Riley sits on a stool in front of us. The giant, purple water jug she carries around makes athudsound on the counter.
“So, you haven’t heard? I figured,” Riley says, letting out a sigh.
“Heard what?” Addie appears behind Riley and sits on the stool next to her, placing the clipboard on top of the counter.
“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.” Riley looks at me with confusion. “She texted me at three in the morning. Maybe she wanted to spare you because, apparently,Idon’t need sleep.”
“Who the hell are you talking about?” James asks impatiently.
Riley rolls her eyes at us like we’re the ones being vague about something.
“Ellie!” she exclaims with a smile. “She’s coming home for the summer.”
Addie and James both look surprised by the news. I, on the other hand, try to suppress a giant smile that wants to come out at the sound of her name.
A million feelings are running through me, and I can’t process them this fast. The sound around me starts to fade away while my heart thunders in my chest at the thought of those perfect blue eyes.
The last time I saw Ellie in person was last Christmas. Unfortunately, her boyfriend Charlie was with her, so I had to put on a happy smile and act like I loved the guy. Trying to do that for so many years gets exhausting.
I pull out my phone to see if there are any missed calls or texts. Nothing. The last text from her was a couple of days ago. A photo of two pigeons eating ice cream in a cone that was dropped on the sidewalk. One of the pigeons was completely covered in vanilla ice cream.
I laugh again when I look at the photo.It is trulyan incredible sight to see. It’s one of my top five favorite photos that Ellie has sent to me. I turn off the screen and put my phone into my back pocket.
“Why is she coming home?” I ask cautiously, trying not to sound too eager.
Riley lifts her brows and shrugs. “All she said was that she’s coming home for the summer, and she will catch up with all of us when she gets in. Trust me, I called her like a million times. But she didn’t answer any of them.”
Addie looks around at us and says, “I hope everything’s alright with her.”
“I’m sure everything’s fine. She probably just misses being home and wants to see her family and friends,” James states optimistically.
I feel nervous and excited. Nervous because that’s all I am when I’m around her. The girl that I’ve been head over heels for since I was a teenager. The girl that I had until I stupidly decided to let her go when she officially left for culinary school all those years ago.
Me and Ellie, it isn’t in the cards anymore. She's a big-shot pastry chef in NYC and I have a business here, a life here. The last thing I would ever do is get in the way of that, knowing damn well how hard she’s worked to get to where she is.
I remember when she made me a cake after my first girlfriend dumped me. It was my favorite–funfetti with vanilla frosting. She made the frosting from scratch, and when I tasted it, I swear I melted. I didn’t even know food could make you feel weak in the knees, but there I was, completely floored. She didn’t even bother cutting slices–just grabbed two forks from my kitchen, and we ate it straight from the pan, laughing between bites.
She dipped her finger in some of the frosting and put it on my nose when I wasn’t paying attention. I couldn’t get mad even if I tried. Not when she let out a laugh and looked at me with the smile I fell in love with.
I always spotted her small dimple when I made her laugh. She had just the one, but anytime I would see it, I felt like the world got a little brighter.
“Rowan, do you know anything about this?” Addie pulls me from my thoughts.
“Wish I did.” I shrug casually and bite back a smile.
four
ELLIE
The road stretches out ahead,empty–not a car in sight. My windows are down, causing the wind to tangle through my hair, and my hand slices through the air. The sun beats down on my side of the car, warm against the glass, almost too hot when it touches my skin.
To reach Dove Point, the road winds up a steep hill flanked by nothing but nature. The view stretches out, just the road ahead and birds singing as if greeting you. There are tall trees that rise on either side, their branches wide and protective, while the grass gleams bright and green in the sunlight. Once I reach the top of the hill, I park on the side of the road, the gravel crunching beneath the tires as I come to a stop.
I step out of the car, my body aching from the long drive from New York and back home to the West Coast. Stretching my neck, I work out the tension in my shoulders, then lean back against the car door, lifting my face to the sun. The warm, soothing rays feel like a rare moment of peace.
The drive’s been relentless–just bathroom breaks and quick coffee stops. Audiobooks and music have been my only companions, hours ticking by as I try to push Charlie and work out of my mind.
I didn’t want to stop overnight. No time for rest. So, here I am, running on empty, my last cup of coffee a distant memory from seven hours ago. Sleep? It hasn’t come since Charlie shattered everything. Every time I close my eyes, I see him–his body tangled with hers, and my mind won’t let me forget it.
