“I mean, you’re the only one who can decide what path to take.”
“Exactly. I think it’s time I contact her.”
“Look at you, making big girl decisions like a big girl.” Secondsticked by in silence. A full minute. Almost two. Finally, Shea said softly, “And the Ellis thing?”
“Oh, the Ellis thing.” The Ellis Thing. Like the title of a rom-com. Was that what they were? If so, was the happy ending nearby? Because she was losing hope. She pushed herself to a sitting position. “She was terrific when I was dealing with the letters.”
Shea frowned and sat up as well. “I’m still so sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
Cherry grasped her arm. “Shea. I’ve told you a hundred times, you have nothing to apologize for, you weirdo. You were out of town.”
“Still.” Their gazes held, and Cherry smiled at her, gave her a playful shove. “What are you gonna do now?”
“I’m gonna own it all,” Cherry said and didn’t realize the truth in the statement until she’d actually said the words out loud. Wow. Okay.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I think I need to.”
“Making some changes.”
“Yes.” She met Shea’s gaze. “It’s about time I did. Ellis…she really got me thinking. Lila. Hell, all of it has. My poor brain isso tired.”
Shea smiled at her but was quiet for a long time, and her face told Cherry she had lots of thoughts on the subject, but all she did was nod. “Well, I think you’re moving in the right direction.”
“You do?”
“You’re unique, Cherry. Special.”
“I am?”
Shea laughed and leaned into her with a shoulder. “Yes, you dumbass. I think you should keep running with what you just started. The unfiltered stuff.” She turned to look at her. “It sounds like a Netflix documentary, doesn’t it?Cherry on Top: Unfiltered.”
Cherry’s laugh bubbled up then. “If only, right?”
Shea’s voice went soft. “If anybody can do it, you can.”
“Thanks, Shea.”
“For what?”
“For having faith in me. For being my friend. For being you.” She leaned her head on Shea’s shoulder.
“I’ve got you, babe. Always. You know that.”
And she did.
Chapter Twenty-four
Another week later was too long, but Cherry couldn’t bring herself to contact Lila until that much time had passed. There was definite guilt about that, about leaving the poor woman hanging for such a long stretch. And then she reminded herself who she was talking about, and that guilt vanished into thin air. Besides, she’d promised to give herself enough time to absorb all the new information she’d received over the past weeks before diving back in.
It was all completely insane.
So, there she sat, in the Dunkin’ again, but this time, she was the one who was way early. Like,wayearly. As in she’d been sitting there for over an hour before it was evencloseto time to meet. She’d watched a good thirty customers come and go. Easily thirty. Maybe more. Amanda wasn’t happy that she’d called in sick, but she also couldn’t argue it, as Cherry had about nine million sick days because she very rarely took one. Shut up, Amanda.
Her brain hurt. Like, literally hurt. Constant headache. Clearly, she had too much going on, and the organ was revolting, staging a mutiny, maybe trying to leave her skull altogether. Between her job, her rebranding, Ellis—God, Ellis, and this unexpected mess with Lila, her poor head was beyond overloaded. She couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t eat. As it was, the coffee she’d been sipping felt like it was burning a hole in her stomach, and she was absently wondering if maybe she’d developed an ulcer, when the door opened, and Lila walked in. She glanced at her watch, noticed Cherry, and grinned widely as she crossed to her table.
“It’s only thirty minutes before our scheduled meet time,” Lilasaid. “Looks like we both prefer showing up early.” Cherry gave her points for not saying anything remotely resemblinglike mother, like daughter. Lila stood there for a moment, just looking at Cherry, before asking, “Can I get you anything?” When Cherry shook her head, Lila held up a finger and said, “I need coffee. Be right back.”
