Epilogue
PEARL
3 Months Later
“ Can I get a Murder of Crows chocolate muffin and a skull cake pop?” a bundled up young woman asked Pearl.
Pearl glanced to see what she had in stock. “What flavor? We have bone-ash vanilla or bloodfire cinnamon spice left.”
“Bloodfire, please.”
Pearl handed two treats through the window of her tiny, jet black Blackbird Bakery camper.
Luca had rehabbed a little camper for her to take to festivals and she was in a prime spot at the 49th annual Fairwick Falls Fall of Fairwick Festivities Festival.
“You can pay the cute man with the glasses.” She pointed to Reed who stood at the end of the camper by the checkout machine.
He winked at Pearl as their eyes connected, and it still gave her gooey, glittery feelings.
The last three months had been full of laughter, love, copious amounts of books and sex, and a few tears.
Pearl had been a blubbering mess when she’d moved out of Luca and AB’s house and into the apartment with Reed last month. Luckily though, she still picked AB up from school most days, and they hung out at the bookstore, which AB considered her own personal playground. Pearl was happy to note that AB seemed to take after her aunt and loved books.
“Come visit our new location next month,” Reed said, handing the woman a flyer.
Pearl’s stomach flip-flopped with nerves and excitement. They were only a few weeks away from opening Blackbird Bakery’s first official location. She couldn’t wait to finally have her own goddamn bakery.
Pearl rubbed her hands together to keep herself warm as Allison, the next person in her very long line, stepped up.
“Could I get a Coffin cake?” Allison asked with excitement, clapping her hands.
“Sorry.” Pearl grimaced. “Sold out. Plus, I don’t trust you not to throw it since Wells is right over there.”
Allison sighed. “That was one time. Fine, I guess I’ll get a slice of the Witch of the Black Forest cake.”
Pearl smirked as she loaded the cake onto a plate. “For eating only,” she said as she handed it over. “I work too hard on this shit. Use mud like everyone else for your vendetta, okay?” Allison laughed as she went to pay Reed.
A man stepped up to the window next. “You know, I tried to get a cake from the Shop it was pretty fucking great), Beulah had become her fiercest advocate. It was Beulah’s birthday next week, and she couldn’t wait to make her the ugliest, raspberry-blood-covered gnome cake in existence.
Her line thinned out as dusk settled over the festival, and it was time for the pumpkin-chucking contest.She finally had a chance to check her phone as Reed checked out a customer. A giggle burst out as she saw his messages, sent over the last two busy hours.
HEMINGWAY_CANSUCKIT
I’ve been staring at your thick ass leaning over the window for
Three
Fucking
Eternities
My hands are itching to squeeze it, lick it, bite it. Something. Anything.
Oh god, now you’re smiling.
Did you know that’s my favorite thing about you?
You have these gorgeous, beautiful lips that curl and curve like a 1940s movie star.
Your tits are heaven, your ass makes me fall to my knees, but your smile?
It’s unbeatable.
And now you’re being so sweet with an older couple who need help.
My soft, sweet, gorgeous Bookish.
Gah, I love you so much and you are just smiling away, unaware I’m blowing up your phone
I’m so proud of you.
You are in your element, and thriving and I KNEW you could do it.
“Did you know some crazy man texted me like twenty times about how much he loves me?” Pearl said with a glittery laugh as Reed wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her against him.
“Tell you he loves you ? Sounds perfectly sane to me. Any man would be obsessed,” Reed said, biting her earlobe and kissing her neck.
“AP, AP!” AB sprinted toward the camper in a full-body leaf costume, tights, and sneakers. “I did all my pirouettes perfect!” she said, peeking over the ledge.
Unicorns were now dead to AB, and everything was now dance-themed in her life. Ballet shoes on her folders, tutu bedspread, tap-shoe-themed t-shirts, decorations in her room, the whole nine yards.
“Did you crush it?” Pearl asked as she and Reed poked their heads out the window.
“I murdered it,” AB said with dark delight. “’Livia said I’m the best back right leaf in the whole class.”
Luca and Olivia, AB’s dance teacher/Luca’s new “We’re not putting labels on it” walked up behind AB.
“She did, indeed, murder it,” Olivia said with a warm smile at AB. “Just one more festival performance to get through.” Her tired smile connected with Luca’s, and he looked downright love-drunk.
Yeah, “We’re not putting labels on it” my ass, bruh.
“Hey, you three,” Reed said. “We haven’t gotten your RSVP to the Halloween party at Bookish. It’ll be a costume party,” he added in a sing-song voice.
“I have trick-or-treating with Sophie,” AB said importantly.
“We’ll be there,” Olivia said, staring with lusty eyes at Luca.
Barfffff , that’s my brother. Though she liked Olivia. She was spunky, driven, and she adored AB for all her perfect weirdness.
“Just no animals this time?” Luca said, leveling a look at Reed.
The bookstore had thrived for the past three months. Reed still had crazy ideas, like a murder mystery party where Allison had accidentally gotten trapped in the bookshelf, or when a zookeeper came for story hour that did not go as planned (they’d had a missing monkey for fifteen minutes and AB still talked about how amazing it had been).
Reed tossed his hand in the air as he slid an arm around Pearl. “Promise. But you do get a gift bag if the costume is based on a book character.”
AB pulled at Luca and Olivia’s hands to go see the pumpkin-chucking contest, and Pearl waved them away. She and Reed rolled down the windows on the camper, shutting up shop for the night.
She flipped off the camper’s outside lights, and two strong arms wrapped around her.
Goosebumps fluttered down her arms.
“I’m so proud of you,” Reed murmured as he kissed her neck. She leaned back against him, savoring his warmth. She turned around and wrapped her arms tight around his waist. The comfort of his cedar scent and firm chest on her cheek relaxed all her frustrations of dealing with the public away. She was still getting used to it and only had one tense interaction.
But Jennifer winked at him so she can go straight to hell.
Or Ohio. Same thing.
She blew out a long breath.
“Thank you for being here all day with me. I know it could have been a big day for Bookish to be open.”
He slowly placed a lingering kiss on her forehead, her nose, each eyelid, each cheek.
Each one lingered longer than the last.
Her smile was so wide it hurt her fucking cheeks. I am such a dweeb for this man. Can’t wait to have his nerdy, bookish babies.
He kissed her wide smile and pressed her back against the counter. Yes . She loved when he invaded her space and made her take all of what he wanted to give her.
Would never get tired of it.
He kissed down her neck, lingering on her ear.
That gooey glitter wobbled again all over her body as he towered over her, brushing his lips against hers.
She’d take this view for the rest of her life, please and thank you.
“You should know by now, my love.”
He caressed her cheek, smiling down at her with the promise of forever.
“Anything for you.”
Thank you so much for reading Unexpectedly Bookish ! I hope you enjoyed getting to know more characters and places in Fairwick Falls.