“All of this powerful sisterhood stuff sounds really fabulous.” Vivianne feigned a yawn, and the glint in her eyes turned mischievous. “But I want to hear about your night with Brockton Gallagher.”
“Yes!”
“Me too!”
Vivianne arched one dark brow. “Is it serious?”
“I don’t know.” Juliette had tried not to think about Brock for this exact reason. The spark burned so brightly between them, but just like last time, she was worried she might get burned. “I’m not sure it can be serious with us.”
Adrienne patted her hand, nurturing as always. “Why not?”
“Because he left me once before.”
“The boot camp thing?” Vivianne asked, and Juliette nodded. “You need to ask him about why he left. It’s high time he fesses up. I remember how crushed you were when he wouldn’t return your letters and then wouldn’t answer your calls. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”
“Viv’s right,” Adrienne put in. “We’ve seen the two of you together. You’re perfect for each other. You were perfect for each other then, too. There has to be a reason he ghosted you, a reason it all fell apart.”
Juliette shrugged, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “He told me he found someone else.”
“Bullshit,” Anne-Sophie scoffed. “The two of you were planning afuturetogether. There’s no way he magically found someone else.”
“Agreed.” Vivianne clicked her tongue, pushing her dark curls back from her face. “It sounds like something he made up because he’s too afraid to tell you the truth.”
“Maybe,” Juliette muttered, realizing that confronting Brock about their past was the very last thing she wanted to do. If he didn’t tell her the real reason he stayed away, then she wouldn’t ever be able to move on, with or without him.
Brock promised her until forever. When he left and never came back, her whole world crumbled. But now they were both back in Mystic Cove, together, and all those old feelings of endless possibilities and wishes upon stars were filling her heart again. If she stayed, she would have to face her mother at some point, and even though she was finally designing again, it wasn’t in Gigi’s nature to make her life easy. The snide little comments wouldn’t disappear, the constant nudges or insignificant slights, they would all be something she faced daily. But if she left, her sisters would be devastated. And Brock, well, she’d lose him forever.
Something inside her gut twisted.
A knowing.
An understanding.
Clarity struck her like lightning. Juliette wanted to stay in Mystic Cove. Not only for her sisters, whom she adored, but also for Brock.
For the man she still loved.
CHAPTER 22
Brock sat across from his father at Latte & Bean.
Nothing was helping to erase the vision of Yaya from his mind. Regret filled him in a million different ways. He shouldn’t have argued with his father in front of her. He wished he’d spent more time with her, wished he’d taken up the beach house years ago instead of letting it waste away. But more than anything, remorse for never getting the chance to say goodbye was a weight he would bear for a long time to come. He’d stood there, in her house, just the other day, but he hadn’t said a word.
In an effort to keep the peace, Aidan suggested they grab some coffee and maybe just talk. Brock had readily agreed. The sterile atmosphere of a hospital was no place to learn about his mother.
Miss Bobbie hugged them both as soon as they walked through the door. With her eyes reddened by unshed tears, she offered them her sweetest of smiles, as well as free coffee and dessert for as long as they wanted to stay. Miss Bobbie’s hospitality was unrivaled, and he had no idea how the woman had already managed to learn about Yaya’s passing, but somehow, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
She stood at the coffee bar in her bright yellow sweater with a bejeweled bumblebee clip pinned into her white hair and pretended not to listen to their conversation. Every so often he’d catch her lifting her purple glasses and wiping at her eyes.
“How’s your apple crisp muffin?” Aidan asked.
“Fine.” Brock hadn’t even tried it yet. He wasn’t exactly hungry. Instead, he crumpled his napkin.
“Your mother…” Aidan spoke suddenly, and Brock’s head snapped up. His father shifted in his seat. Uncomfortable.
Good.
“She’s made some mistakes.”
