Page 67 of Call It Serendipity

“We should go. You booked your flights; you’ll be back in time.”

“You want to?”

I shrug and the lapels of my wool coat lift my scarf up to my chin. “It will be good, you wanted to get to know the town, right?”

“If you think we’ll enjoy it.”

I take a step closer, filled with equal parts determination and dread. “Yeah, it will be good. Levi, Claire, Taylor, we’ll all go.”

“I’m happy doing anything as long as we’re together,” he assures me.

From most people, that might just be a line. But with Jake, I feel in my bones that he truly means it. He makes me want to try. I can go to this Halloween bash, as long as I’m going with him.

“Did you spend the night at Jake’s?” Claire asks, poking her head over the back of the sofa as I walk in the front door.

“No, I came home after dinner to paint last night. But I did go back to grab coffee with him this morning, before his flight.” I drop my bag on the front console table and shrug off my coat and scarf. “Why? Would you disapprove?”

She sits up, turning to face me as I walk around and sink into the armchair beside her. “Quite the contrary.”

We both let out a little laugh as I shake my head at her. “Until I finish these paintings, I can’t even think about that.”

In truth, though, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Each day it seems harder to leave him.

“Wait. Did you say his flight? Where is he going?”

“Back home, just for one night. There’s some big meeting he has to do.” I hate using the word home to describe his place in the city. His home should be here. “But he’ll be back for Halloween at Gin Mill—are you and Levi going?”

“We are.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you?”

“I’d like to try.”

A gleaming smile stretches across Claire’s face, and I can’t decide if it’s sweet or menacing. Sometimes the line between them is fine for her. “I’m so proud of you, lately you’ve been stepping out of your comfort zone in so many ways. It can’t be easy.”

“It hasn’t always been.” It also hasn’t been as hard as I expected.

I tug my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. The sleeves of my sweater are long, extra knit flopping down over my hands as I link my arms together.

“But has it been worth it?”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

My heart squeezes. It feels worth it.

He feels worth it.

38

“Where is the Viva Glam?” Claire yells from the bathroom.

I open my makeup bag and dig around, feeling for the familiar lipstick. Finding the smooth round tube, I pull it out and call that I’ve got it. Then I turn my attention back to perfecting the smoky eye look I’m going for.

It’s Halloween, and as customary in this town, we are heading to Gin Mill for live music and themed cocktails tonight. I’ve never been fully comfortable in such a large, loud crowd, but it helps that Jake will be there. Everything feels more manageable when he’s around.

I feel a little flutter at the idea of him being back in town and can’t help but grin.

“Do I want to go with the red? Or something moodier for tonight?” Claire asks, appearing in my doorway. After I declined to wear a costume with her, she opted for a little black dress with spaghetti straps and a sheer mesh long sleeve layer over top.

“Definitely moodier,” I say, eying her outfit.