Page 122 of Big Dill

Fuck.

My stomach tightens. My throat seizes. Breathing feels impossible. I want to tell her to stay, that I love her, that I want her all to myself. But I can’t. Not now.

“Yes,” I manage, voice tight.

She nods, small and determined. “It’s what I want, too. Thank you, Brody. Thank you, Elise.” She runs her fingers nervously over a button on her blouse. “I…I better get home. I need my sketches, some product…get packed and ready.” She glances down. “Oh, and your present.”

I take it from her. “I’ll drive you.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I was talking to Liam. He could only stay for a minute. I’ll grab a lift with him.”

Liam? My chest tightens. “Jami⁠—”

I take a step toward her, but she raises a hand and backs out of my room. “You stay…” Her gaze slides to Elise. “Enjoy your party.”

And just like that, she’s gone.

The door clicks shut, and a hollow sort of panic settles in my chest, because instinct and history tells me she’s leaving for good.

28

Jami

My stomach knots tighter with every wheel of my luggage through the bustling chaos of Toronto Pearson Airport. The echo of rolling suitcases on the tile, the jostling crowds, and the endless announcements blur into a dizzying symphony of stress.

But I’m not sure if it’s nerves about my meeting with Elise’s buyer friend that has me on edge—or the image of her and Brody waving me off, sunlight glinting off his hair, her hand lingering on his arm as they smiled at me with that quiet, knowing look. I can’t seem to scrub it from my mind. She hurt him, and I know it. I’m pretty sure he’s still in love with her. So if she’s back, trying to make things right…shouldn’t I be glad?

Sure, if your chest wasn’t already aching with your own feelings for him.

The sharp vibration of my phone cuts through the thrum of the airport, and I fumble to grab it, relief washing over me when I see it’s Jaxon. I told him not to see me off at the airport—no reason for him to sit awkwardly in the truck while Brody and Elise took over.

I swipe, my thumb hesitating just a second before I answer. “Hello, big brother.”

“Hey. Good to hear your voice. I was tracking your flight and saw you landed.”

My heart thumps. “I made it,” I say.

He must hear something in my voice because he asks, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, hoisting my carry-on bag higher on my shoulder. “Got my luggage, now about to grab an Uber.” I step outside, squinting into the blazing afternoon sun. Heat radiates off the pavement and the hum of the airport surrounds me. “It’s much warmer here.” I begin to sweat in my winter coat.

He laughs, low and teasing. “Warmth is overrated. You’ll learn that fast.”

“Whatever you say, big brother.” I duck under the shade of a nearby awning, letting a moment of calm wash over me.

“Come on,” he nudges. “Admit it. You miss this place already.”

“I miss you,” I say, smirking despite myself. “And pie.”

I miss Brody too. His easy smile, the way his humor flickers in his eyes, the quiet, soft touches that leave me breathless.

Breathe, Jami.

He chuckles on the other end. “Yeah, well, we all miss you too. So go knock this guy dead and get back here safe.”

“We?” My voice softens, and I can’t help but feel a pang.

“Yes. We. All of us. Now, go.”