Chapter 25 Madelina #2
As I gather my things, Elliot suddenly grabs my wrist, urgency prickling in his touch. His expression softens, but there’s no hiding his intense stare, the kind people get when they know they’re lying by omission.
“Hey, I still want you,” he murmurs, a noticeable shift from his heightened tone moments ago. “I just have something I need to do.”
I nod, and the tension between us blurs as he presses a goodbye kiss to my lips.
I don’t go home. I wander instead, letting the streets soak up my frustration until I somehow end up in front of The Book Basket.
One look at my watch and I realize I’ve only got ten minutes before they shut.
I enter to find Mrs. Winthrop lifting her head, her usual judgmental stare drilling into me.
“Oh, Madelina, it’s you again.”
“Yep, just me.” I force a smile, hoping to cure my pitiful mood with something fresh and shiny. “Any new books arrived?”
“I assume you mean in romance,” Mrs. Winthrop drags the words out in a condescending tone.
A sudden wave of annoyance rushes over me.
“Forgive my bluntness, but if you despise romance so much, why do you bother owning a bookstore?” I challenge, feeling the heat of my conviction surge.
“Did you know romance is the highest-selling genre globally? Ignoring it seems like a poor business choice.”
Mrs. Winthrop’s eyes narrow, her voice sharp as a whip. “I beg your pardon? This is my store. I will sell what I want. The only reason that trash graces my back wall is because my daughter insisted.”
Stunned by her audacity, I stammer, “Romance books aren’t trash.
Maybe if you accepted that, you’d have more customers.
” With a sharp pivot, I storm out with my head held high, slamming the door behind me as the chime sounds in the chaos.
My anger surges through me like a wildfire caught in a gust of wind.
I have no time for narrow-minded people like Mrs. Winthrop. The more we learn to embrace the things we love and the things others love, the sooner we can all live in unity.
Never should we yuck someone else’s yum.
Back in my apartment, I hastily dial Eva’s number, hoping she answers so I can rant about Mrs. Winthrop.
“Hey!” Eva answers brightly, a far cry from the woman who was miserable a few weeks ago when she thought her life was over because she was expecting a baby. “Guess what?”
“You’re pregnant with twins?” I quip.
“Stop that insanity right now. I’d be a wreck if I were pregnant with twins,” she retorts.
“Aston and I are heading to Cinnamon Springs tomorrow. I’m eager to attend the country fair.
Over the last few days, I’ve been craving deep-fried food like crazy.
I read online that a food truck will have a deep-fried grilled cheese sandwich.
My God, I’m drooling just thinking about it. ”
“Oh, right. They were setting up today,” I respond, my mood noticeably dim.
“What’s wrong? Did Aunt Flow knock on your door? We can’t even be period sisters anymore. Probably the only good thing about being pregnant,” she admits.
“I had a confrontation with Mrs. Winthrop,” I admit, frustration seeping into my tone. “And, you know, I try my best to respect elders, but she got on my last nerve.”
“The bookstore owner?” Eva asks.
“Yes! She got all high and mighty about romance. I snapped—told her she was a fool for being all judgmental.”
“Oh, Maddy, that’s like cutting off your drug dealer,” Eva reminds me in a soft tone.
I shuffle my feet, the weight of my thoughts anchoring me. “But what if that awful woman isn’t my only option? What if there was a store dedicated to romance books?”
“Sure, hypothetically. But has anyone done that?”
“I don’t know, but why can’t I?” I question with a newfound energy. “It has to start somewhere, right?”
“Nothing is stopping you,” Eva says encouragingly. “People thought I was crazy for opening a donut shop, remember? They worried it would only attract kids. Look at it now—half of those haters are regulars.”
I recall Eva’s struggle to open her store. It wasn’t easy, especially with the opinionated townsfolk. Nevertheless, she powered through and didn’t let anyone hold her back. Eva is strong that way, and I’ve always admired her ability to follow her dreams with intent and well-thought-out plans.
With a heavy sigh, I murmur, “But where would I even begin?”
“If you’re serious about this, let’s sit down and talk it out. We can crunch some numbers,” she suggests, her voice resolute. “The hardest part of being successful is coming up with the idea. You’ve got that, so now you need to figure out how to execute.”
