Page 31 of If You Stayed

“Oh, no. No. Hey, it’s okay.” Gabriel wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to the side of the bakery. “It’s fine. Actually, I hate this jacket. I’ve been waiting days,weeks, for someone to spill scalding-hot coffee all over it just to give me a reason to get rid of it,” he joked.

I cried even harder because he was being so nice to me. Because that’s who Gabriel had always been—so freaking nice. He began rubbing my back to try to get me to calm down. I felt so embarrassed by my whole meltdown, but Gabriel seemed more than okay handling it.

“I’m so sorry,” I muttered, wiping away my tears. “This is humiliating.”

“Actually, I know what the real issue here is. I know what’s going on.”

I raised an eyebrow as my heart dropped to my stomach.He knew? Did Amma tell him? “You do?”

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “I do.”

Oh my goodness. “Gabriel—”

“I bought all six cinnamon muffins, just so you’d feel how I suffered in the past.” He held up the paper bag and shook it. “Though I didn’t think it would make you sob like that. I didn’t know how much these muffins meant to you.”

He didn’t know.

I didn’t know if that made me relieved or depressed.

I pushed out a chuckle. “You’re right. That’s exactly the cause of my breakdown.” I tried my best to shake off my nerves.

Gabriel held the bag out toward me. He frowned slightly. “I feel like shit that I made you cry. I was just hoping to tease you with the full intent of giving you the muffins.”

“Yeah, well, you should feel awful,” I joked.

He frowned.

I slugged his arm. “I was kidding, but you do owe me those muffins. I’m willing to share one with you, too, if you buy me a new coffee.”

“Only if you take fifteen minutes to drink said coffee with me and help me look over the blueprint that I’m going to send to your husband later today.”

I smiled. “Deal. Grab a table and I’ll run to the bathroom to freshen up so I don’t look like a hot mess.”

“You look remarkable.”

Oh, Gabriel.

Why did you have to grow up to be so…great?

The flutters in my stomach shook me slightly as I tried notto appear too flustered. “I’ll only be a second.”

“Sounds good. How do you like your coffee? Other than scalding hot on my coat.”

I smiled again. He made it so easy to smile. “Preferably dark roast, but they only have light. So light roast with heavy cream and two sugars.”

“You got it. I’ll be at the table in the corner waiting.”

I hurried off to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. “Everything’s fine, and you’re okay, Kierra,” I told myself. Most of my life was spent inspiring others to be their best selves. Every now and again, I had to give myself a pep talk or two. “You are strong, you are smart, and you can deal with hard situations.”

I fixed my makeup and shook off the discomfort I felt. I could handle the situation before me. Gabriel didn’t remember me. I could sit with him, eat a muffin, and go about my day as if everything was perfectly fine.

After I refreshed myself, I headed back to the table where Gabriel was sitting. I slid into the chair across from him and smiled as I looked at the coffee and muffin sitting in front of me. “This makes things a lot better,” I said.

“I’m glad.” His lazy smile was back, and I couldn’t help but realize how much I’d missed that smile. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good. Thanks for asking.” I smoothed my moist hands against my thighs. “How are you?”

He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. “Do you always do that?”

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