What she needed was a night with her best friends. After she left the hospital, she drove her fancy new cookie van straight to Velma’s Washington Park apartment.
Brek answered the door.
One look at Heather and he turned full glower. “The fuck did he do?”
“I was hoping Velma’s around?” Heather asked.
Brek stepped back to let her through. “She’s shoppin’ with her mom. Should be back soon. You can hang with Lily and me while you wait.”
“You don’t mind?” The last place she wanted to go was back to work to deal with staff and customers, or back home where she’d be alone.
“Wouldn’t invite you in if I minded.” He ticked his head, effectively inviting her in a second time.
Heather slipped by him.
“I’d like to know what the fuckwit did.” Brek went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of white.
He slid it across the island before pulling out his phone and typing something on the screen.
Heather hopped up onto a barstool. Then she spilled her guts to Brek—everything from the cockies in flames to Babushka’s birthday to the hospital. She should’ve waited for Velma, but Brek was, actually, a good listener.
“You want me to kick his ass?” he asked. “He’s my buddy, but I’ll do it.”
Heather shook her head. She didn’t want that. What she wanted was to rewind to a month prior and park her van somewhere else. She wanted to rewind and not fall for him.
Not fall in love with him.
Because, if she were being honest, that’s exactly what she’d done.
She thought she’d been in love before. With her latest ex and a few guys before him, she’d been certain what she felt was love.
But it was nothing compared to the way Jase made her feel. Or the way it killed her that they had to end. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Dammit, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry.
She was not a crier.
Brek leaned forward, elbows on the counter. “Shit fucked him up good before he came back. Don’t know what. Don’t need to. All I know is the buddy who went over wasn’t the buddy who came back. Something big happened and part of him shut off. With you around, he started to come back for real.”
“You don’t think I should’ve ended it?” The tears flowed freely now.
Brek handed her a paper towel. Velma must’ve bought the roll because it was soft like cotton.
She wiped her eyes.
“Nah, think he’s had his head shoved up his own ass. He’ll need the kick to knock it free.”
“And if it doesn’t?” She ran the paper towel between her fingers. “Doesn’t come loose?”
“Then I think you’ll still be okay. You’re a strong one. It’s him I’m worried about.”
Velma burst through the door. “I’m here. Where is she?”
She beelined straight to Heather, barely pausing to acknowledge Brek. Then she hugged Heather, and Heather knew she would be okay. Because she was Heather Reese.
* * *
Jase worked alonein the construction zone that would soon be the bridal shop. Having hung the drywall, they were down to only needing to paint all the spaces. Eli would be in before his current lease expired, and the other spaces would be ready soon after. It was finally all coming together. Business-wise, at least.
He waited for his phone to ring. Waited for the lights to go on at Heather’s apartment.
