Page 74 of Honey Bee Library
“It’s just that…”
There it was.
“Are you happy here?” He flicked his gaze to mine.
His question caught me off guard.
“What?” I could feel myself begin to build a wall between me and him.
“In Harmony. In the library. In…your life.” He paused. “Are you happy?”
I snorted. “What kind of question is that?”
He shrugged. “An honest one.” He reached over and grabbed a nearby napkin and dipped his finger in his ketchup. Then he began to write what looked like a phone number. “Listen, here’s my number. If you want some freedom…call me.” He handed the napkin over and I stared at it.
Part of me wanted to crumple it up and throw it back in his face. But a small part of me—one that I was trying to bury—wanted to pick it up. I’d spent so long trying to convince myself that I loved this place, that I loved my life, but this wasn’t my life.
I was living Abigail’s life.
And I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that anymore.
I reached over and took the napkin. “Just because my momma raised me to be polite, I’ll take this.” I scooted to the edge of the booth and stood. “But I can assure you, I will never,everuse it.” I shouldered my purse strap, met his gaze, and then turned and headed out of the diner.
When I got outside, the rain had mostly stopped, and I stared down at the napkin. I knew I should toss it into the garbage next to me…but I didn’t. I gingerly folded it, to not smudge the numbers, and tucked it deep,deepinto my purse. Where, if I had any common sense, it would stay.
23
COLE
My house was traditionallymy sanctuary. A place I could disappear to, where all the stress of my life would melt away. A place of calm and peace. A place where other people couldn’t touch me.
That was before Willow and Jasper had come to stay with me.
That was before I’d fallen in love with the co-owner of the Sunny Side Up Diner.
That was before she rejected me and I had to return to Miami, alone.
Now, my house just felt like a cold, empty prison cell. One that I would never be able to leave.
I sighed as I leaned my head to rest on the back of the couch. I closed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths. It was early in the morning. I’d managed to catch a late-night flight to Miami, and when I’d got to my house, I crashed on my bed. I tried to sleep in, but as soon as the small slits of the early morning sun started to creep into my bedroom, I was awake.
So I forced myself out of bed and made it to the living room, where I collapsed on the couch. I had no motivation to get up—or to do anything really. Now that I’d seen what life could be like with Willow and Jasper, my former life was no longer enough. I wanted Willow and Jasper like I needed air to breathe, and it was killing me that she didn’t feel the same.
I feared I was never going to get over my time spent in Harmony.
Needing a distraction, I grabbed my phone and lifted my head. I was going to text Liam. He was always good for a distraction. Once I found his name, I began to type.
Me: Hey man, where are you?
I set my phone down on my chest and leaned my head back once more, closing my eyes. I doubted Liam would be up right now. That man partied hard and slept most of the day. I felt bad that I’d basically ignored him when he got to Harmony. I’d been swept up in my drama with Willow, and now that I was on the other side of our relationship, I could see where I’d gone wrong. I should have never let a woman get in between me and a friend.
I was going to do better next time—if next time ever came around.
Liam: Harmony. Where are you?
My heart squeezed at the name of the one place I feared I was never going to be able to forget. Was this going to be my reaction every time someone brought it up? I hated that I was so weak. I dated and broke up with so many women. Why was it different with Willow?
I shook my head. The best thing I could do was just put her out of my mind. Get my friend back to Miami and focus on moving on.
