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My phone lights up before we've made it out of town. Javier.

Already miss you.

My chest tightens. I type back.

I haven't even left Oakridge yet.

His reply comes almost immediately.

Still counts.

I smile. Then I set the phone in my lap and watch Oakridge disappear behind me. I'm heading toward New York. Toward the restaurant I built. Toward a decision I have spent weeks pretending wasn't coming.

And away from the man I'm no longer pretending I could leave without breaking something in both of us.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Madison

The first thing Julian says when I walk into the restaurant is, "You cut your hair."

I stop inside the kitchen. "I cut my hair three months ago."

He stares at me.

"You've seen me on video calls," I say.

"I look at spreadsheets during video calls."

"Clearly."

Then he crosses the kitchen and hugs me. Hard. For a second, I don't say anything. I just hug him back. When he lets go, he holds me at arm's length.

"You look good."

"So do you."

"I look exhausted."

"You do."

I smile. "I missed you too."

He picks up my suitcase. "Come on. You need food."

"I ate on the plane."

"That wasn't food."

"You don't know what I had."

"I know it was on a plane."

I take my phone out of my pocket and send Javier a quick message to let him know I landed safely before following Julian through the kitchen. Dinner service is winding down, but the restaurant still hums around us. Pans hitting burners. Orders called. The dishwasher running. Garlic, butter, and roasted shallots in the air. Home. The word comes before I can stop it. And that's the first problem. Because it still feels like one.

"Chef."

I turn. Marco is standing at the pass, grinning at me. "Look who finally remembered where she works."