“Where is she?” I bark.
“Garrett…I don’t know what?—”
“Aubrey, where the fuck is Annie?” My voice is even louder this time.
The place goes deadly quiet. “I’m sorry, can you excuse me for one second?” She smiles sweetly at the couple she’s serving.
Aubrey sets down the pot, making her way around the counter, grabbing my arm and yanking me toward the back. We get halfway down the narrow hallway when I pull free, turning on her.
“Cut the bullshit, Aubrey.”
She shoves at my chest. “Jesus, Garrett, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re scaring the customers, coming up in here acting like a madman…and why are you half naked?” Her eyes shift to my feet, and she covers her mouth to keep from laughing. “Garrett…are you wearing two different shoes?”
“Aubrey, I don’t fucking care about your customers or what your opinion is about my choice of fashion!” My voice is shaky with fury.
She props her hands on her hips and makes a clicking noise with her tongue. “I never thought I’d see the dayyouwould be this torn up over a woman.”
“Just tell me where she went! Please.”
“Fine!” She huffs, shoving me through the kitchen doors. “Put this on, asshole. You’re making the old ladies blush,” she demands, throwing a diner shirt at me.
I yank the shirt on, feeling like I’m about to burst through the seams. “Aubrey, please.” I plead with her once more.
Aubrey crosses her arms. “She texted me at like one a.m. needing a ride back to the inn. By the time I got there, she was a mess. Wouldn’t stop crying.”
I slam my fist on the stainless steel counter, rattling the pots and pans. “She just left. Why?”
Aubrey’s expression softens. “She kept saying she had to get back to Charlotte…to real life. Listen, Garrett, it’s not my place to speak for her, but…”
“Aubrey, all she left me with was some goddamn note,” I mutter, voice shaking. “After everything…after all that…she just left.”
Aubrey sighs and puts a hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off. I know she means well, but I’m too raw for comfort right now. “You can’t shut down, Garrett. Not this time.”
I glare at her. “This is just like Clint, Aubrey. Just like when he fucked me over, then skipped town.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not the same. Annie didn’t fuck you over for money. She left because she’s scared. Because loving you scares her more than losing you.”
My throat burns. “What the fuck am I supposed to do now?”
Aubrey’s gaze is steady, fierce. “Go after her. You let Clint go with unresolved feelings, and you regretted it every damn day. Trust me, so did I. I wished you had beaten the shit out of him…anywho…if you let Annie go, that’s a regret you’ll live with for the rest of your life. You love her, Garrett…and before you try to argue…YES, you do. I’ve seen the way you look at her.” She pauses for a second and just stares. “What are you gonna do about it?” And it comes out like a challenge.
I let out a rough, broken laugh. “You think she’s gonna want me now? After she finds out I lost my shit and trashed my house?”
“There’s only one way to find out, idiot. You’re a stubborn bastard, but so is she. She needs you to fight for her.”
I shake my head, pacing the narrow space. I can’t breathe. I can’t fucking breathe. Every memory of Annie rushes back…her laugh, the way she tasted, the way she looked at me when I told her she mattered.
I can’t do this.
I can’t let her go.
“Aubrey, what do I do?”
She steps closer, lowering her voice. “Did she ever tell you about her boss? That fashion guy?”
I nod, because of course she did. She told me every detail about her life, while I told her absolutely nothing about mine.
“Well, don’t people like that typically post everything on social media?” She gives me a knowing grin. “So, maybe if you find him, you will find her.”
