Closer to You (Book One ✓)

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

I hand a small iced coffee to a young, freckled preteen staring at me with pity in her eyes. "Enjoy," I mutter softly, watching her as she rejoins her group of friends in the bean bags chairs. She whispers something to them and they all look up at me, the same sad look in their eyes. If only you knew, I think to myself, imagining the crazy Beau Lewis fantasies they have in their heads.

Letting out a deep sigh, I grab the soapy rag from my wash bucket and scrub the counter top, still sticky from an earlier iced mocha spill. My mind is numb as I work, mechanically going through the motions as I try to distract myself from the unanswered messages in my phone.

A smack on the counter by the register grabs my attention, and I'm greeted by one of Chloe's snide smiles. Glancing at the magazine she's thrown to the counter, I read yet another headline about Beau and I splitting up. "Didn't Nadine ban you from the cafe?" I raise my brows at her and drop the rag back into my bucket, sending suds into the air.

"Oh, I just wanted to donate some new reading material," She taps her manicured fingers against the magazine cover. "I thought you especially might enjoy the cover story,"

I roll my eyes and open my mouth to tell her where to shove it when Nadine speaks from behind me. "I told you, you aren't welcome here. Do I need to call the police?" She sticks her hands on her hips and glares intently at Chloe. Chloe sputters incoherently under Nadine's gaze, but she speaks over her anyways, "Get, before I call." Chloe's dark curls bounce as she turns to leave but Nadine stops her once more, taking the magazine from the counter and extending it to her. "And take this trash with you,"

Wordlessly, Chloe takes the gossip mag and heads out the door, little bells jingling happily overhead as she does. Grabbing the rag again, I resume my work quietly and more fervently than before. "Are you okay?" Nadine speaks softly into my ear, careful not to let the customers hear us.

I nod, "I'm fine."

It's just that having my face plastered on every magazine with dozens of stories outlining "where everything went wrong" in Beau and I's relationship, is worse than I'd have imagined it would be. Between young girls looking at me like I lost the chance of a lifetime, and people like Chloe happy to see me fall, I can't get a moment away from the whole situation.

"Emma," Nadine places a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to hurt, you know," I halt my movements and close my eyes momentarily. Hurting isn't the problem, I wipe my forehead with the back of my forearm.

"I can't Nadine." I shake my head, aware that everyone in the cafe can see me. "You were just right all along I guess," I sigh and get back to work, my arm sore from furiously assaulting the cracked, blue countertop.

The rest of the day passes similarly, highlighted by a stop from Stevie grabbing coffees for the workers at the general store. Nadine steps forward, ready to defend me once more when I cut in front of her at the counter. She can't ban the entire town on my account.

Stevie is falsely cheerful, his condescending sneer letting me know of his satisfaction to see me back without Beau.

"Thanks Emma," Stevie lifts his tray to me as he leaves. "It's good seeing you again," his eyes glint wickedly. I clench my jaw in response, slamming the metal tray of baked goods to the counter harder than necessary.

Nadine carries a large platter of espressos to a group of older men playing dominoes but keeps her eyes on my face. Once she's back behind the counter, she rinses her tray and asks casually. "Do you need to leave early?" Thinking of the few weeks I took off for the tour, I shake my head and continue to refill the sugars.