“It’s a long story,” I sniff. “I shouldn’t have been seeing him, and I knew that, but I did it anyway.”
“He wasn’t married, was he?”
“Mother!” I give a shocked laugh through my tears.
“I just had to check!”
“No, he wasn’t married. But it’s a long story, and it’s over now. And I thought it’d be easier than this. I thought I could walk away and not look back, that I wouldn’t want to be selfish. But it hurts so bad,” I cry.
“I know it does, and I wish I could tell you when it’ll get better, but I can’t answer that for you. However, I do know that itwillget better; it just may take some time.”
I scrub at the tears on my cheeks before responding. “I just need to pull myself together.” I take a shaky breath. “I need to calm down so that I can get back on the road and get this drive over with.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come home?” she asks quietly. “And this isn’t me trying to lure you back home or anything,” she hastily adds. “I’m just worried about you,Summer. Do you really think moving to a new town out of state all alone is going to be good for you?”
“I just think this is something that I need to do,” I answer softly.
There’s a beat of silence before she says, “Okay. You can always come back home if you need to… or I can come to you if you need any help getting settled or just… any help at all.”
A warm feeling spreads across my chest at her words. My mother has always asked that I go to her; the fact that she’s offering to come to me—multiple states away—is huge. “Thanks, Mom,” I whisper.
“Are you trying to make the entire drive today? Or are you stopping somewhere along the way for the night?”
“I’m stopping at a hotel a little over halfway,” I assure her. “They’repet-friendly, so I don’t have to worry about Milo.”
“I’m glad you’re not by yourself, Summer.”
Despite her words… I’ve never felt so alone.
Two Weeks Later
I’m sitting on a benchin the town of Carmel-By-The-Sea, across the street from Sweet Dreams Bakery. Juliet’s bakery.
The sun is shining, heat radiates off the sidewalk, and I have to wear sunglasses just so my eyes won’t water. I can smell the sugar and baked goods from across the street, and my stomach grumbles in protest.
Just go in. Just go in and buy a cupcake and act like everything hasn’t fallen apart since the last time you saw her.
My stomach rumbles in encouragement.
Juliet’s bakery is one of the cutest buildings on the block. The outside is painted the lightest, most delicate shade of cream, like the sand as the sun sets. The trim is painted a cerulean blue, the color of the sea when the sun is high in the sky. A sign above the shop reads ‘Sweet Dreams Bakery’ and a colorful chalkboard outside states that today’s special is red velvet cupcakes. I can see cakes, loaves of bread, and pastries through the windows. Juliet stands behind a light wooden counter by a display case filled with cupcakes. She talks animatedly to a pair of parents and their small child. Her dark hair is in two braids, and she flicks her bangs away from her eyes as she talks. She’s wearing a light blue apron with the bakery’s logo on it, over a white T-shirt and jeans.
She laughs at something the mother says to her, and seeing her that happy… Well, I can’t drag her down with all my baggage. She doesn’t owe me anything. She doesn’t even know me. She won’t want to chat with the girl who ghosted her brother after nearly costing him his career.
I can’t believe I’m here. What was I thinking? What do I expect?
To waltz up to Asher’s sister’s business, knock on the door, and demand to be friends so that I can hear about him in passing? Or in the hopes that one day I’ll see him again through her?
Alright, so maybe both ideas crossed my mind, but I will not act on them. I just want to be in a place where we were happy. I want to lie onthe beach and think about how we swam in the ocean and watched the sunset. I want to walk down the storybook-themed streets and remember the warm feeling of hishand in mine. I want to be around the one place where we didn’t have to hide how we felt about each other.
And maybe I really do want more of Juliet’s cupcakes. Sue me.
I can feel the beginning sting of tears, and I take a deep breath, willing them away. I’m sure I’ll cry at some point on this ridiculous impromptu trip, but I can’t start this early.
I push myself to my feet, prepared to dash back to my car when Juliet glances out the window. Her dark eyes meet mine and light up in recognition before squinting in confusion.
I dart away despite being caught. I’ve only made it a few feet before I hear Juliet calling my name.
I stop and slowly look over my shoulder, knowing that if I ignore her, it’ll just make everything even more awkward than it already is. She’s leaning out the door of her bakery, the family she’d been speaking with walking up the block behind her.
