“If it gets her off Ella’s back, it’s worth the trouble. So,” she blows out a breath, “I’m not sure how much we’ll get to do this.”
“It’s busy season—I’m pretty swamped too.”
She stops rolling and looks up at me. “We’ve never done this before.”
“We’ve done all of this before.”
“Not on a Tuesday night. Not without a clock at the end of the trip,” she says.
I straighten. “There’s no clock?”
“Not like the usual one. I’m here for sure through Holly’s wedding on the third.”
My mind does vaults to calculate how many days that is.Ten days.I want to ask about after, but I also don’t want to push my luck. We’ve never spent this much time together. We saw each other every day in high school, but that was kid stuff.
This is something entirely different.And huge.
“Then we make the best of it. We fit each other in when we can.”
“I’m staying at the Enchanted Hollow Bed-and-Breakfast.” She smiles.
I grin back. “Sam might’ve texted me already.”
“Nothing stays quiet here, does it?”
“Never in the history of ever.”
She looks back down at the dough and grimaces. “Holden, I murdered it.”
“It’s fixable, honey,” I say, gathering her in my arms.
Her laugh—a real one this time—catches on a sigh. “You always say that.”
“That’s because it’s always true.”
She leans into me, tired but present, and I press a kiss to her temple. This is my idea of domestic perfection. Baking in my kitchen, curling up on the couch with Laila after.
If we can squeeze time like this out of the next ten days, then maybe forever isn’t as hard to reach as I thought.
“Give me the mess,” I whisper into her hair. “No more highlight reels, remember?”
The oven chimes, and cinnamon blooms through the room—her smile lifts, unguarded. If hope had a scent, it would be this. We’ll leave our own breadcrumbs and see where they lead.
She nods against my chest; it’s small, but it’s a choice.
seven
LAILA
I’d forgottenabout Fridays in Enchanted Hollow during high school football season. Friday carries a certain magic anyway, but when you add the extra layer of school spirit to the mix, it’s truly something.
I settle further into Holden’s hoodie that I stole, well aware of how frumpy I look. But I don’t care, because I’m not working and it’s like wearing my own safety blanket.
Homecoming’s tonight, and part of me knows I should be out there. But walking into those stands would feel like summoning ghosts—the girl I was before we left, and the boy who used to wait for me after every game. We’re not them anymore, but sometimes I still miss who we were. Maybe that’s why I’m hiding here instead.
I came into Once Upon a Brew for yet another delicious concoction while I work, but now I’m just people watching. Basically, making up stories about every person who passes by the massive window by the sidewalk. People have always intrigued me. Learning about how we work and thepsychology behind our decisions led me to become an influencer.
The free stuff didn’t hurt either. It just made it easier to ignore the noise for a while.
