With a late-morning call time that day, Caitlin invited Gemma to join her at Bean Up instead of taking their coffees to go. To her surprise, Gemma agreed. The even greater shock came when Gemma sat down at the small bistro table and casually mentioned that she had skipped her morning coffee with Hayley in order to join Caitlin instead.
As genuinely glad as she was that Gemma still had Hayley after all this time, Caitlin couldn’t deny herself the small, private victory at being chosen.
CAITLIN STOOD IN LINE ATBean Up by herself on Sunday morning, feeling proud of the progress she had made with Gemma over the past week. She was lost in her thoughts, trying to come up with more ways she could prove herself to her ex, when a voice startled her from behind.
“Just the woman I was looking for.”
“Hayley,” Caitlin said, recognizing the voice before she even turned around. “How’d you find me?”
“Gemma’s my best friend—she tells me everything. And I heard you’ve been coming here every morning.”
Hayley spoke as if it were obvious, as if Caitlin should have already been expecting her.
“I also happen to know that you’re not filming today, and if you’re still the same person that you were in college—” At this, Hayley paused to critically look Caitlin up and down. “I assumed you would sleep in, meaning you would be getting your coffee right around… now.” Hayley finished, right as the barista called Caitlin up to the counter.
Screw real estate, this woman should be in the FBI.
“Well, congrats, here I am.” Caitlin stepped up to the counter, ordering a sugar-free oat milk vanilla latte for herself before turning toward Hayley. “What are you getting?”
Hayley shot her an incredulous look, but then shrugged and ordered a cappuccino on Caitlin’s tab.
As they stood waiting for their drinks, Hayley revealed her reason for tracking Caitlin down.
“I want you to leave Gemma alone,” she said bluntly.
“Hayley, we’re working together, you know that’s not possible.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.” Hayley narrowed her eyes at Caitlin. “Stop leading her on. We both know that you’re just going to disappear to LA again once this movie is over.”
“I’m not...” Caitlin paused, processing Hayley’s words. “Wait, has Gemma been talking about me?”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t play dumb, Caitlin. Gemma has always had a soft spot for you, but I’m not going to let you destroy her life again.”
“I know you don’t like me,” Caitlin started.
Hayley sneered.
Ignoring her, Caitlin went on. “But I never wanted to hurt Gemma. I loved her more than life itself. I messed up, Hayley, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.”
Hayley just looked at her, unimpressed. But Caitlin needed her to believe her next words.
She held Hayley’s cold gaze and said, “Hayley. Please. If I have even a sliver of a chance left with Gemma, I need to know. I willneverwalk away from her again.”
“Caitlin!” The barista called out over the noise, setting the two coffees onto the counter and breaking the moment’s tension.
Caitlin moved to grab the drinks, and Hayley spoke up asshe accepted the one in Caitlin’s outstretched hand.
“Look. If you hurt her again, God himself will not be able to stop me from making the rest of your life a living hell. Oh—and thanks for the coffee.” Hayley held her cup up in a fake salute before spinning and marching out of the café.
Caitlin closed her eyes and gave her head a slight shake, trying to recenter herself.
If Hayley had felt the need to intervene, that must mean that Gemmawasfalling for her again. And Caitlin hadn’t imagined the softening she felt around Gemma’s edges lately. It meant she still had a chance.
Caitlin took her coffee outside, savoring the sun’s warmth on her skin as she strolled, determined not to waste a day off in New York City. She wandered through Central Park, taking in the melting pot of people around her. Her eyes were drawn toward two women kissing sweetly on a nearby bench, reminding Caitlin of her own history in this park.
Just as her mind set the scene—a checkered picnic blanket, Gemma’s mouth on hers, a forgotten deck of cards scattered in the grass—Caitlin’s phone began to ring from her shoulder bag.
Scrambling, she fished it out and saw Maddie’s face filling the screen.
