“Jules,” she sighs. “He’s not calling babe. He would have already.”
My heart drops, and I feel sick to my stomach. “I don’t understand. He was so concerned earlier, and now he’s not answering his phone or texting me back.” For the twentieth time today, I feel the tears prick the back of my eyes. “What if something happened?”
I can see Becks is annoyed, but she’s trying to keep it together for me.
“Matteo lands in Italy in one hour. I’ll have him reach out to Harrison and all his brothers the second he does. Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay,” I whisper, and then she props my legs up.
She gets in next to me and hugs me tight. “I set my alarm in case I fall asleep and miss when Matteo calls.”
I love her.
“Thank you.” I squeeze her arms.
Where are you, Harrison?
Please be okay.
16
Juliette
“I’msorry you wasted your time, but I’m not moving or commuting to Brooklyn,” I explain to Barbara, the realtor, in the kindest voice possible.
She is trying. I’ll give her that. This space is unbelievable, except I’ll never get Mom here, and to be honest, I don’t want to leave the city and live in Brooklyn alone.
Her face drops, exasperated.
Nothing she’s shown me in the last two weeks would work besides this place.
In Brooklyn.
“The train ride is almost the same as it is to go downtown. Remember that this neighborhood lost their beloved bakery, so they’re looking for another one. You would have instant customers.”
The way she saysyou wouldhas me freezing in place, and suddenly, I’m in another world having a revelation.
You wouldhave instant customers…not Mom or anyone else.
Me.
My stomach twists, and I can’t decipher my feelings.
Working all together in the bakery Mom created has always felt familiar to me. When I had time off, I often worked there during my teenage years, so it only felt natural to step in when my career ended.
Now that it’s all changing, it’s hitting me that this is my new life. One I never saw for myself or ever imagined.One I’m not sure I truly want.
I should be grateful I had something to fall back on and that I’m getting to take over the business my mom put her heart and soul into. Even more so that she trusts me with it.
When did everything in mynewlife start to fall into place without me realizing it?
The more important question is…is it falling into the right places?
My phone dings, and I rush to open my bag, leaving my thoughts behind. When I see it’s a text from Becks, my stomach drops, and my heart aches from disappointment.
Just another thing to add to the list of confusions.
My contact with Harrison has been minimal since my fall at the boozy brunch that Becks dragged me to.
