Piper laughed and replaced the basket with a fresh one. Then an odd silence filled the space.
“You okay?” she finally asked.
Lizzy shrugged. “It’s going to be weird not having you around.”
“You survived when I was at Fordham for four years.”
“Yeah, but you were just in the city and came back home every weekend. This feels like you’re moving on and I’m just… here.”
Piper watched her, then said slowly, “Want some advice?”
“Not really,” Lizzy said, taking another sip of beer.
“You should start writing again. You’re such a good writer, Lizzy, and last year you were talking about graduate school. I know it’s been tough since the stroke, but your dad is doing so much better. And you’ve got Jane here to look out for him, and Kitty seems to be taking a serious interest in the bakery. You should start putting yourself first.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?”
Lizzy pushed her hair out of her face, trying to organize her thoughts. Piper still didn’t know about Columbia, the draft email just waiting to be sent. “Even if my dad is better, one small hiccup could force him to stay home. If I’m not here, that closes the bakery. That’s the family’s future in limbo, my parents’ mortgage in jeopardy… even that storm in June almost ruined us.”
Piper’s eyes lit up. “Wait! I have an idea!”
Lizzy’s brows knitted together. “What?”
“Your family should invest in HamptonFest!”
Oh God. “Piper—”
“No, this is brilliant, trust me. My dad already put in a load of money, and Tristan thinks that once the permits come through, we’ll get double the return in just a couple of years of doing the festival. Imagine what that would mean for your parents if you did that with the profits from the bakery.”
Lizzy sighed. “I don’t know…”
“What’s the issue?”
“Well… what about Tristan?”
Piper’s expression contorted with confusion. “What about him?”
Tread carefully, Lizzy thought to herself.Tread very carefully.
“It’s just… are you sure you can trust him? I mean, has anyone met these connections he supposedly has to help get HamptonFest off the ground? What do any of us really know about him?”
“Is this because he blew you off?”
“No,” Lizzy said, trying to keep her tone even. “But I’m not sure anyone has really looked into this guy, and—”
Piper sighed. “Lizzy, I know he ghosted you, and that sucks. But you need to stop using other people as an excuse.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!”
“Then what are you doing?”
Lizzy leaned forward, ready to let the whole sordid story spew out. But it wasn’t hers to tell. Besides, Hank had been planning HamptonFest for years and it had never come to fruition. If there was even a chance Tristan could finally make it happen, she couldn’t ruin it. So she snapped her mouth shut and just shook her head. “Nothing, apparently.”
Piper’s expression fell. “Lizzy—”
“It’s okay,” Lizzy replied, sliding off her stool. “I’m going to head home. Call me later.”
