Her hand leaves my face as she refocuses her attention back to the movie screen. “So, I guess one question remains. What are you going to do about it?”
My heart misses a beat, it’s thumping picking up pace as I let my grandma’s question sink in.
WhatamI going to do about it?
Moping around the diner or my house day after day isn’t helping anyone. The loneliness I feel at Mel’s absence has consumed my every waking thought, and I’m barely scratching by. Dealing with the legal aspects of taking over the diner has been a decent distraction, but that’s all it is. A distraction. All ofthe ambitions I once held to own Double Shot feel like a washed out version of themselves now. Everything without Mellie here is like looking through a frosted pane of glass, blurry and hard to focus on. Lonely.
Maybe what I need is a change of scenery.
“I…don’t know yet, Grandma.” My thoughts race as an idea begins to form. “But you might be on to something.”
Grandma turns to me, her gray eyes bright. “We’ll miss you, son. You better make sure to visit. That’s all I have to say about that.”
A laugh escapes me. Once again, it’s like my grandmother knows my own mind before I do. My hand runs through my hair, tousling it into an unruly mess.
When Mel went to LA years ago, there was no reason for me to try and follow her, not at first. She had made it clear she didn’t want the things I wanted, and it was crystal fucking clear she wanted space. It was only after time had passed, and the guilt at ignoring her had gnawed me to the bone that I had even attempted contacting her, not that she knew that.
But now?
Who’s stopping me from chasing after my girl? Nobody but me. And I’m running out of reasons why I shouldn’t hop on a plane tonight and turn everything that’s been upside down for months back to its rightful place.
And mine has always been wherever Mellie is.
Chapter Forty-Five
RONIN
Tip #7: Always remember, home is where your best friend is.
Speeding down the highway, a wave of déjà vu crashes over me. This isn’t exactly the same as the previous time I’d been to California, but the circumstances feel similar enough that I can’t help but compare the two.
This time, however, I have no intention of leaving without telling Mellie exactly how I feel.
Windows down to let in the beautifully warm LA air, a welcome contrast to the dipping temperatures and wet weather I’d left behind, the breeze kisses my skin. I glance at the GPS on my phone, flicking on the turn signal as I change lanes. Mellie’s workplace is nearby, and I know she’s got a relatively slow day today. I can’t wait for her to get off work hours from now, so straight to her office I go.
My nerves are completely fried. Mellie’s reaction to me showing up at her job has the potential to backfire, but I’mhopeful that won’t be the case. When we talked a couple of days ago, she told me that half of the staff would be gone due to some group bonding thing they had scheduled. Mel had opted out to finish a project in the unusually empty office. So, if she is completely mortified that I’ve invaded her workplace, at least there won’t be a ton of people to witness my humiliation. There’s that, right?
Shaking off my anxiety, I turn into the parking lot of the address plugged into my phone’s map. A few cars are scattered around the empty lot, and I swing my truck into a spot near the entrance.
Taking a deep breath, I flip my visor down to check my reflection in the tiny mirror. My hair is a windblown mess, and I do my best to tame it before gathering up the last ounce of courage I can muster and step out of the truck.
Finding her floor is relatively easy. As I walk through the carpeted halls, I recognize the space from a few quick video chats with Mel—times when she’d escaped into a hall or empty room for a rushed hello. I scan the doorways and floor to ceiling windows as I pass, searching for the suite I know Mellie’s team occupies.
As I round the next corner, I smack directly into a person who took the turn as briskly as I did. Our bodies collide with a heavy thump and we both go sprawling to the floor.
“Oof.” A familiar grunt comes from the heap of clothing next to me and my head whips up, taking in Mellie’s rumpled form on the patterned carpet.
“Mel?” My voice comes out rough.
Mellie snaps up, her eyes blown wide and her hair in a tousled mess atop her head.“Ronin?”
She gapes at me for a full ten seconds before we both leap toward each other. Her words come out a muffled, jumbled mess against my chest as I crush her body to mine. “What are youdoinghere?”
“Oh my God, I have fucking missed you,” I breathe into her hair, my eyes squeezing shut. My embrace tightensaround her as I fight back the tears threatening to escape at the feel of her in my arms again. I never want to let her go.
“Seriously, Ronin, what are you doing here?Howare you here?” Mellie pulls back slightly to stare into my face, her amber gaze searching mine. “Is everything okay?”
“Now it is.”
