Page 211 of Money Reigns
There’s a muffled sound and then Chase’s low chuckle filters through in the background.
I don’t even bother with socks. I jam my feet into boots and shrug into my coat, the lining still warm from the radiator. “I’m coming,” I breathe, hope sparking where heartbreak had been.
I jog down the hall and take the stairs two at a time.
At the bottom, Ella stands in the doorway, wrapped in a long camel coat, her suitcase parked beside her, tiny snowflakes clinging to the wool. Chase is next to her, leaning against the wall with that smug smirk that makes everyone in a ten-mile radius want to roll their eyes.
Logan stands off by the couch, jaw tight, arms crossed, a storm brewing in his expression as his gaze cuts toward Chase. Dean catches it, mutters something under his breath, and elbows Logan in the ribs before he can open his mouth. Logan scowls deeper but bites it back.
And then Ella spots me. “Liv!”
I don’t even hesitate. I run straight into her arms, squeezing her like she’s air after drowning. Relief floods me, sudden and overwhelming, and I cling tighter than I probably should.
“You’re here,” I whisper against her shoulder, the tears threatening again but softer this time; less ache and more release.
“Of course I am.” She pulls back, smiling like sunshine. “And you look like you need pancakes. Let’s get something to eat? Murphy’s?”
The mention of our favorite diner hits me right in the chest. Cracked red booths, menus always sticky with syrup, the smell of coffee so strong it seeps into your clothes. Comfort I didn’t know I was starving for. I nod fast, almost desperate. “Yes. God, yes.”
Ella loops her arm through mine, already tugging me toward the door.
“Grab my bags and check me into the Inn?” Ella says to Chase. “Since you want to stay there and stare at me.”
“I’ll do it,” Logan interrupts before Chase has a chance.
Ella’s brows lift, surprise flickering before she schools her expression.
He grabs her bag and brushes past us, out the door into the snow.
I slip on my gloves and zip my coat. We follow behind him, breath puffing out in clouds. “Sorry about them,” I mutter.
Ella chuckles. “Please. I’ve known them as long as I’ve known you. They’ve been weird since I hit puberty—I’m used to it.”
I laugh with her, and for the first time in months, it doesn’t hurt so much to breathe.
***
Sue is still here. Of course she is. She’s been working Murphy’s as long as I can remember, hair pinned up in that messy gray bun, cheeks ruddy from the cold as she moves with the same practiced sway between booths. She doesn’t even bother handing us menus, just slides two coffees onto the table and sets down our pancakes with an extra plate of bacon and a wink.
Some things never change, and for a moment it feels like I can finally exhale.
Ella leans back in the booth, cradling her mug between both hands. “So,” she says, eyes on me, “any thoughts on War and what you’re going to do?”
My stomach knots. I hesitate, but this is Ella. I never lie to her. “I tried calling him this morning.” My voice comes out thin, breaking around the edges. “Straight to voicemail. Every time.So maybe… maybe I’m blocked.” Even saying it hurts, a lump rising sharp in my throat.
Ella sips her coffee slowly, gaze unreadable. “Or he’s indisposed.”
I frown, really looking at her for the first time. Her red hair isn’t polished and sleek like usual, it’s tied in a messy bun, stray strands framing her face. Barely any makeup. Faint dark circles under her eyes.
“Did you have a breakup too?” I ask gently.
Her brows knit. “No, I’m just not sleeping well. Don’t deflect, Liv. What would you have done if War answered?”
I grab a piece of bacon, more for the excuse to stall than the taste, but I chew and force myself to be honest. “I’d tell him everything. About Ronnie, about the Amatos, about how I freaked and ran away. All of it.”
Ella nods, encouraging.
“And,” I add, pushing the words out, “I’d ask him to stop doing things for me without at least a heads up. I hate surprises. You know that.”
