Page 42 of Sweet Ruin

“Norma, darlin’, can’t you tell I’ve been in love with you since the day I met you?” he replied.

“What?” She sounded breathless, and she kept opening and closing her mouth as she struggled to form a response. It must have been the first time in her life she’d been close to speechless.

Frank slowly stood from his chair, still holding Norma’s hands. “The coffee isn’t the only reason I come here every day. Norma, I love you.”

“Oh, you fool,” she said. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t know whether you’d feel the same way.”

“Well, now you do. Frank, I love you too.”

A second later they stepped into each other’s arms and kissed.

The table erupted with cheers and whistles, but the two of them still barely noticed us as they lost themselves in a kiss years in the making. It was impossible not to be overwhelmed with joy at the sight of the pair finally together. I turned to look at my mom, and she winked at me as she clapped along.

“Wow, I guess you were right about your mom’s turkey,” Cress murmured to me.

“Yeah, looks like it’s struck its magic again,” I agreed.

“If that’s how powerful it is, I need seconds,” Anna said, reaching out to grab the turkey platter and slide it closer to her plate.

Norma and Frank eventually pulled themselves apart and laughed when they finally realized the whole room was watching and applauding them. They nervously took their seats and focused on their meals, but as we all continued eating, I noticed they were sitting a little closer to each other, and I suspected they were holding hands under the table.

Once it looked like everyone had finished, my mom stood up. “Right, I think it’s time for dessert,” she announced. “Could you give me a hand, Iz?”

“Sure.” I stood up and went to follow her to the kitchen, but when I looked at my mom, her eyes were focused on something behind me.

“Uh, Isobel,” she said. “Look.”

She nodded past me, and I glanced over my shoulder to look out the window. Through the glass, I could see Nina. She was standing on the sidewalk, looking into the café.

The blood drained from my skin at the sight of her. She looked nervous and instinctively glanced away when my eyes met hers, but then she turned back to meet my gaze and slowly raised a hand to wave. The last time I’d seen her at the café, she had waltzed in with my ex-boyfriend on her arm and her head held high. Today was different. She was alone, and her expression was much gentler. There was no sign she was looking for a confrontation similar to last time, but I got the sense she was here to talk. Maybe Mom’s crazy turkey magic hadn’t run its course yet.

“I’ll just be a minute, Mom,” I said before I slowly walked outside to meet Nina.

“You’re home,” she said as I stepped onto the sidewalk. She was still standing in the same spot, but now she was facing the entrance to the café. I stayed close to the door, a few feet away from her with my arms folded.

Nina had always been so sure of herself and confident to the point where it often came across as patronizing. But as I looked at her now, I could see none of that conviction. Her head was hung low, and her shoulders were slumped, like something heavy was weighing them down. She scuffed one shoe against the concrete as she waited for my response.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I couldn’t miss Thanksgiving.”

She nodded. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be coming back, but I hoped.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been meaning to call you or text you, but I just didn’t know if you’d answer,” she continued. “Then when I saw you on the beach this morning, I was too shocked to say anything, but, well, I couldn’t let you leave without talking to you.”

I frowned and shook my head, rubbing my hands across my arms to try to combat the sudden chill of the wind. It had been so cozy inside the café, but the sun had just crept behind a cloud, taking its warmth with it.

“I’m surprised to hear that,” I said. “I didn’t think you cared about me anymore.” She’d more than proven that when she stole my boyfriend. The last I’d heard from Norma, Nina and Levi had ended things, but that didn’t change the fact Nina hadn’t cared enough about me as a friend in the first place.

“That’s the thing, isn’t it?” Nina let out a long breath. “You don’t realize how much something meant to you until it’s gone.”

She took a step toward me. There was a more determined look in her eyes now, like she was intent on taking this opportunity to say whatever it was she needed to say.

“Iz, when you left, I fell apart,” she said. “I know I was horrible to you, and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I was wrong. I thought I was in love. I got caught up in the moment. But everything with Levi was a big mistake. It didn’t take me long to realize I’d messed up. I’ve been desperate to tell you how sorry I am, and I’ve been wishing and hoping you’d come back home so I could tell you just how badly I miss our friendship.”

Nina’s emotion was clear as she spoke. She was rambling and nervous; nothing like the brazen girl I’d once been friends with. I didn’t doubt the legitimacy of her words, and I knew she was being sincere. That didn’t make it any easier to forgive her.

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