While Kayden perched on the desk, Jace’s gaze moved to the door. “Is Elle in today?”
Tilly didn’t look at him as she responded. “She sure is. Made my day with a double-shot latte this morning.”
Suddenly, his feet twitched to go and see her. He hadn’t made contact with her since he’d been back. It was so fucking strange to be in this town, the place where so many of his moments had been spent with her growing up, yetnotbe with her now.
“Go,” Kayden said, clearly seeing the need in his eyes. “The forms will be here when you get back.”
He dipped his head and left the room. For some damn reason, nerves began to tighten his stomach as he stepped onto the back deck. Which was fucking ridiculous. He never gotnervous. He could literally walk in front of a crowd of a million people and crack a joke without a single stutter.
He stepped into the café—only for his feet to grind to a stop. Because there she stood, behind the counter. She was side-on as she worked the coffee machine, her blond hair pulled up into a ponytail, with small wisps of hair falling over her cheeks.
Something slammed into his gut. Some sort of emotion he couldn’t name, though it felt familiar.
Fuck, she was beautiful. She’d always been gorgeous, but after not seeing her for so long, it felt like he’d been starved of that beauty.
She turned toward the customer across the counter, and when she pushed the coffee forward, her lips spread into a smile that was so radiant, the air was knocked from his lungs.
Shit, he felt like he’d been sucker punched.
He was still standing there, probably looking like a complete fucking idiot just staring at her, when her gaze shifted and, finally, she spotted him.
Suddenly, every moment they’d ever shared together flashed through his mind, thrusting him back fifteen years. To a simpler time, when they’d been kids…and he’d made the mistake of thinking he’d always have her.
But nothing ever lasted forever, did it? Not really.
For a moment, her eyes flared, surprise whipping through their depths. Then it was like a shield came up, and her expression blanked.
He moved forward, forcing a huge-ass grin to his face. “Hey, Tink. Miss me?” Using the nickname he’d given her all those years ago also shot him into the past.
“You’re back.” Her voice almost sounded breathless.
“I am. Tilly and Kayden were just taking me through a few things for the skywalk. Thought I’d come over and say hi.”
Her brows flickered. “So…you’re working here soon.”
“Sure am. Ready to see me every day?”
Something that looked eerily like pain flashed in her eyes. But then she blinked.
Frowning, he inched forward. “Hey. I probably should have said this long before now, but I’m sorry we lost contact. I’m hoping we can find our friendship again.” It wasn’t a lie. His friendship with Elle had gotten him through some of the worst times in his life as a kid.
Her lips parted, like she was surprised by his words. “Maybe. But you’ll probably be too busy settling back into town, and I’m always pretty busy here.”
“We were never too busy for each other before.”
She swallowed, her voice quieting. “That was a long time ago.”
Then why did it feel like just yesterday? He lowered his own voice. “You going to make me fight for this friendship, Tink?”
“No, I…you…” She cleared her throat. “Let me get you a welcome-back-to-Misty-Peak drink.”
“How about our usual?”
The first flicker of humor crossed her face. “Our usual was a mocha with about five teaspoons of sugar.”
“Serve me up.”
“I amnotserving you that.”
