Chapter 9: A Girl Walks into a Bakery...

I tried my best to keep my eyes glued to whatever was in front of me at work. I probably looked crazy to all the customers when I avoided looking up at them and just stared at the register, or when I intensely stared at the coffees I made.

But I had to do it.

Otherwise I’d be searching for Caleb.

He was busy cleaning off tables as the customers came and went. Any time I looked up from the counter, I’d see those eyes and get hit with whatever weird feelings I had last night.

I was still able to feel his presence though, even as I refused to look. It was as if there was some invisible rope that tightened around my body whenever we were too far away from each other, and every bone in my body was telling me to just look at him. To get closer to him.

And those feelings were precisely why I was trying so hard to avoid him. As if I hadn’t been dealing with enough already, between the fight with Finn that we still hadn’t moved past and the lies I told Heather, I really didn’t need to have these indescribable emotions about a guy I barely knew.

Suddenly, I was hit in the shoulder, and right after that I heard, “oops, sorry. I thought I could clear that.”

It was Caleb.

He carried stacks of plates as he tried to get past me to reach the sink. I stepped aside to let him through, while I tried to ignore the fact that I could practically feel his body heat as he passed by.

He carefully set the plates by the sink, and when he turned back, he locked eyes with me and refused to look away.

“Hey, Evie.” He cleared his throat. “Um, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I obviously made you uncomfortable, and that’s the last thing I want to do. Any way we can just forget it happened?” His voice was hopeful.

He was doing that thing where he peered right into my deepest thoughts, and I immediately felt myself give in.

I sighed, letting my posture relax. “No worries, Caleb. You didn’t do anything wrong; I was just really emotional and sensitive. We’re good.”

I found myself actually meaning it. Even though it had been awkward when I first came into work, the fact that we were able to talk about it, even briefly, made me feel that much better. If only some other people were that open to addressing possible problems, then I wouldn’t have been in this situation.

Caleb seemed to relax to. “Okay, good. Cause you’re basically my only friend here besides Mason, so it would suck if I messed that up.”

“I promise, Caleb. We’re good. And I really am grateful that we got to talk last night, it was really helpful,” I said. It was so helpful that I’d been replaying Caleb’s words in my head and still found myself weighing the pros and cons list that I’d created.

Caleb smiled, and that damn dimple showed up again. “Good to hear.”

The squeak of chairs against the tile floor pulled both of our attention to the dining area, where another couple was about to head out. That was Caleb’s cue, so he shot me another small smile as he walked past me. My eyes followed him, unable to look away, just in time to see someone new come in through the door.

It was Lila. I’d gotten to know her a little bit since meeting her at the bridal shop, because she’d joined Heather and I one day for brunch not long after. When we’d all three gotten to talking, she was as naturally giddy and glowing as she was when we first met. That brunch was another point to prove that it wasn’t only customer service, she was actually simply that nice. It was kind of refreshing to be around a personality like hers.

Lila glanced around at the brick walls and the random paintings we’d hung all around to fill up space. She stepped over to where the main picture that was hung was of mom, dad, and I when we first opened the place, back when I was only five. My mom’s belly looked like it was about to pop at any moment, because this was taken just a week before Addison was born. The other pictures that surrounded it had pictures of our family, and some of customers as they laughed and enjoyed their coffee.

Lila finally spotted me as she moved toward the register. “Hey!”

“Hey,” I replied, happy to see another new customer. “What can I get for you?”

She glanced above me at the menu, squinting to see better. “Oh gosh, you know, I’ve never actually been here before. Heather told me about it in the dressing room, and said it was your family’s business. I love supporting local places, so I had to check it out. It’s so cute in here.”

She paused, looking around the place again. When she realized I was still waiting for an order, she continued. “Oh, sorry, I get off track so easily. But since I haven’t been here before, any recommendations?”

“Definitely the butter pecan latte,” I said almost immediately. “It’s a perfect blend of sweet and nutty, if that’s your thing. It’s an original recipe, too, so you won’t find one this good anywhere else in the world.”

Lila laughed. “Wow, okay, you have me sold. I’ll get one of those. Iced, please.”

“Coming right up.” I put in the order and finished the transaction. I was on my way over to the coffee station when I heard Caleb behind me.

“Hey, can I actually try and make that one?”

I hesitated, because even though I’d shown Caleb how to make the perfect butter pecan latte on one of his first shifts, he hadn’t actually made and served one himself. Plus, it was our signature drink and a new customer, so if he messed this up, who knew if Lila would ever come back.

But he looked to hopeful, his eyes wide as he waited for my answer. I sighed.

“Fine, but if she doesn’t like it, you’re going to keep making them until she does,” I responded.

Caleb pumped his fists. “Yes! Okay, thank you. I promise I won’t disappoint. I had a great teacher.”

He winked at me which made my stomach flip. I turned back to Lila, determined to push that feeling away.

“So, how’s work? Have you ever had any bridezillas come in?” I asked.

She adjusted the sleeves of her blue cardigan as she laughed. “Yeah, actually, more often than you’d probably think. Although I’ve realized most of them only turn into bridezillas when their mothers are in the room and it turns into a screaming match.”

“Yeah, that actually doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “But I’m glad Heather didn’t make you want to pull your hair out. At least, I don’t think she did.”

“Oh no, Heather is great. If she was as dramatic as some people I’ve dealt with, I wouldn’t have joined you guys for brunch.”

“Yeah, I hope you had a lot of fun. Now you just have to come again on Wednesdays. That’s when they have bottomless mimosas.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Now you’ve sold me again.”

Caleb came over, beaming, as he handed Lila a drink that looked like the perfect shade for a butter pecan latte. “One latte for you, madame.”

Caleb and I watched Lila like a hawk as she took her first sip. She hesitated a moment, then her eyes grew wide. “Oh my Fate, that is the best thing I’ve ever had.”

I heard Caleb clap behind me. “Yes!”

He seemed so proud; I couldn’t help but laugh. “Congratulations, Caleb. That drink took me a while to perfect. And somehow, you picked it up on your first try.”

“Like I said, great teacher,” he said, and the smile looked like it wasn’t going away for a while. Not that I minded. He had a great smile.

His cue came again when another group left, so he headed out to clean their table.

Lila was still sipping on her latte, looking as happy as ever. Not that that was saying much, for her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“Hey, if it’s not too weird, do you want my number?” She asked, full of confidence. “I could use some more girl friends, too, and I’m sure you’ll need it anyway if I join you guys for mimosas.”

I nodded, reaching out to take her phone from her to put my number in. As she reached across the counter, her cardigan sleeve got caught on the corner and pulled up to her elbow.

My eyes caught on her wrist, and my hand froze mid-air.

Her Mark was fully visible, with delicate lines that branched off from a diamond in the center. It was as if tree roots were travelling slowly up her arm.

It was such a unique Mark—as they all were—but I’d seen this exact one before. I’d ran my fingers over it, tracing the branches lightly, more times than I could count. I’d first seen it five years ago, when Heather threw a pool party and invited guys from multiple different high schools than ours.

I’d stared at my own Mark, so different from that one, and would go to bed every night for years wishing that somehow mine would transform to match it.

I knew that Mark all too well because that Mark also belonged to Finn.