Would she be there?
Of course she would. It was her store. We were still ‘dating’ as far as the world knew. Her manager wouldabsolutelyschedule her to be here tonight.
But would she look at me?
Would she smile, even a little?
I told myself I didn’t care. That I was just here for the signing, for the fans, for the job. But my heart lurched the second I stepped out of the car.
Because tonight, I’d have to see her.
And I did not know what I’d do when I did.
The bell chimed as we pushed through the door.
The shop smelled of old paper and coffee, familiar in a way that twisted my chest. That’s when I saw her.
She was behind the counter, fussing with a stack of books that didn’t need fussing. Same messy curls, same soft sweater that hung off one shoulder just enough to drive me insane.
Her head lifted, and for one fraction of a second, our eyes met.
It was like being punched square in the gut.
I thought maybe —maybeshe’d smile. Maybe she’d sayhiin that quiet voice she used when she wasn’t trying to hide how much she liked me.
But she didn’t.
She looked away first.
I forced myself to move, every step feeling heavier than the last. My driver, Matt, greeted her like he always did, bright and kind, and she laughed — polite, practiced, not real.
Not the laugh I missed.
God, I hated that I could tell the difference.
My hand flexed uselessly at my side, wanting to reach out, to touch her waist, to tuck that loose strand of hair behind her ear.
But we weren’tusanymore.
And maybe we never had been.
“Ansel, over here!” Matt’s voice cut through my fog, motioning to the signing table. I nodded and went, every step away from her feeling like a fresh tear in something I hadn’t realized could rip further.
The signing felt like hell.
Smile.
Sign.
Laugh.
Nod.
Every time a fan said something sweet, every time Matt cracked a joke, I smiled like it didn’t cost me everything.
But she was everywhere.
Flitting around the store, hair falling in her face, that sweater slipping off her shoulder like it used to when she was in my kitchen making coffee she never finished.
