AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was here for a summer, and while we were having fun together despite my injury, summers didn’t last. Did they? In a few months, the boardwalk would be desolate, the shops closed for the season. The winter air would blow across the sea, scaring off all beachgoers. The umbrellas and sand toys and bikinis would be packed away as everyone hunkered down for the long winter months ahead. Leo would go back to his life, and I’d be standing in the desolate shadow of the summer we had together. I shivered at the thought of the cold wind whipping about as I stood looking at our memories fleeting by.
I already knew what it felt like to be left in the hollow shadow of someone who you loved and lost.
I wanted to reach for my phone, to text him, to patch things up. But I didn’t. I stayed focused. I’d lost that in the excitement of Leo. I needed to get back on track, though, especially now that I’d blown the only real shot I had at a steady job. I had to get back in the game. I couldn’t afford to lose, quite literally.
Leo had to take the back seat. And I had to take the driver seat in my life once more, but with even more conviction this time. I inhaled as the bus approached my stop. I left the beige jacket on the seat, someone else’s dream. I moved forward, staring off into the horizon. I didn’t look back this time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Jacques said he’s interviewing a few more candidates. Probably just as a formality though. I could tell he really liked you,” Mom said the next morning before heading off to work.
“Mom, I don’t think it went well, honestly,” I confessed, not able to stand by as she was fooled. “And I don’t know, I have some other ideas.”
My dad froze at the stove. “Not law school,” I added. He went back to his breakfast, sighing.
“Well, it’s good to have options,” Mom said before heading out the door. Dad wasn’t far behind her, remaining back just long enough for the two of us to enjoy some pancakes together and talk about the potential storm blowing in over the weekend.
Once Dad was gone, I got to work on my computer, doing some market research and logo design. I had a lot to do if I was going to make Tillie’s Brews Two a reality, but it felt good to put my energy into something besides just worrying about what was next.
And it felt good to get my mind off Leo. I needed to refocus so I could pay him back the money he’d given me and then move on. Clean slate, not owing anyone anything. Standing on my own two feet again.
I was just thinking about taking a break to visit Dorothy when the doorbell rang. I thought Dorothy had the same idea. Pickles ran to greet the visitor. I threw it open but froze to see Leo Turner standing at my door, a dozen pink roses in his hands.
Pickles, to my chagrin, ran straight for his legs, rubbing him and meowing. I stood still.
“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my tone reserved.
“Tillie, I’m sorry. I really am. It’s not an excuse, but I got an email from my mom that really just put me in a bad mood yesterday. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, I know. I’m sorry.” He sneezed then, turning his head.
“Bless you,” I offered, considering everything. I wanted to stay mad at him. But those eyes. Oh, those eyes.
I sighed. Truthfully, I felt guilty for what I’d said, too. I’d taken out my stresses on Leo. He didn’t deserve that, not after everything.
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said what I said,” I offered, ushering him and my cat inside. He set the vase on the counter, and I leaned in to sniff them. “I was having a bad day, too. I just didn’t want to admit that the whole hotel situation wasn’t for me. I was trying to convince myself I was doing the right thing.”
“You’re right, though. I can’t understand what you’re going through. I know it must be hard dealing with everything you’re dealing with. I just...I think you deserve to be happy, Tillie. You deserve to chase that sparkle in your eye when you talk about owning a coffee shop and not settle for the hotel.”
