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A watery laugh escapes her. “Thank you.”
“I’m just telling the truth…” Oh, she doesn’t know. She can’t or she wouldn’t be having this meltdown. “Hang on,” I say, pulling out my phone.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m assuming you haven’t seen this.”
“Seen what?”
“The reason you’ve been so busy all morning.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
I hand her my phone the screen already illuminated.
“Oh my god…” Bri exclaims.
On screen, Jax’s familiar profile sits right next to a blue verification tick. Above it is a photo of Bri’s stall, showcasing her book for all the world to see. The caption is so long it requires hitting the more button, Bri’s thumb trembles as she clicks it, eyes scanning his words. Her breathe hitches as her eyes lock onto words like heartfelt, favourite, incredible and next big thing in publishing.
“He did this? For me? All those people, the queues are here because of him.” Her eyes fill with tears again.
I smile softly. “He used one of the biggest platforms in the world to tell everyone how brilliant he thinks you are.”
A tear slips down her cheek. “He didn’t have to—”
“He didn’t have to. He did it because he is absolutely gone for you, Bri. Trust me, men don’t do that if they’re not in love.”
“In love…” she whispers, eyes widening.
“In love, Bri. That man is one hundred percent in love with you.”
She laughs softly, wiping at her tears with her sleeve. “I’m an idiot.”
I laugh softly. “Yes, but we still love you. But for the love of Dolly Parton stop trying to sabotage it and trust him. In fact whilst you’re at it, start trusting yourself too.”
Chapter 45
Luna
Carefully propping up the last of my watercolour paintings I step back to admire them.
“That one’s wonky,” Lennie teases, handing me a coffee.
“It absolutely is not.”
“It definitely is,” he grins.
Laughing I swat his arm lightly. The trader hall has settled into that comfortable mid-afternoon lull, where people are busy mingling and chatting rather than shopping, affording us a well-earned break. Thank goodness. It’s been an incredible weekend, my paintings have almost sold out, I’ve met wonderful people and made actual friends. Real ones, lifelong ones.
I glance over at Lennie. “You know…”
“Hmm?”
“I think this weekend has taught me a lot.”
“Like what?”
“Like friendship can appear in the most unexpected places. That love survives honesty better than secrets, and that trust isn’t something you earn once, it’s something you choose every day,” I say, smiling at him.
