Page 100 of Stuck with my Mechanic Daddies

Lila let out a slow, low whistle. “Damn.”

I huffed out a wet laugh. “Yeah.”

She was quiet for a moment, then gave my arm a light squeeze. “First things first, you're not dealing with this alone anymore, okay? I know we haven’t been friends that long, but you don’t have to go through this by yourself.”

The lump in my throat returned, thick and overwhelming. I hadn't realized just how much I needed to hear that.

I nodded, voice barely above a whisper. “Okay.”

She squeezed again, then stood, holding out a hand. “Come on.”

I blinked up at her. “Where?”

“Brewed Bean.” A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. “You need coffee. Ineed coffee. And Sam’s working today. Between the two of us, we'll talk some sense into you.”

I hesitated. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Nope.” She didn’t let me finish, just wiggled her fingers in front of my face. “No arguments. Let’s go.”

I stared at her for a beat longer, then exhaled and took her hand.

It looked like I was going to see another friend.

The familiar scent of roasted coffee and warm cinnamon wrapped around me as we stepped into The Brewed Bean Café.

The café was busy for mid morning, small groups of locals tucked into booths and scattered at tables. The soft hum of conversation and the hiss of the espresso machine filled the air, blending with the indie folk music playing from the speakers.

Behind the counter, Samantha was filling a to-go cup. She glanced up at the sound of the door, her face lighting up when she saw us.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite people.” She snapped a lid onto the cup and slid it across the counter to a waiting customer before turning to us. “What brings you in?”

Lila jerked a thumb at me. “Emergency caffeine intervention.”

Samantha’s dark eyes flicked to my face, and her expression softened.

I must’ve looked as bad as I felt.

“Say no more.” She grabbed a mug and started making something, glancing back at me as she worked. “You okay?”

Did I say yes? Pretend everything was fine?

Or did I tell the truth?

I swallowed hard. “Not really.”

Sam’s hands didn’t pause, but her voice softened. “Then let’s fix that.”

A warm cup of something sweet and spiced was placed in front of me a minute later.

Lila pulled me toward a corner booth, and the second I sat down, I felt a weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying start to lift.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

And that made it even harder to think about leaving Medford.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Mason

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