I stilled. “Is everything okay?” My brows drew together. I wanted to take a step toward her—but I used every ounce of restraint to stay right where I was.
“I just…I’ve been thinking about what you said. About how I’ve been acting entitled, and I wanted to apologize that it came off that way.”
Guilt twisted in my stomach. I remembered that conversation clearly. How our bickering about the building turned into me saying something I didn’t truly believe and regretted immediately.
“You don’t have to apologize,” I assured her.
“I want to. And I hope it helps you understand where I’m coming from.” Lily rocked on the balls of her feet, her fingers now wrapped around the dainty charm on her necklace as she pulled it side to side. “I don’t think I’m entitled to the building. I know that it’s Hal’s choice, and I’m grateful he’s even considering selling to me. I just saw this all going differently. I’ve talked about the building to him, and I thought he was going to sell to me. I love Golden Falls, but I often feel underestimated in one way or another, whether it’s people in town still seeing me as a kid or me comparing my success to my siblings’. I’ve always felt like I have something to prove, regardless of if that’s actually the case.”
Lily’s words cut deep in my chest, and while our experiences were different, I understood having something to prove better than she likely realized.
“And Iknowwe agreed not to get to know each other, but I needed to get that off my chest. I needed you to know that my issue is with the situation, not necessarily with you.” Lily’s gaze moved from the floor up to me, and her mouth tipped up. “Although, I’m not crazy about you being here, the extra set of hands has been nice. So, thank you. It means a lot that you’re showing up.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thanks for sharing that with me. I shouldn’t have said that to you, and that’s not how I see you.” I leaned against the counter, my hands gripping the edge to keep myself propped up—and again to prevent myself from taking a step toward her. “You’ve built something for yourself here, Lily. Something that you’re proud of and that adds value to the community—not everyone can say that. Try to remember that perspective next time you doubt yourself or feel like you have something to prove.”
I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over my face. I knew I didn’t need to, but I wanted to share something in return. I shifted my gaze from her to the floor, knowing if I kept my eyes on her, I’d hold back. “Last week you asked me if I enjoyed working with my father,” I said. “I don’t. Not even a little bit. My relationship with him is the most strained it’s ever been, and the more I think about it, I don’t think it ever was anormalrelationship. I’ve spent my whole life trying to prove myself to him, and it’s never enough. I don’t think it will ever be enough.”
Lily took a few steps forward, leaning her hip against the counter next to me. She was closer, but there was still distance between us.
I turned to the side to face her. “I’m not trying to take away what you’re going through, but I want you to know that I get it, in a way. That I understand what it’s like to have to prove yourself. But I also want you to understand how much you’ve accomplished. I mean, look at this place.” I gestured at our surroundings. “Look at what you’ve created.”
Lily followed my movement, her eyes slowly taking it all in. But when she turned back to me to speak, it wasn’t about the café. “People in your life shouldn’t be making you feel that way. I know that makes it sound like it’s simple—and I understand it’s not—but people in your life should be supporting you, not tearing you down.”
“And I have those people, too.” My best friend Liam came to mind immediately. And…Hal. I wasn’t necessarily close with him, but I couldn’t deny that he’d supported me, even if I hadn’t realized until now how much.
But I knew what Lily was getting at. That it shouldn’t be my family—my parents—making me feel this way.
“What Hal said during our meeting, about your passions for sustainability and community development. That’s what you want to be working on?”
I nodded. “That’s what I thought I’d be working on when my father hired me. I’ve pitched countless ideas to him, but it’s never the right time or the right idea. Really, what he means is there’s not enough money involved. That’s what it’s always been about for him.”
It was the most open Lily and I had been with each other. The most open I’d been with someone new in a long time.
“He hired you knowing what you wanted to work on and hasn’t been letting you move forward with your ideas?” Lily asked, her brows knitting together. When I nodded, she said, “That’s…that’s so frustrating.”
I appreciated that she didn’t apologize for my situation, and that she acknowledged it for what it was. Although, hearing her say it out loud made me realize how fucking miserable it sounded.
“And you can’t leave?”
I ran a hand through my hair, tugging on the strands. “It’s complicated,” I settled on, not ready to get into specifics. But even without the details, Lily picked up on at least part of what I was grappling with.
“Yeah, I can see how. You’d have to step away from working with your dad and start over, I’m assuming. You shouldn’t have to be in a position where you have to do that if you don’t want to.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her how this building could turn my career around—or at least, how I thought it could—but I held back. Maybe I’d tell her another time when it felt right, but I didn’t want it to seem like I had opened up to her to get her on my side on why I should own the building. I opened up to her because I wanted to. Because it felt right.
We were still on opposing sides and wanted the same thing, but maybe spending time with each other would be smoother if we actually knew more about the other.
“I’m sorry, too,” I offered. “For calling you entitled. I regretted it as soon as I said it. And I’m also sorry that we didn’t have the best first impression.”
“It sure was something, wasn’t it?” The corner of her lips twitched. “Well, it’s behind us now. We’re starting fresh…as two people who have to get through a winter wish list?” She tilted her head, her voice rising an octave with her words coming out more like a question. “Whatever our situation is, it’s strange, but we’re making it work.”
“Yeah, we are,” I agreed.
“Hey, I accidentally made an extra of these.”
I stopped typing at the sound of Lily’s voice and tore my attention away from my laptop screen as she set the mug in front of me. The café was quiet, with most customers having left for the day since Lily was about half an hour from closing.
“Would you like it? It’s a peppermint mocha, also known as a Peppermint Paws. Otherwise, I’ll likely have to dump it since we’re about to close for the day and I’ve already had enough caffeine.”
