Page 40 of The Uncomplicated Café
You’re reading into things. Try to focus.He raked his fingers through his hair again, recentering. “Do you remember our conversation back in the fall? The one where you gave me some tough love?”
“The fifteenth of October,” she said softly. “I marked it in my mind as potentially the last day you’d ever speak to me.”
He smiled. If only she knew he’d fallen even more in love with her that day. For her honesty. Her wisdom. And the way she pushed him to be better, even if it meant discussing the hard, uncomfortable truths most people tried to avoid.
In a world of shallow, selfish relationships that masqueraded as friendship, CeCe was the real deal. A rare treasure. Someone to be cherished and protected, no matter what.
“I’ll admit, the convo was a gut punch. But one I needed.”
They’d spent the evening on a video call streaming a documentary on George Lucas together. When it was over, CeCe recalled a quote in which Lucas said, “If you want to be successful in a particular field, perseverance is one of the key qualities.” She’d looked him dead in the eye and said, “But perseverance is irrelevant if you’re too afraid to take the first step.”
“I’m not afraid,” he’d countered, knowing exactly what she meant without her needing to elaborate.
“Yes, you are,” she’d argued. “Acting is safe. You don’t care if you succeed or fail at it. But writing is your passion. It matters. And that terrifies you. So you keep it locked in a box, untouched. Because you can’t fail at something you’ve never tried. But that’s where you’re wrong. Itisa failure. A failure to fight for the life you really want. Be a fighter, Jayce. Don’t let your dream dwindle until your dying day, when all you’ll have iswhat if.”
He hadn’t made any promises, but as soon as they’d ended the call that night, he’d dragged out his laptop.
“Does that mean what I think it means?” Her dark eyes glinted with hope, drawing him back to the present.
For a moment, all he could do was stare at her upturned face, noting the way the faint light of dusk illuminated her silky skin.
The tide had reached them now, bathing their bare feet, but he didn’t even register the cold.
“I wrote a script. And I’d like you to read it and give me your honest opinion.”
“As if I’d give you anything else,” she said with a playful grin.
“That’s why I love you.” He tried to match her teasing tone, masking the deeper meaning of his words. “But it needs to be a quick turnaround. A director friend of mine talked to a producer he knows, and long story short, the producer wants to see a copy this Friday. I’m supposed to give it to him at the award show.”
“Jayce! That’s wonderful!” CeCe tossed her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “I’m so proud of you.”
Jayce pulled her close, burying his face in her curls, inhaling the sweet, comforting scent of her coconut shampoo.
He’d missed this—missedher.
But in the same breath, he knew this feeling—the overwhelming desire to be near her, to be more than her best friend—was exactly why he’d left.
He’d once told her that he’d needed to move away to put space between him and his parents. But that had only been partially true.
The day he’d skipped town twenty-four hours earlier than he’d originally planned, he’d been running away from her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
ABBY
Abby nestled deeperbeneath Logan’s arm, wanting to feel the full weight of it around her shoulders. She needed all the comfort possible after the emotionally exhausting day they’d had.
“Crazy night, huh?” Logan rested his cheek against the top of her head.
Both of their bodies sank into the soft sofa cushions, drained of energy. Faint moonlight filtered through the sitting room windows, signaling the day’s end. If only she could wake up tomorrow and have life return to normal.
“Surreal,” she agreed.
The Bare Feet & Good Eats event she’d looked forward to for weeks hadn’t gone quite as she’d imagined. Between the presence of a big movie star, his gaggle of paparazzi, and the quickly spreading rumor of Sam’s return, Abby struggled to relax and enjoy the food and festivities. Plus, it took all her willpower to be happy for Max instead of hurt that he’d wanted to spend the evening with his dad, not her.
She couldn’t blame him, though. He’d lost so much time with his dad. They were family. Of course they wanted to be together. But she couldn’t help wondering what their father-son reunionwould mean for their relationship. How did she factor into their world?
Their laughter spilled from the kitchen where they’d helped themselves to a late-night snack of apple slices and peanut butter, one of Max’s favorites. At least Sam had agreed to stay at the inn until the DNA results came back. She wouldn’t have to worry about saying goodbye to Max for a few more days at least. Well, she’dworry, but it wouldn’t be a reality just yet.
