Page 61 of Back to You
Mariana
Thanks for checking in, though. I appreciate it. Hope you had a good night.
I stared at the words before sending them, feeling a lump form in my throat. I hit send, then locked my phone before I could second-guess myself.
Sebastian didn’t deserve my distance, I know this, but I needed to remind myself that I could do things alone. I am capable. I can make decisions and be strong, and I don’t have to lean on anyone. I’m not just rebuilding this bakery. I’m rebuilding myself.
I grabbed my purse, threw it over my shoulder, and flicked off the lights. The bakery fell into darkness, except for the soft glow of the streetlamp filtering through the windows. I locked the doors, the soft click echoing in the silence.
For a moment, I stood there, staring at the quiet space. I had dreamed of this. I had wanted this. So why can’t I let go of these feelings inside?
CHAPTER 25
Sebastian
Night two of a 48-hour shift, and I could feel it in every muscle, every slow blink that lasted a second too long. Two days of routines, some brutal, had left my body aching and my mind clouded with fatigue.
The firehouse was quieter now, the usual hum of conversation replaced by the occasional scuff of boots against the tile and the distant murmur of a late-night news broadcast.
We still have a few hours until shift change, but I wasn’t sure I’d actually sleep before heading home. Not with my thoughts tangled up in her. The coffee in my cup had gone cold. I should have gotten up to make a fresh one, but instead, I just sat there at the firehouse’s kitchen table, twirling my phone between my fingers and staring at the last message from Mariana.
Mariana
Sorry, I got caught up in stuff. You know how it is. I’m heading home soon.
Thanks for checking in, though. I appreciate it. Hope you had a good night.
It was a normal message. Simple. Casual. Too casual. Very unlike my Mariana. I tapped my thumb against the screen before locking my phone and tossing it onto the table with a quiet thud.
“You waiting for her to text you back?” Mateo’s voice cut through the quiet, and I looked up to find him smirking at me from the other side of the table.
Andres dropped into the chair beside me, shoving a forkful of leftover pastelillos into his mouth before pointing at my phone. “Damn, man, you’ve got it bad.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat. “Shut up.”
Mateo glanced at Andres before shaking his head. “Did we say anything wrong?”
Andres swallowed his bite and grinned. “Nah, just facts.”
I sighed, stretching my arms above my head. “I’m just tired.”
“Sure,” Mateo mused, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. “Tired from checking your phone every three minutes?
Andres raised an eyebrow. “Dude, you’ve been weird all night. What’s going on?”
I ran a hand down my face and sighed. I was being weird, wasn’t I? I could feel it. This tightness in my chest, like I was waiting for something.
Mateo leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. “Man, I gotta ask…How’s it really going with you two?
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
Andres snorted. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re glued to your phone, you’ve been zoning out since dinner, and now you’re just sitting there staring at her messages.”
I pressed my lips together, debating how to answer. Because the truth was, I didn’t know what to say. Everything had been going great.
We were together again, something I thought I’d never get back. We were happy. We had been so in sync. So why did it feel like I was losing her?
“Yeah,” I said finally, but it didn’t come out as confident as I wanted. “We’re good.”
