“It’s for the best.” The lie tastes like ash.
Even as I say it, I wish things could be different. He’s such a great guy in so many ways—kind, dedicated, genuinely caring. But his need to micromanage me, to fix me like I’m one of his injured animals, is a deal-breaker.
Yet... it was nice while it lasted. So, so nice. The morning coffees, the gentle kisses, the way he made me feel seen—until he saw too much and decided I needed saving.
And I can’t help but want the good times back, even knowing they came with a price I couldn’t pay.
The conversation shifts, the girls discussing a rumor that the owner of the Italian restaurant is dating the manager of the coffee shop. I half listen, mechanically sipping my cooling tea, but my heart isn’t in it. After baring my soul, I feel hollow.
Part of me wants to go home and crawl into bed, maybe wake up to find this was all a terrible dream. But there’s one more thing I need to get off my chest, one more secret that’s been eating at me.
I clear my throat, the sound too loud in the cozy space. “Um, there’s something else I need to tell you guys.”
Everyone’s attention snaps back to me, projects lowering to laps.
I take a shaky breath, fingers twisting in the hem of my sweater. “Someone has been following me.” My voice barely rises above a whisper. “At first it was just some weird messages through my social media sites. Comments that were too specific, too knowing. But lately, it’s escalated.”
They all just stare at me with their mouths open in stunned silence.
“They dropped a package off at my house—that’s the teal cashmere I asked you all about in the group chat. Then they were in the coffee shop one day, messaging me about my order while I was standing in line. Real-time commentary on what I was wearing, what I ordered.”
My hands shake as I set down the mug. “I’ve heard noises outside my condo at night. Footsteps on the stairs when no one should be there. Sometimes I feel like someone’s there watching me through the windows...”
The silence that follows is deafening. Even the usual street sounds seem muted.
Hannah finds her voice first, and there’s steel in it. “Flick, that sounds really serious. Have you gone to the police?”
“I have.” I fiddle with a loose thread on my sweater, needing something to do with my hands. “And I have cameras set up at my front door and back door now. I’m keeping the police updated on everything.”
Talking about the cameras makes me think of Sebastian—how he insisted on installing them himself, making sure they covered every angle. How safe I felt with him there. I push the thought away.
“At first I thought it was harmless, just an overeager fan. Or that I was overreacting. But now it’s really starting to scare me, so I just wanted to let you guys know what’s going on.”
“We’ll help however we can.” Alexis’s voice is fierce, protective. “We’ll keep an eye out around town. If this creep shows up again, they’ll have to deal with all of us.”
Maya nods emphatically. “And you’re never walking home alone again. Not while we’re around. We’ll set up a schedule.”
A lump rises in my throat, thick with emotion. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that, how heavy the weight of these secrets had become. Carrying them alone had been slowly crushing me.
“Thanks, you guys,” I whisper, voice cracking with emotion.
Hannah leans over and squeezes my hand. “You’re not dealing with this alone, Flick. We’ve got you. That’s what this group is for—we carry each other’s burdens.”
I squeeze back, grateful beyond words. “You guys are the best. Really. Now enough about me and my problems. Let’s talk about something else to get my mind off everything.”
As the evening winds down, the light outside fading to purple dusk. Devin, Maya, and Alexis gather their things and all stop to hug me on their way out the door, while Hannah hangs back by the counter.
“Need help locking up?” I turn to Hannah, prepared for the possibility that she hasn’t fully forgiven me and might turn down the offer.
“Everything is put away, but would you like to go back to your place and talk?” She adjusts her glasses—that nervous tell I know so well. “I would invite you to my house, but Michael and Katie are there, and I was thinking, you know... we need privacy.”
“I would love that.” Emotion clogs my throat, thick and overwhelming.
I’ve made such a big mistake by keeping the truth from my best friend. I deserve nothing less than being cut off. Yet here she is, extending her hand, offering grace I haven’t earned.
And I couldn’t be more grateful.
CHAPTER 25
