She blushed, turning to tell Daisy what I’d said, and I left the store nervously. I had to put more faith in Kaia and show her that I trusted her. At least I knew I could trust her not to have sex in my store. That was exactly why Fallon was never allowed to be in charge while I was away.
Since the book signing, I had been away from the store a little more, but I still managed to stay nearby if Kaia needed anything.
The store had been picking up a little in recent weeks, and Kaia said she needed help. It was nice to see that even as part owner of the store, she still wanted to be present and work on the floor, but I needed to remember to give her an office.
I stopped at Brewed Awakening before the drive for liquid encouragement, and Rylee was shocked when I didn’t get my regular order.
I had been ordering the same chai latte with cinnamon since I moved to Seattle, but now it just reminded me too much of Blair.
I’d made the mistake of asking about her and if she ever came in there. The look Rylee had given me was filled with sympathy and irritation.
I apologized again for that night. She had heard every horrible thing I’d said about Blair, and I could tell she still remembered.
She told me that yes, Blair sometimes went in, and no, she didn’t ask about me. Of course not. Why would she?
The drive to the airport was forty-five minutes, but it was going by pretty quickly. It was raining a little, but as I got closer, it started to pick up, and visibility became a little more difficult.
I was in my own world, thinking about my parents, my sisters, Blair, and the store, and I hadn’t noticed I was going twenty miles over the limit. A flash of lightning pulled me from my thoughts, but not quick enough, because when my eyes focused, it was too late as I got closer and closer to the back of a semi-truck. Then everything went dark…
Chapter Forty-Five
Blair
“Auntie Blair, Auntie Blair!Are you coming to our party? It’s coming up, and Dad said we had to share… again! Tell him we want our own parties. We’re too old to share. We aren’t babies anymore!”
The twins had been running me ragged all day talking about their party decorations and fighting over who got to pick out the piñata and who got to cut the cake first. I loved them, but I had only been at my brother’s for three days, and I was already exhausted.
“I think Brenden is right, Chris. They’re little men now, and they have different styles. Maybe they should have their own parties.”
My brother huffed. He could rarely say no to his boys. “Perhaps you’re right, little sister. I’ll talk to your mother, andifshe agrees, we will start planning separate parties. But I don’t like it!”
I rolled my eyes and laughed when Brenden and Cole rushed to tackle me in a hug.
“I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t been back here since the last time you were here,” Chris said as we were getting out of the car.
Chelsea kept the boys home so we could see our parents. We waited until after dinner and left while they were getting ready for bed.
“You have a family and a busy life, Chris. They understand.” I smiled and squeezed his arm.
It had been way too long since I had seen them, too. I talked to them almost every day, just as I talked to Gran, but it wasn’t the same as coming to see them.
We took our usual spot on the grass and took turns telling them how much we loved and missed them. Chris told them about the boys and their birthday parties they were now having. I was surprised to see his eyes water at the mention of them growing up.
I told them about being a best-seller and how I hoped they were proud of me. I also told them about Drea, and I started crying when I told them that we’d broken up. Chris was there to comfort me, and it was nice.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to no one in particular.
Chris helped me stand as I wiped the tears away. “Let’s say our goodbyes and get back to the boys, okay?”
I nodded, and we took our turns saying goodbye before heading back to the house.
I said goodnight to everyone early, but I couldn’t sleep. I was still thinking about Drea, and whenever I closed my eyes, they would fill with tears, picturing all our memories together. Mostly the hurt I felt hearing all the things she had said to Cara. Making it sound like I meant absolutely nothing to her, while she meant everything to me.
It was nearly two in the morning and I still couldn’t sleep, so I gave up and headed to the kitchen for a late-night snack.
When we were younger, my brother and I used to sneak into the pantry after our parents had gone to sleep, and we’d eat chocolate chips right out of the bag. They never caught us, or if they did, they never said anything.
“I should’ve known I’d find you in here.”
