She’s not gone. She’s there inside, but it’s not scary. She’s a part of me that I can draw on for strength, and for sass.
I finish the page, close my laptop, and gather my books. As I walk out into the pale sun, I feel something shift inside me—a settling. Like all the pieces are finally where they’re supposed to be.
I’m not just a passenger anymore.
I’m driving.
The Daisy Cafeis smaller than I remember. The windows are fogged with steam and cinnamon, the counter sticky with old syrup. It smells like burned toast and vanilla lattes—a comfort and a warning, both at once.
I push open the door and the bell chimes, high and shrill. Janine is at the register, hair even blonder than last year, bangs cut straight across her forehead like she’s auditioning for a retro ad campaign. The girl is gorgeous, with sassy pin-up vibes made even more alluring by her va-va-voom figure. She looks up, blinks, and then her eyes go wide.
“Oh my god. Tara?”
I grin. “Hey, Janine. Long time no see.”
She vaults over the counter and hugs me, honeysuckle perfume and all. “Girl, where have you been? We thought you got abducted by, like, a cult or something.”
I grin. “No cults. Just life.”
Behind the espresso machine, the twins—Kara and Jamie, always in matching eyeliner—exchange a look. Jamie says, “You didn’t even pick up your last paycheck, you know.”
“I know, but I worked it out with management,” I say in a vague tone.
Janine gives me a once-over, head to toe. “You look different, girlfriend! Something’s changed.”
It’s not a compliment or an insult. Just an observation.
I take a seat at my old corner table and let her bring me a free latte. The foam art is a daisy, of course, and she waits until I take a sip before she says, “Seriously, where have you been?”
I keep my smile light. “There was a car accident. I lost my memory for a bit. Had to put everything on pause while I got it sorted.”
Janine’s eyes widen, leaning close. “And you’re okay now?”
“Yeah. I am.” I stir my drink. “I’m taking classes at the U. Psychology, mostly.”
The pretty blonde whispers, conspiratorial. “Is it true you’re dating that guy from the paper?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Which guy? There are a lot of guys. Elon Musk, no. Mark Zuckerberg, no”
She rolls her eyes. “No, Hunter McCarren! The billionaire founder of Justify AI. His company’s soaring right now, and girl, we’re all wondering how you snagged him. I mean, good job. You went from minimum wage to maximum everything in, like, six months.”
I laugh, cheeks coloring. “It’s not like that.”
“Yeah, but youglow.” Janine nudges my arm. “You’re, like, radiating happiness. Girl, are you pregnant?”
The words hit, and my mind comes to a screeching halt. Oh my god, am I? Hunter and I use protection, but there were a few times when we forgot, and he’s a virile alpha male. Holy cow, maybe I’m expecting. But I can’t let on, and just wink and say, “Recovery will do that to a girl.”
We catch up in quick bursts—who’s dating whom, who got fired, which customer is banned for life. The gossip is the same, but I feel separate from it, like I’m watching my old life through glass. It’s sweet, but I’m not hungry for it.
When the rush hits, Janine gets pulled back behind the counter. She waves me off, but not before whispering, “Text me sometime. For real.”
I finish my drink and leave a five on the table, even though I know she’ll try to give it back.
As I push out into the cold, I text Hunter:On my way home. Pool?
The answer comes before I even hit the crosswalk:Always.
And just like that, I’m running. Because there’s no part of my old life that can hold me anymore, not when a handsome man is waiting, bare skin and bronzed body, up on the top floor.