Page 57 of Take The Risk

She looked so sad and it snapped me out of the lingering panic haze. I hated when anyone was upset, especially if I was the cause. “It’s okay. I need to do this.”

I did. I needed to find a way past this. Past…everything.

A few minutes later, I had my earbuds in, ensuring I couldn’t hear anyone, (okay, I wanted to work past my issues, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves), and lost myself in the rhythm of measuring, whipping, rolling, and baking that quieted everything inside of me.

Mixing the dough, I watched the way the butter absorbed the sugar and egg. I needed to figure out what to do. What I should do. Tomorrow was Monday, and I’d need a plan.

A hand tapped me on the shoulder and I looked up, my eyes slightly unfocused. “Huh?”

Louise pulled an earbud out. “You’ve been going for three hours. Why don’t you take a break and join us out front? The crowd has dispersed a little, and everyone is in our booth.”

Three hours? I couldn’t believe I’d been here, around people, for three hours and I’d barely noticed. Score one for new Phoebe.

I didn’t agree to join Louise until I looked through the pass and found that, though there were still many customers in the dining area, there weren’t so many that I would feel like I was being suffocated.

I cleaned up, making my way out front, Louise promising to bring me a coffee and a sandwich. Yes, I noticed the slight hint in her voice. I was going to kill Wade for putting the idea in her head.

​Making my way through the dining area, I got a big high-five from a kid in Lock’s class who stopped me to tell me proudly how he’d eaten three of my cookies and, if he did his homework, his mom would give him another. Laughing with his mom for a minute, I made my way to the booth reserved for Cady-Jo, Louise, and Co.

​Today, it wasn’t just occupied by Cady-Jo and Helen; there were newcomers there and one man who had me stumbling. Ty.

​Helen rose. “Phoebe! Come and meet some old friends.”

​At the sound of my name, Ty turned, his eyes briefly meeting mine. I thought for a split second that he looked happy to see me. Then he turned, his expression shuttered, and returned to the conversation he was having with the black-haired bombshell sitting far too close to him.

​Any last vestige of hope I had about Friday night meaning something was ruthlessly stomped out.

​ Helen grabbed my arm, dragging me to the empty spot beside her. “Phoebe, let me introduce you to Octavia Spencer and her daughter, Olivia.”

​Sliding into the vacant chair added to the booth because there wasn’t enough room for everyone in the curved seat, I smiled numbly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Cady-Jo piped up. “Octavia went to high school with us, and Olivia and Ty went to school together.”

“That’s nice.” Don’t worry, I didn’t say it in that rude Mrs. Brown’s Boys way. I did think it was genuinely nice they’d all known each other so long, even if it did make me wish Alex was here and I was not.

Louise bustled over, sliding my coffee and a sandwich in front of me. Her arrival forced a little seating musical chairs, which then placed me directly across from Ty. He didn’t even look at me.

I wasn’t hungry anymore.

“Octavia was just telling us how she and her family are finally moving back to Maplehurst.” Helen snagged a cookie, one of mine, from the plate piled with them and other fare in the middle of the table.

“Oh? Where did you live before?” I tried to sound mildly curious when I was actually calculating the exact number of minutes I had to sit here watching Ty tilt his head toward the woman beaming up at him before I could make my escape without raising suspicion.

“New York City.” Octavia shuddered. “City life was not all it was cracked up to be. My husband, Oliver, got a job there, so we moved. Fortunately, a position opened up in Redding”—she named the town about a twenty-minute drive from here—“which means we can finally move back.”

“City life isn’t for the faint of heart,” I commiserated.

“You’re from Atlanta, right?” Olivia spoke to me for the first time, her expression cool. Not unfriendly. Not welcoming either.

“Sure am.” I took a sip of my coffee. Five minutes. I just had to last for five minutes. Unable to help myself, I sought Ty out only to find him staring out the window.

“Atlanta is just as bad as New York!” Octavia pounced, her black hair in a sleek bob swishing with the animated way she talked.

The woman was more city than small-town Southern, if you asked me. Her burnt-orange pantsuit paired with a cardigan and pearls around her neck, all of it accenting her tanned skin, screamed city.

“Is it, Ty?” Cady-Jo asked, picking up the crumpet on her plate, taking a bite.

For the first time, Ty met my gaze. It was just for a second, and I felt that look punch through me. It gutted me. It was like he was looking right through me. Addressing Cady-Jo’s question, he gave her his full attention. “New York’s a lot worse than Atlanta.”