I pull on the mask I swore I buried for good. I meet his eyes and lie.
“I don’t like you like that, Ethan. You’re just a friend to me. Nothing more.”
The second the words leave my mouth, something inside me cracks. Hurt flashes across his face, sharp and raw, before he shuts it down, stiffening his shoulders.
“Eth…”
“No, I got the message.” His voice is calm, too calm.“I came on too strong. Won’t happen again.” He draws a slow breath, forcing a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.“Do you need help carrying those boxes out?”
He’s standing right there, close enough to touch, but he feels miles away. The distance between us is unbearable.
“No.” My voice splinters. I shake my head.
“Okay.” He nods once, jaw tight.“See you around, Summer.”
The door closes behind him with a hollow thud, and the silence that follows is deafening.
Tears blur my vision before I can stop them. I sink into the chair, bury my face in my hands, and cry, for him, for me, for the pieces I just shattered on purpose.
I tell myself it’s for the best.
But God, it doesn’t feel like it. I feel like I just broke my own heart along with his. I feel the weight of every wall I’ve built around myself.
And for the first time, it feels like the walls I depend on are closing in, pressing so tight I can barely breathe.
CHAPTER 14
Summer
I close up the coffee shop and make my way to the local store for some Christmas decorations. The air outside bites at my cheeks, carrying the faint scent of roasted chestnuts from the vendor down the street. By the time I push open the door, my hands are stiff from the cold. Inside, it smells like artificial pine and the faint dust that clings to shelves this time of year.
I walk through the aisles, skipping anything that costs too much. Turning a corner, I spot a section of half-priced Christmas décor. The faded red SALE sign flutters every time someone walks by. I find some lights, a couple of stars to hang, and a few small trinkets. It’s not what I’d planned for the shop, but it’ll have to do this year.
My chest tightens a little. I’d imagined this first Christmas at the coffee shop filled with warm lights, a big tree, and that perfect holiday magic. Instead, I’m budgeting for dollar-store ornaments because everything we owned is ash.
But at least Mia and I got out alive.
At least we’re here.
And that’s because of Ethan.
I move toward the Christmas trees. There’s a corner at the shop that would be perfect for a big, glowing tree, but when I see the prices, I stop short. No way. Not this year.
Maybe I can make a tree out of coffee mugs… or old books, I think as I turn to leave the aisle, and walk straight into a hard chest.
I look up and meet familiar green eyes. Ethan steps back instantly, walls snapping up, his smile polite and distant.
“Summer. Shopping for Christmas supplies?” he asks. His voice is even, but the warmth I’m used to is gone.
“Hey, Summer,” Jude says, walking over with his arms full of Christmas lights.
“Hey, Jude.” I smile at him.
“Decorating the shop?” Ethan asks again.
“Uh, yeah.” I look down at my half-empty basket.“Just some small decorations.”
“Putting up a tree too?” Jude asks.
