I clear my throatand attempt to wrangle my thoughts into submission, and when I look back towardthe front of the bakery, he’s gone. I glance around, but then I see hisretreating form crossing the road.
Dammit.
“I guess it doesn’tmatter now,” I say, nodding toward the door.
Livi turns aroundand curses under her breath.
“What’s going on?” Leeasks.
I smile at him.It’s too quick, and too big, and too fake, but he doesn’t seem to notice orcare. “Nothing,” I say quickly. “But, we should probably wrap this up soonbecause I’m about to have to close down the shop for the day.”
“Oh sure, no problem,”Lee says. He shoves the last bite of his food in his mouth and washes it downwith coffee. “I can’t believe I’ve never been here before. Your food isamazing.”
“Thank you,” I say,the sound barely audible over my pounding heart.
“I’ll have to bringmy mom and aunt here because they love places like this.”
“That would begreat,” I say. “I’ve been here for two years but a lot of locals still don’tknow the bakery exists.”
Man, I’m good atsmall talk when I’m internally freaking out. It’s like my body can take overwhile my brain just screams and jumps up and down and wonders what the hellGabe is doing in Mable Falls.
He saw my Facebookpost. He had to. That’s the only reason he’d show up, right?
And,oh God, he saw me with another guy andhe left. It’s like the stars aligned and the universe wanted to give us anotherchance and I freaking ruined it.
Lee is nice andeven talks more than usual as he says his goodbyes, and I think he says somethingabout meeting up again soon. I think I mumble something in agreement just to benice.
And then he’sfinally gone. I look around for Livi, but she’s not here either. Maybe she’staking out the trash. I glance outside but I don’t see Gabe through thewindows. I have no idea what kind of car he drives, so he could be gone by now,or still sitting in his car for all I know. He’s probably gone. I had my chanceand I ruined it by being on a date with another guy.
This is what I getfor trying to do something against my good judgement. I didn’t like Lee, and Ididn’t want to date him but I forced myself to give him a chance. And becauseof my dating charity, I lost out on seeing Gabe.
I could cry, butI’m too angry to let tears fall. I clean up the tables and close out theregisters, and stuff an entire leftover strawberry shortcake in my mouth on myway back to the kitchen. There’s a ton of cash in the register but I don’t evenfeel like counting it up right now. Who cares how much money I made when I lostout on seeing Gabe again.
Livi appears, andshe’s talking on her phone. I guess she stepped out to take a call orsomething. She helps me take out the trash and clean up the kitchen while sherambles on to whoever is on the phone. It sounds like maybe a college advisor judgingby the content of her call.
Finally, wheneverything is ready to close up, Livi gets off the phone. She turns to me, eyeswide. “That was insane.”
“I don’t want totalk about it,” I say. The tears I’d been refusing to cry are still lingeringin my eyes, waiting to spill down my cheeks. I can disguise my emotion withanger and rage and annoyance and even apathy, but deep down I know what I feel.I’m absolutely devastated that I lost Gabe again. I’m freaking out that heshowed up in my little town, that he made the drive from wherever he lives andwanted to see me again. And then he just left.
After all of that,I still get nothing. If I could go back in time, I would have stayed in Gabe’shotel room. I would have woken up next to him and let the rest of the day play outthe way it would fate would have let it. Maybe we’d have gone our separate wayseventually, but maybe he liked me enough to try to make things work. Now I’llnever know.
“I can’t believe hejust showed up here,” I say with a sigh.
Livi snorts.“Really? Because I can. I saw your Facebook post and it was pretty damnobvious.”
Despite everything,a grin appears on my lips. “You think so?”
She nods. “And it’sbeen a few weeks and the boy was still looking you up online. That’s a goodthing.”
“Right?” I say, alittle more excited now even though Gabe is gone. “I wish I hadn’t been herewith freaking Lee! Oh myGod, Livi.This is the worst.”
“Nah, it’ll beokay.”
Livi unties herapron and hangs it up on the rack by the back door. “I’m gonna head home andjump in the pool.”
“That sounds great.Can I join you? If I’m all wet then my tears won’t show.”
Livi rolls hereyes. “Yeah, of course you can, but first you need to go see Mason. He told mehad something for you.”
