“I need to be able to move on with my new life.” Her swallow was audible. “I mean…” She licked her desert-dry lips. “I haven’t even had time to breathe since my mom’s funeral, and now I’m moving in two days, and I just…” Scottie forced herself to say the words. “I can’t start over with the baggage of my life constantly weighing me down.”
There. She’d done it. She’d uttered those awful, hurtful words. And Chase…
He was just standing there, his tortured gaze slicing straight through her. Tears welled in her own eyes, blurring his handsome image. But she refused to let them fall.
Not when she was this close. Not when it seemed she’d finally convinced him she was wiping her hands clean of what they’d shared.
Young love, her mother had called it. She hadn’t been wrong. But while sixteen was technically young, it didn’t negate her from the ability to know and understand what true love felt like. What it looked like.
Chase. It looked like Chase. But now…
“I get it,” he muttered low. “But for the record, I really wish things could have turned out differently.”
He had no idea how many nights she’d lain awake, wishing for a different set of cards than the ones she’d been dealt.
“I’m sorry, Chase. Really, I am.”
So very sorry.
“Me, too.” His smile seemed forced. “You take care of yourself up there in Ohio, you hear? And don’t forget about your dreams. Not ever. You can still make it big as a chef. Promise me you’ll keep working toward that goal, no matter what.”
“No matter what,” she whispered a promise she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep.
Chase looked down at her a few seconds longer. The love and understanding in his blue eyes was nearly enough to destroy her resolve, and for a moment, she reconsidered her decision to end things between them. But then?—
“Let yourself be happy, sugar.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to the center of her forehead. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. And if you ever need anything…I’ll be here. Always.”
It wasn’t until he got into his truck and drove away that she gave her tears permission to fall.
A loud honkingsound tore through the painful memory, yanking Scottie back into the present. Glancing through her windshield, she realized the once-red light had turned to green.
From the incessant honking still coming from the truck behind her, she assumed it had been that way for at least a few seconds.
“Sorry!” She lifted a hand and waved to the annoyed driver as she pressed the gas pedal down with the ball of her foot.
Less than two minutes later, Scottie was pulling into an available parking spot around the corner from where she and Chase were supposed to meet. Her stomach rolled with nerves as she cut the ignition.
Not wanting to talk herself out of it, she checked her reflection in the rearview before exiting her car. Once the doors were locked, she stepped onto the sidewalk and made her way to the restaurant’s gorgeous entrance.
The elaborate wooden door opened before she could reach for the handle. A young woman greeted her with a smile.
“Welcome to Catalina’s.” She held the door steady.
“Thank you.” Scottie stepped inside, and almost instantly, her senses were reawakened by a deep, appreciative inhale.
Savory aromas surrounded her, the mixture of garlic and herbs making her tastebuds stand up and take notice. She did a quick, visual search for Chase while also taking in the restaurant’s beautiful ambiance.
Low lighting, exposed brick, magnificent archways, and several elegant, vintage-style crystal chandeliers gave the establishment a genuine, old-world feel. Blood red linens covered the round tables. The dark wooden chairs spaced around them accentuated the tablecloths’ deep, rich color.
The walls surrounding her were adorned with paintings and sketches of various places and landmarks in Italy. From what she’d read online, those same images had been hanging there since the family-run establishment first opened over three decades ago.
“Can I help you?”
Scottie blinked, realizing a second woman—this one standing patiently behind a stained podium—was speaking to her.
“Oh, hi!” She flashed the young woman a smile as she stepped forward. “I’m supposed to be meeting someone.”
“What’s their name? I’ll see if they’ve checked in.”