“How is he?” I ask, unable to keep the jealousy out of my voice at the thought of someone else learning my job, standing in my spot behind the counter.
Layla waves a hand dismissively, rolling her eyes. “Ugh. Clueless. Utterly clueless. There is no way we were that bad when we first started.”
“Never.” I grin. “We were amazing from day one.”
“Absolutely,” she agrees, adjusting her bag strap. “But Joyce thinks he’ll do fine. You know how she is—she can read people well and thinks he’s going to be great. So I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“He’ll get there,” I say, though even I can hear the skepticism in my voice.
“I hope so.” Layla sighs dramatically. “I just wish it were you instead. As of now, this guy can’t do anything right.”
“Ugh.” I make a face.
“I know,” she says, her expression softening. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” I say quietly.
She checks the time on her phone, then groans. “All right, I really have to go, or I’ll be late. I’ll give Bob and Joyce your love. Please pray for me as I survive a full shift with Mr. Clueless.” She tucks her phone back in her pocket. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
Layla crosses the room and pulls me into a hug, wrapping her arms tight around me. I stand and hug her back, squeezing hard.
“Love you,” she says into my hair.
“Love you too.”
She holds on for an extra beat, then releases me and steps back. “You’re doing great, you know. You’re going to be okay.”
My throat tightens. “Thanks, Lay.”
She gives me one last smile, then turns toward the kitchen, where Logan is cleaning up from lunch. “Bye, Logan! Thanks for feeding me!”
“Anytime!” Logan calls back.
Layla steps into the elevator. The doors slide shut, and the condo falls quiet again.
I sink back down onto the couch, pulling the blanket around myself, and try not to feel the weight of how small my world has become.
“Hey.” Logan’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. I look up to find him leaning against the doorframe between the kitchen and living room, dish towel slung over his shoulder, his hair still damp from his recent shower.
“You wanna get out of the house today?” he asks, like he’s reading my mind.
I perk up instantly, the blanket sliding off my lap as I shift forward. “Yes. Definitely.” I’m already standing from the sofa, my laptop forgotten on the cushion beside me. “What do you have in mind?”
He grins, that easy, confident smile that used to make my heart skip back when he’d lean across the coffee shop counter. “I’ll show you. It’s gonna be fun.”
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
TESSA
“This is so not fun,” I say, stopping dead at the threshold of the gymnasium door.
“What are you talking about? It’s gonna be great,” Logan says, gently nudging me forward with a hand on my lower back.
I don’t budge. “I know we’ve only known each other for a little bit,” I say, digging in my heels, “but this is definitely not what I would put in the fun category. I don’t play sports. I got out of gym class at every school I went to, whenever it was even remotely possible.”
