“Yeah, yeah.” I lean my elbows onto the counter. “Anything to help my girl feel better.”
Mel flushes, placing the bag of junk food under the counter. “You’re too good to me.”
“Nothing is too good for Mellie Baker,” I say, winking. I reach out to grab her hand, lightly tracing over the soft skin on top. “So.”
“So?”
I twine my fingers through hers and meet her gaze. “You gonna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours yet? It’s not like you to disappear that way.”
Mellie doesn’t reply for a moment. Her eyes fall to our laced fingers resting on top of the desk. “One of my old colleagues from LA was in town.”
Ah.
Okay. This is fine. Don’t panic, Ronin.
“Oh? That sounds fun.” I’m impressed at how well I disguise the worry in my voice while my stomach is busy twisting itself into knots.
“Yeah. Yeah, it was fun. Nice to see her again. Her name is Jack. We worked atScopetogether for a while.” Mellie tightens her grip on my hand and looks up. “She…had a job offer for me, actually.”
And just like that, the tight knot in my stomach bottoms out, dropping through me and plummeting down into the floorboards of the store. I try not to sway in place.
I can’t help the expression on my face, however. My eyes widen a fraction, and Mellie notices.
“Don’t worry,” she rushes out. She lets go of my handmomentarily, coming around the counter to take both of mine in hers. Her gaze is steady as she peers up at me. “I’m not taking it. Of course I’m not taking it.”
Her words fill me with relief, but also flood me with guilt. Is she saying no because she doesn’t want the position? Or is she saying no because of me? Because of what we just started building here, together. “Wait. What sort of job?”
“A writing gig. Jack is working on a new show set around a bed and breakfast in a small town. She came to Blue Fields to see me after finding my short story online and she offered me a spot on her team, saying I had the expertise and the talent she needs.”
There’s a spark in Mellie’s eyes as she says this, but she’s trying to tamp it down. I know her all too well to realize that shewantsthis. At least a part of her does.
“Are you serious? That sounds like your dream job, Mel!” My insides twist as I say the words. But she deserves to hear them. “Are you sure you’re going to just pass this up so easily?”
“Easily?” Mel scoffs, pulling away. “I’ve been torn up about this for days, Ronin. It’s why I’ve been avoiding you. I knew you’d do this.”
“Well, can you blame me?” I retort. “You spent years working toward this exact thing. Years away from home, away from Blue Fields and your family. And me.”
I reach for her again, tugging her close to my chest. “I don’t want you to leave, Mel. Fuck. Of course I don’t.” I tip her chin up to meet her gaze. Her amber irises shine, confusion and hope warring in their depths. “But what kind of man—what kind of boyfriend—would I be if I didn’t at least encourage you to consider this?”
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Last time I left, we lost each other. Now you’re telling me to go? To leave—again?”
I swallow against the lump forming, my throat bobbing. “If that’s what it takes for you to be happy.” I bump my forehead against hers. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you,Mel. To be happy.”
A tear slips down Mellie’s cheek as her lashes flutter closed. “Like I said, you’re too good to me.”
“Bollocks,”I reply, eliciting a chuckle from her. “You deserve the world, Mellie Baker. Whether that’s in Blue Fields, or in LA, or on the fucking moon.”
“I don’t have to decide right now,” Mellie answers, pulling away and swiping a hand across her teary face. “Jack said I have some time to think it over.” Her bright eyes bore into mine. “You really think I should actually consider this?”
My heart cracks. It’s just a tiny sliver of a fracture, but it reverberates throughout my entire body, bones thrumming and skin suddenly feeling too tight. But I say the words I know she needs to hear.
“I really do.”
Chapter Forty
MELLIE
It’s astounding how your life can change in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re finding yourself falling in love with your hometown, building a life that you weren’t sure you’d ever want.
