
“I heard. What’s going on?” I sound desperate.
“I don’t know. He’s talking with Holly. My brothers were saying they had an offer for the paper. I’m wondering if the offer was from him.” She pauses. “I miss working with you, Gina.”
“I miss you, too, but what do you mean about the offer?”
“Maverick said someone wanted to buy the paper. I don’t know if it’s Hunter or not, but he’s here, and he’s been in Holly’s office for like thirty minutes.”
“I mean… good for him if he wants to buy the paper. He’s a billionaire.
He can do what he wants. I don’t care. I’m not a part of that world any longer.
I love working at the bookstore. And I’m working on writing a book about the history of local residents in Whisper Cove.
The dynamics between money, power, and—” I pause.
“I mean, I already told you this, I don’t want to bore you. ”
“I love hearing about the book you’re writing. I think it’s such a cool idea. Did you decide if you were going to make it a murder mystery?”
“Yeah, I think I am. It’s going to be set on a wealthy estate and the handsome con artist dies first, and then a character by the name of Gerry gets locked up, for being a bitch.”
“Ooh Gerry S?”
“Of course.”
“And what about her friend Gerry A.”
“Also locked up, in a stinky cell.”
“Love to hear it. I can tell the book will be a bestseller.”
“Haha, I love you. How are you doing? How are the Jenny’s?”
“Ugh, I’m struggling. Work sucks and the Jenny’s make me want to stick a needle in their I’s every day. Did I tell you I probably won’t have my job either?”
“What do you mean?”
“Maverick and Logan said I could stay on if I want, but they think the paper is a sinking ship. They said a new owner will likely make big changes. And honestly… it’s not been the same since you left.”
“I couldn’t stay. There was no way I was going to write an article about the Waverlys, and Holly wasn’t going to keep me unless I did.”
“I’m glad you stuck to your guns. That’s loyalty, Gina.”
“I mean… I love him. There was no way I was going to go back on my word.”
“But he told you you could.”
“Yeah. But he only said that because he was hurting. I would never be able to live with myself if I betrayed his confidences like that.”
“Oh, he’s leaving the office. Oh my God—he’s coming right up to me. Oh, shit, Gina.” I hear a thud, and I think she’s dropped the phone on her desk.
“Hi, Emma.” I hear Hunter’s muffled voice in the background, and I freeze. Am I going to be able to listen to their conversation?
“Hi, Hunter. Good to see you again.”
“You, too.” My heart melts at hearing his voice. “So, Holly tells me Gina no longer works here.” Oh my God, he’s asking about me.
“Yeah, she’s not here anymore. That’s because Holly told her she had to write an article about you and your family.
And Gina told her she wouldn’t. She told Holly, ‘You will not use me. You will not use my connections. And I will not allow you to hold that over me.’ And when Holly threatened to fire her, Gina said, ‘You can’t fire me.
I quit.’” I feel sick as I hear Emma talking.
Why is Emma telling him everything, and what is he thinking? There’s silence in the background.
“I see,” Hunter says quietly.
“You see what?” Emma snaps. “She loves you, Hunter. She was conflicted before she even started working there, before she even knew you were a Waverly. She felt bad just meeting your grandparents. She told me she felt icky. Why do you think she left that first day? It wasn’t for clothes.
She felt like shit. You’re a jackass if you don’t see that. ”
“Tell me how you really feel,” Hunter says smoothly, and I think he starts laughing. Why is he laughing?
“I’m going to kill you, Emma,” I whisper into the phone.
“She loves you, Hunter. And if you love her—and you weren’t just fucking around—you need to fix this shit. It’s been three weeks. My best friend is fading away. She’s lost her light, and she feels guilty. If you love her, do something about it.”
“Oh my God, Emma, stop,” I whisper urgently.
The call suddenly ends, and my heart stops.
Did her battery die? I am going to go crazy because I need to know what happens next.
But I can't leave work. Ginny and Otis have been too good to me. I wait for Emma to call me back, but the phone doesn’t ring.
I’m miserable watching each minute tick by on the clock.
Thirty minutes pass, and I decide to try calling her again. Just as I reach for my phone, the bell above the door rings, and I turn automatically to greet the new customer.
“Welcome to Chapters and Pages—” I freeze as I see that it’s Hunter.
Standing there like fresh air. So tall, handsome, and familiar. “Welcome to Chapters and Pages bookstore. How can I help you?” I say politely.
“You’re an idiot,” he says, walking toward me.
“What?”
“You’re an idiot.” My heart starts racing.
“You’re an idiot, too.”
“Really?” he asks. “That’s how you’re going to speak to me?”
“Well, that’s how you spoke to me.”
“I fucked up.” He looks miserable as he stares at me, his eyes roving over my face, like he’s trying to memorize my every feature.
“What do you mean?”
“I fucked up, Gina. I’m here to tell you I know I fucked up.
For a long time, money has been the number one thing in my life.
And I thought you were just another person using me.
Maybe not for money—but for my story. And when I found out you’d kept that secret…
it broke me. It took me back to a really dark place. I’m sorry.”
“You’re… sorry?” I whisper.
“I’m sorry for not letting you explain. I’m sorry for shutting you out.”
“Do you mean that?”
“I do. I’ve been rebuilding my life for a long time. And when I thought you saw me as disposable… it destroyed me.”
“You were never disposable to me,” I say. “Not for one second.”
“I know that now. Gina… I know who you are. You’re the most honest, beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Even if you’re cranky and kooky and crazy half the time.”
“I don’t know if those are compliments,” I say, and he laughs.
“I love you for who you are.”
“I love you, too, Hunter. I always did.”
“So, you work here now?” he asks.
“I do. I’m guessing Emma told you.”
“Emma and Louise. Louise loves you. She told me you helped a lot of people at the paper. I also met with Holly.”
“Oh?”
“I told her she was a terrible boss.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I threatened to buy the paper and fire her.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I’d buy it for you if you wanted.”
“Don’t,” I say quickly. “I don’t even want to be a journalist anymore. I like writing. But not in that environment. I think I’m going to write a book.”
“I love you,” he says. “I love everything about you. I was scared I’d lose you.”
“You won’t. You never could.”
“I’m not afraid of complicated love anymore,” he says. “I know love isn’t perfect. I know it’s messy, and I want to fight for us.”
“I want that, too. I love you, as well. I love you more than life itself.”
He pulls me into his arms and kisses me tenderly. It feels like home as I wrap my arms around his neck. “You are everything to me,” he whispers.
“And you’re everything to me.”
I may not have gotten the wedding scoop of the year like I thought I would when I took this job. But I got something even better.
I got him, and that is the only storyline I care about.