Page 165 of How To Not Need You

“I'm nervous!”

“Be nervous without making me feel things.”

Jake snorts behind me. I ignore him. Natalie takes a breath and looks down at the key.

“Ready?” Jake asks.

“No.”

“Excellent,” I say. “Open the door.”

She does. The bell jingles overhead as Tilly charges inside ahead of her.

“WHOA.”

That's probably the correct response. The place smells incredible. Coffee, cinnamon, fresh bread and enough sugar to take out an entire primary school. Tilly makes it three steps before stopping dead in front of the display cabinet.

“Oh. My. God.”

Jake catches up beside her. “Remember what we talked about.”

“I know.”

“What did we talk about?”

She puts both hands behind her back. “Don't touch the glass.”

“Good.”

She leans forward until her nose is maybe two centimetres from it. “I’m not touching.”

“You're doing very well.”

“I want that one.”

“You haven't even had breakfast.”

“I did.”

“You had three bites of toast.”

“That is breakfast.”

I leave him to negotiate with the tiny terrorist and follow Natalie farther inside.

“So?” she asks, turning in a slow circle. “Still think opening a business is stupid?”

“Absolutely.”

“Liv.”

“It’s beautiful, but still stupid.”

She laughs, but I catch the way she looks around afterward. At the full display case. The coffee machine. The tables waiting for people to sit at them. Her bakery.

Before either of us can get dangerously emotional about it, the bell jingles again.

“Saved by the bell,” I mutter.