“Oh, you better run! I’m gonna eat you!”
Gia’s grin widened as she listened to the girls’ resounding laughter. It was impossible not to feel joy when surrounded by such innocence.
Not for the first time, Gia wondered what was waiting for her back in LA. There was nothing but an empty apartment. She didn’t even own any real plants. Besides Alex and Gemma, she hadn’t heard from any of her other friends.
Do they even know I left?
Even more troublesome, who was she if she wasn’t the starlet? Was she the small-town girl chasing after two little girls and laughing, or was she the self-important celebrity with a contact list of A-list celebrities who hadn’t even noticed she was missing?
Was she just two sides of the same coin? Or did she have to choose who she wanted to be?
Sooner or later, the reporters would catch wind of her lost contract. How long could she really hide out in Willowbrook before someone found her?
Did she want to bring the vultures into this small town where outsiders rarely visited, much less bloodthirsty paparazzi trying to make a quick buck with pictures of her in compromising positions?
No, she would need to leave before that happened. Gia made a mental note to call Kim later and get a feel for what was happening back in LA. She was the only person Gia trusted at the moment. And the only person who knew where she was hiding out.
Tomorrow, she’d formulate a plan. But today, she had two girls to catch.
Sixteen
GIA
After another sleepless night, Gia decided she needed to switch things up. Her afternoon was free until she had to go to work during the dinner rush at the restaurant. Instead of heading to the backyard or hiking, since it clearly ended in a disaster last time, she wanted to explore Main Street a little more. Though the town was mostly unchanged, she’d found a few new things that piqued her interest. Thankfully, her parents left the minivan for her to use again.
The brightly colored storefronts lining Main Street remained a relic from the past. And to think she used to find the cutesy aesthetic cheesy—but having seen how lifeless and dull the streets could be, she enjoyed the vivid shades of pink, purple, blue, and green gleaming happily at her. It was almost as if she were seeing Willowbrook through a different lens—one jaded by time and dulled by her flashy lifestyle—which gave her a deeper appreciation for the little things.
While the bookstore was not a fresh addition to the town, it was under different ownership and had undergone a facelift. What was once known as Willowbrook Books was now Moonflower Pages. The fresh coat of paint did nothing to hide the fondmemories the building held. Situated directly across was the coffee shop, Sip Happens, and the bakery, Sweet Tooth Cakes.
The short drive from her parents’ was over before she knew it. There were only a few cars in the small parking lot at this time of day, which meant she had prime parking right in front of the bookstore. This was one thing she didn’t miss about LA—the heavily populated area meant loads of traffic and smog, and a lack of parking spaces.
The bookstore was among her planned destinations for today’s adventure, but it was not at the top of the list. Gia’s eyes scanned the small shop cast in shadows next to the looming bookstore. While the rest of the buildings glowed with pride, the storefront next to Moonflower Pages looked desolate.
If Gia hadn’t seen the elderly woman closing up shop the other night while she was bringing in the sidewalk sign for the evening, she would have thought Blooming Petals was abandoned. Even from a short distance, her stooped posture belied more than defeat. It reeked of weariness and despair. She’d felt an answering tug from deep inside her, one of familiarity.
Gia chewed on her bottom lip while she debated whether going inside was a good idea.
What was she hoping to gain by snooping around and meddling in things she had no business being in?
But something had happened in the short time she’d been back in Willowbrook. A tiny seed planted itself inside the barren landscape where her heart should be. In the dark cavern inside of her, it sprouted roots, growing little by little each day, with each act of kindness. It was nothing compared to the yawning void inside of her—but it grew, nonetheless.
With it, irrational thoughts sprung. Something that felt dangerously close tohope.
She could finally see a different future for herself. One that didn’t involve flashing lights. Because in the window of the neglected flower shop was aFor Salesign. The blazing neon lights seared her retinas the longer she stared.
Fuck it. What do I have to lose?
Gia turned off the car and pushed out of the door with resolve. There was no harm in at least looking around.
She’d marched up to the grimy door, clammy hands yanking it open before she knew it. It opened with a squawk of protest, or maybe from disuse.
Gonna need to grease those hinges.
Already, she was compiling a list of things she’d change to bring life back to this place.
Stepping inside, she cringed at the dusty interior. Her eyes scanned the wilted flowers, which had seen better days, but mostly, the bins where vibrant flowers should be were empty.
“Hello?” Her voice echoed in the room. The lights were so dim, it looked like there were no occupants until she heard a groan followed by the squeak of a chair, and then a soft but strong voice answered her.
