Page 73 of Fragile Heart

“Hey. How’s she doing?” I nod toward the bakery.

“Really well. We had a good run this morning, and she’s handling the pressure like a champ. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

“Me either.” After a minute of silence, I ask, “Did she watch it?”

Holly and I started messaging back and forth a few months after I left. When Quinn wouldn’t respond to me, I had no choice but to go to her best friend. It took some convincing and a lot of pleading, but I think Holly finally forgave me. She’s the one who told me that Quinn hasn’t been the same since I left. She said the spark in her seemed to go out when I left. It’s one of the only things that kept me going over the past few months. Knowing that Quinn might actually miss me.

“Yeah, she watched it.” I asked Holly to somehow get Quinn to watch the interview yesterday. “It’s not like she had much of a choice, though. The headline is everywhere about Hudson Porter having a secret love.”

I roll my eyes. I’ve seen a few of those headlines but ignored them. “Did she say anything?”

“No.” My heart drops. I was holding onto hope that maybe Quinn would reach out after she saw it. “But I saw her smile when it was over.”

I sigh in relief. A smile is better than nothing. “Give it to me straight, Holly. Do you think I’ll ever have a chance with her again?”

“Only Quinn can answer that. But I don’t think you should give up just yet.” She smirks at me. I’ll take whatever I can get. “Alright, I gotta get back in there. You gonna be out here all day?”

I shrug. “Yeah, probably.”

“You still don’t deserve her, Hollywood.”

“I know.” She shakes her head, but I see her smile as she walks away.

And I do sit here all day, just waiting for the little glimpses of Quinn through the big front window. I wish I could see her in action. Watch her smile and give her undivided attention to every customer like I know she does.

The girls close up shop right as the sun starts to set. I hadn’t gotten this far in my plan, and I’m not sure what to do now. Should I try to talk to her? Should I let her walk away?

Luckily, before I can decide, I look up to see her walking toward me. She’s not smiling but doesn’t look mad, so I guess that’s a win.

“Hi,” she says when she’s standing in front of me. Her hair is in a messy bun, her face is dotted with flour, and she looks absolutely stunning.

“Hi.” Smooth, Hudson. Real smooth. I’ve never been so nervous to talk to a woman in my life. But Quinn isn’t just any woman. She’sthewoman.Mywoman.

“Holly told me you were out here.”

“Of course.” I should’ve known she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“Don’t be mad at her. I could tell something was up after lunch, so I forced it out of her.”

I nod. There’s no point in talking about how she found out. All that matters is that she’s standing in front of me now. “Congratulations,” I say, nodding at the building behind her.

She looks back at the darkened bakery and smiles. “Thank you. It’s everything I hoped it would be. Why didn’t you come in?”

“This is your day. I didn’t want to ruin it if you didn’t want me here.” I look into her eyes for some sort of emotion, but she’s giving nothing away, and I can’t tell if she’s happy I’m here or not.

“Well, thanks for coming.” We stare at each other for a long minute. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since I begged at her feet a year ago. Her hair seems lighter, and her skin is sun-kissed, but she looks the same. I don’t know why I thought she’d look different. Maybe because I’m different.

My time with Quinn changed me. Made me realize what’s important. And right now, it’s her.

“Do you have time to talk?” I ask. I might as well shoot my shot while I’m here.

She looks into my eyes before answering. “Sure. Let’s go back to my place so the whole town doesn’t start talking.”

I stand and grab my backpack, the only thing I brought with me. I came with no plans other than showing up here.

She gives me a ride back to her place, which is filled with awkward silence. When we walk into her apartment, I’m hit with an intense feeling of home. This apartment. The smells. The couch. The bookshelf. I look around, taking it all in and realizing just how much I’ve missed this place.

We sit down on the couch. I take a deep breath and blurt, “I’ve missed you.”

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