I hugged Clara back tightly.“I’ll help you fix this,” I whispered into her hair.“Both of you.Whatever it takes.”
Clara pulled back, tears spilling freely now.“Cass… you have enough going on.You don’t need this, too.”
A broken laugh slipped out of me, shaky but real.“Are you kidding?It’s a good distraction from my shit show of a life.”
Clara actually laughed, wet and soft, and some of the heaviness in the room cracked open.
I squeezed her hand and glanced between them both.“We’re family, Clara.Even that jackass of a brother-in-law.”
Mason winced, but I didn’t soften it.
“I’m here,” I said, steady this time.“I’ll do whatever I can to help get you out of this, and figure out what the hell Mel’s really after.”
For the first time in what felt like forever, Clara nodded.Not broken.Not bitter.Just… hopeful.And it settled something deep in me, a quiet promise I wasn’t letting go of:
I was going to make this right.
For her.
For Jackson.
For me.
Chapter 25
I dressed to feel good.
Not for anyone else, not anymore, but for me.
Under my winter coat and scarf, I’d slipped into my favourite black sweater, the soft one that hugged my body in all the right ways, paired with dark jeans and boots that made me feel steady, grounded.I’d swiped on mascara and a touch of lip tint, not because I expected anyone to notice, but because lately I felt like I’d been disappearing, piece by piece.
Today, I wanted to remember what it felt like to bemefor me.
It had been a few days since Mason had confided in me.My days had been filled with work and digging into the chaos that was his business.Mason had fired Mel and was dealing with that backlash.Clara was quiet, but she seemed lighter now.She had even let Mason go over to our parents' for lunch with the family.She had sent me a picture of Jackson and Mason cuddling on the couch, accompanied by a simple caption: 'thank you.'
The bell above the bookstore door jingled softly as I pushed it open, warmth curling around me, carrying the faint scent of paper and coffee.Abby was at the back stocking a new display, and Reggie was up on a ladder fiddling with the new track lights.
Abby spotted me first and raised her brows.“Well, damn,” she said, grinning.“Look at you.Dressed to kill.”
Reggie peeked over his shoulder and nodded appreciatively.“Cass, you’re making the rest of us look bad.”
I rolled my eyes, tugging off my gloves.“Please.It’s just a sweater and mascara.”
Abby’s grin turned sly.“Uh-huh.Is this about thehot book guy?”
The air snagged in my lungs.My hands stilled on my scarf as I forced my expression to be neutral.“No,” I said tightly.“That’s… over.”
Abby’s teasing softened immediately, her smile dimming.“Oh.”She hesitated, then lowered her voice.“Cass, is that why you’re moving back home?”
I shook my head, busying myself behind the counter.“There are a lot of reasons,” I said, keeping my tone light.“But mostly… It’s just time I do something for myself.Follow my own dream for once.”
Something unreadable crossed Abby’s face, but before she could say more, she glanced at her watch.“I’ve got a hair appointment,” she said, grabbing her purse.“Hold the fort while I’m gone, yeah?”
“Always,” I said, smiling faintly.
Once she left, the quiet settled in like an old friend.I perched on the stool behind the counter, opening my laptop.I’d made the decision last night that I was going to take on a few more ghostwriting contracts.Build my savings up to make sure I could help Clara and Mason get through this mess without drowning.And then, when the dust settled, maybe, finally, start working toward building the house I’d been dreaming about for years.
I scrolled through the list of offers waiting in my inbox, already mentally sorting through which ones had the best timelines and payouts, when the door chimed behind me.
