“You’re welcome. What’s going on with your mom?”
Hazel knows all about my mom’s condition, but I don’t want to get into it. It’s hard being the sole caretaker, and today was just one of those days. Couple that with the monotonous tone of my life and I’m grumpy.
“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” I say, pushing it off. There’s nothing anyone can say or change about it. I just had to accept my life and make the best of it.
“Everett,” she says softly. “Talk to me. You can’t keep all this built up. You need someone to lean on as well.”
I shrug. “Then I better go find that someone.”
She rolls her eyes, knowing my tactics all too well. “Yes, what a lucky human they will be. I’ll be sure to providethemwith free coffee. She’ll need it after one day with you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
One brow lifts. “Wouldn’t I?”
Yeah, she totally would.
I start to make a remark back to her but opt to take a sip of the coffee instead, and the door chimes.
And on cue will be Ainsley, who is engaged to my Frisbee teammate, Lachlan West.
Because . . . it’s Ember Falls where life is on repeat.
I turn to see my buddy, but when I see the person entering, my heart stops.
It’s like one of those movie scenes where the camera zooms in on the guy who is completely dumbfounded as he sees the girl.
That girl.
The girl who wrecked your fucking life and you never thought you’d see her again.
Only that damn girl is standing in the coffee shop, looking back at you.
Yeah, that fucking moment.
The world around me is fuzzy, and I’m staring into the rich amber-colored eyes of Violet Stewart.
She blinks a few times, her eyes widening, and then there’s a shriek behind me, breaking the moment completely.
“Violet! Oh my God! Violet!” Hazel yells and rushes around, bumping my shoulder as she goes past me.
Violet’s gaze snaps to hers, and she smiles. “Hazel!”
They hug and Hazel rocks her back and forth, over and over like she’s a long-lost friend, which I guess she is.
However, she’s more than that to me. She’s the only girl I’ve ever loved. She’s the one I was going to marry.
Until I wasn’t.
“My God, how are you? You’re in Ember Falls? When did you get here?” Hazel fires off the questions and then turns to me. “Did you know she was back? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I’m still standing here, like an idiot, unable to form words.
Dear Universe, when I said that life was the same and I was bored, I didn’t mean you should throw the one person in my life who could upend it all.
Violet glances at me and then back to Hazel. “I just got in late last night, actually. I ... I haven’t seen anyone, well, until now.”
Hazel grips both of her wrists, shaking her head in amazement. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you! I haven’t heard from you in so long. How are you?”
