Page 52 of Something True


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Chapter 22

Cassie wasn't smiling. "Are you sure he means it?"

It was early in the morning, and we were assembling trays of cookies in the back room of her shop. I stopped and stared at her across the prep table. "Of course he means it. What are you getting at?"

"It just seems kind of sudden, that's all. I mean, he's gone forever–"

"It wasn't forever," I said. "It was just a couple of weeks."

"I know." She glanced at my empty ring finger. "But – I hate to say this – but it didn't seem like he really planned it, you know?"

I almost didn't know what to say.

So what?

It had been spontaneous and wonderful. Even if I could, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Why couldn't Cassie, of all people, see that?

I tried to smile. "Youknow, he wanted to shop for rings today, but…" Recalling where I was, I let the sentence trail off, unfinished.

Across from me, Cassie spoke the words I'd been too polite to say. "But you had to work?" She looked toward the front of the shop. "If you wanna go, just go. I totally understand."

I studied her face. She didn't mean it. And besides, I didn't want to go. Sure, I'd love to be out with Joel, regardless of what we were doing, but Cassie needed nearly a thousand cookies for some bridal show in a neighboring city.

With tourist season long-gone, this was a big deal for her. In fact, it was probably the only reason she could justify having me work today at all. Technically, my seasonal job had ended weeks ago.

But all of this was beside the point. Her reaction to my engagement stung. Oh, sure, she'd given me the perfunctory congratulations, but I could tell that her heart wasn't in it. And now, she was questioning Joel's sincerity?

I didn't like it.

She was my employer, but she was also my friend. Probably, she was my best friend, especially now, with everyone else gone away to college. And yet, she wasn't acting anything like the friend I thought I knew.

If you wanna go, just go?

As her words hung in the air, I recalled everything that she'd done for me over the past few weeks. She'd listened to me cry. She'd dragged me out for coffee, whether I wanted it or not. She'd cajoled me into smiling and handed me tissues when I couldn’t.

Through everything, she'd been the one person who seemed to truly get it. And now, she didn't.

Trying not to sound as hurt as I felt, I said, "I don't want to go."

She gave me a dubious look. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Youdoneed the help, right?"

With a shrug, she turned away, heading toward the storage area. When she disappeared behind a row of packed shelves, I returned my attention to the cookies. They were shortbread cookies, decorated to look like flowers – wedding flowers, obviously.

I wanted to smile, but my heart wasn't in it. So far, Cassie had been the only person I'd told. Aunt Gina was still in France, and we'd been playing telephone tag over the last day or so. I was beyond eager to tell her, but not by email or text.

My aunt was a walking bundle of energy. I wanted to hear her excitement and listen to her squeal in surprise, like she always did when she received happy news. And thiswashappy news, wasn't it?

I felt my jaw clench. Yes. It was, regardless of Cassie's reaction. When she returned a few minutes later, I asked, "Is something wrong?"

She gave an irritated sigh. "There isnow."

Bracing myself, I asked, "What?"

Frowning, she pointed toward the front of the shop. "You've got company."