“Uh-huh…”
My trust fund kicked in when I turned twenty-one, but I foolishly used a significant portion of it on investments tied to Myles. I make a mental note to sit down with Aston because I wouldn’t even know where to begin with untangling that mess.
“You don’t sound very committed… What about Broadway?”
“I am. My heart isn’t in Broadway anymore. So much of that was…” I trail off with a weighted sigh. “It’s just… I had brunch with Dad the other day, and I know you’ll say I told you so, but he invited Myles.”
There’s a pause on the line. I wait, knowing that Eva is processing the information.
“You’re quiet,” I say, sensing her hesitation.
“You told me not to say I told you so…”
“Do you want to hear the rest or not?” I question sharply.
“Of course.”
I take a deep breath. “Well, Dad left, and Myles and I had a good talk. We aired out everything.”
“Uh-huh… But?”
“He said it’s normal to feel scared. There was so much pressure on us before. And if I wanted to get married at City Hall or Vegas, he’d run off with me right now.”
“Oh my God!” Eva shouts over the speaker, forcing me to lean back for a moment. “Did you tell him that’s not the only reason you left?”
“No, I was kind of overwhelmed. He asked me to think about it, and I just walked away.”
“Maddy.” Eva’s voice softens. “Do you regret it?”
I shake my head, though she can’t see me.
“No, but…” The weight of my secret relationship with Elliot presses heavily against my chest. Telling her about him feels too complicated right now, especially after our argument earlier.
An argument that raised red flags. It was stupid, it grew out of something so trivial, and that in itself is the flag waving from the tallest flagpole.
And what would I say to her?
I’ve slept with your brother multiple times. We’re starting something new, but that’s all we’ve discussed. Where this goes from here, who knows?
Elliot never wanted to stay in Cinnamon Springs. He has always been vocal about how much he loves being a chef in Paris. And, even if I told him to stay, he would easily get bored.
But I would never make him stay for me.
Isn’t that the whole point of more? To have an unwavering, deep connection and love for someone, where nothing else in the world matters but them?
“I think… I need time to process everything,” I admit, then quickly change the subject. “So, you’re coming tomorrow? I can crash at Billie’s if you want to stay here.”
“Aston booked a room at the Honey Lodge. They have the best spa, so I’m not complaining. Once the house is finished, I won’t have an excuse to stay there anymore.”
I chuckle softly. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep coming back.”
“Okay, listen. Let’s chat more tomorrow about the bookstore idea. In the meantime, order Guiseppe’s Chinese takeout and binge-watch something trashy. I started watching Love Island, and let me tell you, I just want to shower all the time. Major ick from all the pashing.”
“Giuseppe has expanded his menu,” I tell Eva with a smile. “He’s doing Mexican now, too.”
“See, you’d think he’d stick to his Italian roots, but here we are.”
“Eva,” I say softly before she ends the call, “can I ask you something?”
“Anything. But if you ask whether the baby can get poked by a penis, the answer is no.”
A frown instantly forms on my face. “Gross! Who the hell asked that?”
“Your dumbass brother,” Eva drags.
I let out a groan. Aston is a pain in the ass. As my mind shifts back to my original question, I begin to tug on the loose string of my frayed jeans. “When did you decide that, no matter what, you were all in for Aston?”
A long sigh echoes over the phone. “When I saw him standing there at Peppermint Lake. It was everything I had ever wanted. The man I love and the home I love, all stood before me. Nothing else mattered.”
A smile warms my lips. “It sounds like the perfect love story. Would make for a great romance novel.”
Eva bursts into laughter. “Yeah, smutty, too.”
I join her, our bubbling laughter lifting the weight off my chest slightly. And as we both slow down, I let out a loud, knowing breath. “Good night, bestie,” I say in a soft voice. “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
We hang up the phone, and for the first time in a long while, it feels like I have my best friend back.
But then I remember the secret I’m keeping from her.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell her because she’ll get angry.
Actually, it’s quite the opposite. I think she will get too excited and claim we need to double-date for life.
It’s the simple fact that I don’t know where this is going.
And after what happened earlier, my gut is warning me that there is something more to Elliot’s elusive mood.
I just hope he isn’t going to break my heart.
As much as I force myself not to admit it, I’ve fallen for Elliot Woods in ways I never imagined possible. All I want to do is go see him, tell him how I feel.
He may not be capable of falling in love.
But I’m already all in.