She shrugs. “That you’re ready and you love him. Maybe you need to stop pretending that you don’t want the future that you were already building with him and Aura.”
I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out. Instead I watch her work, letting her transform me on the outside into someone who doesn’t looks broken as she feels.
After sitting in Kenna’s chair—more reluctantly than I care to admit—Kenna deems me fit to leave the salon, though she’s clearly not happy with how unenthusiastic I am about it.
“Have fun tonight,” she says, smirking again, her terrible poker face giving her away.
I arrive at the restaurant fifteen minutes before Gabriel is set to meet me. I head straight to the back to find my brother Reuben.
I find him in his office, still on the phone with someone. I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, trying to relax as I watch him talk. Reuben’s always been the outgoing one in the family, the life of every party. His smile is infectious, his energy constant. He’s the complete opposite of me—the quiet one, the one covered in flour, lost in my own thoughts and pastries.
Finally, he finishes the call, setting the phone down with a wide grin.
“Hey Mills, what are you doing here?” he asks, his bright personality fillingthe room.
Being near Reuben, I can’t help but feel a little lighter. My shoulders tense up at the thought of tonight, but Reuben always has a way of making things feel a little less heavy.
Before I can say anything, he jumps out of his chair and pulls me into a big hug. I let out a surprised laugh as he squeezes me, the familiar scent of his cologne and his embrace grounding me for a moment.
“Hey, you,” he murmurs into my hair, his voice soft but full of love that he always has in spades. “What’s going on, Mills? You look like you’ve got a million things on your mind.”
I pull back a little, smiling up at him, grateful for his unspoken support. “Just…everything,” I admit, my shoulders loosening a fraction. “I’m meeting a friend tonight.”
Reuben gives me a look, that knowing glint in his eyes. He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press.
“Uh-huh. A ‘friend,’” he teases, complete with exaggerated finger quotes.
I swat his arm. “Don’t start Rue.”
He chuckles, dropping into his chair again. “Hey, I’m not judging. I’m just saying that if this friend happens to have ridiculously nice forearms and makes you laugh like nobody else, then maybe, just maybe, you should stop overthinking everything.”
“Alright,” he says, stepping back and ruffling my hair like he always does. “If they’re not here yet, you can wait back here. I was just about to head home for the night.”
I smile faintly, trying to seem more confident than I feel. “Okay, well, I should probably find a table so we’re not waiting too long.”
Reuben gives me a gentle squeeze on the arm. “You can get whatever you want on the house tonight, sis. Love you.”
The warmth of his hug lingers in me as I walk into the restaurant. It’s hard not to smile, even when my heart is still tangled up in worry.
The restaurant is buzzing with more energy than when I first arrived. I make my way to the back corner to find a table, thoughI can’t stop fidgeting. My mind races with thoughts of what Gabriel and I will talk about tonight. Memories of the other night flood my mind—him looking at me with so much intensity, almost kissing me…but then his phone had rung, breaking whatever spell had been cast.
I run my fingers along the rim of my water glass, rehearsing lines in my head.
I love you, but I’m scared.
I don’t know if we’re ready.
I want to say yes, but I don’t trust it yet.
None of them feel right. None of them feel like enough.
I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear a soft clearing of a throat.
“Hey, Bumper,” Gabriel’s voice is familiar and warm as he pulls a chair out and sits across from me.
“Hey,” I reply softly, smiling despite myself.
I remember that moment —his eyes on me, the way his lips hovered just inches from mine. It’s hard not to wish he had kissed me.
