Except Marcus wasn't wrong. And Jake knew it.
He was scared. Terrified that Lucy would realize she could do better, go further, be happier without him. That he was just the convenient guy who happened to live in the apartment next door and eat pork buns every Wednesday.
His phone buzzed again. Not Marcus this time. Lucy.
Lucy:Can we talk at 2? Your place or mine?
Jake stared at the message. This was it. The conversation that would determine everything.
Jake:Mine. 2 PM.
Lucy:See you then.
Jake drove home slowly, his shoulder throbbing, his mind spinning. In six hours, he'd either fight for Lucy or let her go. Either choose to believe that what they had was real or accept that maybe she was right—maybe they'd moved too fast.
Maybe they didn't really know each other at all.
By noon, Lucy was ready to crawl into a hole.
Three more regular customers had come in and expressed disappointment about the bakery sale. Someone had left a one-star review online: "Sad to see a local institution sold out to corporate interests. Won't be returning."
And Mrs. Patterson had walked past the bakery, seen Lucy through the window, and actually shaken her head in disappointment.
Mae finally kicked her out at 12:30.
"Go. Rest. Prepare for your conversation with Jake. I can handle the afternoon rush."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. And Lucy? Whatever you do—don't push him away again. He's one of the good ones."
Lucy walked upstairs to her apartment and immediately regretted it. The space felt too empty, too quiet. She could hear Jake moving around next door—he was home, probably getting ready for their 2 PM conversation.
She should shower. Change. Try to look like she had her life together.
Instead, she sat on her couch in her flour-covered jeans and tried to figure out what to say.
I'm sorry I panicked. I'm sorry I pushed you away. I'm sorry I questioned whether we're real.
But were those enough? Could she take back what she'd said?
Her phone buzzed. Not Jake. Shayna Barrett.
Shayna:Saw the Gazette article. How are you holding up?
Lucy:Honestly? Not great. The town is pretty upset.
Shayna:That's normal with these kinds of changes. Give them time.
Lucy:What if I can't? What if this is a mistake?
There was a long pause. Then:
Shayna:Lucy, I need to be honest with you. If you're having serious doubts, we should talk before the paperwork is finalized. I don't want to buy the bakery if you're not certain. That's not fair to either of us.
Lucy stared at her phone. Shayna was giving her an out. She could back out of the sale, keep the bakery, make the town happy.
Keep everything exactly as it was.
