Page 74 of When Forever Falls Apart

CHAPTER 20Elliot

“Nicole, what are you doing here?”

A sudden chill surges through me as her gaze locks onto mine. For a moment I question my own sanity, but as I focus on the woman standing at the counter, it’s undeniable that Nicole is not a figment of my imagination.

She’s here. In Cinnamon Springs.

“Elliot,” she murmurs, her voice softening to avoid anyone inside the café hearing us. “You weren’t answering my texts or calls. So, I thought…” Nicole’s voice trails off as my attention diverts to Madelina. She stands a few feet away, her expression blank, unlike her usual readable face.

I desperately want to take Madelina in my arms, kiss the lips that devoured me last night and this morning, but a voice inside me warns that this is a complex situation.

One wrong move and things will blow up. I don’t want to lose Madelina. But the shock of Nicole in front of me throws all rational thought sideways.

“We need to talk,” I urge, my voice steady despite the storm churning inside me. “But not here. Just give me a minute, please. I need to do something out back.”

I make my way toward the kitchen, casting a quick glance to ensure Billie is busy and won’t see me with Madelina.

As expected, Madelina avoids eye contact, busying herself while pretending I’m not standing right next to her.

Every single part of me wants her, but confusion fucks up my words, and the resentment in her silence speaks volumes.

We’re supposed to be just friends, no strings attached.

Yet here I am, faced with this mess of a situation, and Madelina is anything but happy seeing Nicole here. Her words, cold and full of resentment, are precisely why I stay away from all this relationship bullshit.

Madelina purposely avoids me. Billie, however, keeps her eyes on what’s unfolding. I motion for her to follow me to the kitchen.

“I need to step out for the rest of the day,” I tell her, my voice agitated as I run my hands through my hair for the fifty millionth time in the last few minutes.

“Of course, do what you need to do,” Billie answers, tilting her head with a sympathetic gaze. “Chloe is working with me tomorrow, so take as much time as you need.”

I want to tell her this shouldn’t take much time, but what the fuck do I know? Nicole is going to want to talk extensively, which is the last thing I need, but the writing is on the fucking wall.

I need to make a decision.

Hastily, I leave the kitchen and zigzag through the tables, exiting the café to step outside into the stifling hot air. This weather is something else, relentless and uncomfortable.

Nicole is waiting beside a lamppost, but before I reach her, my gaze drifts momentarily through the glass. Madelina is busy serving a customer, oblivious to or purposely avoiding my exit.

A smile is plastered on her face as if my leaving with Nicole means nothing.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, my voice etched with uncertainty as my thoughts spiral in chaotic loops. “When did you fly in?”

“Last night,” Nicole answers with a half-smile. “I stayed at a hotel next to the airport before driving out here.” Thesunlight catches her hair, framing her face and reminding me how beautiful she is.

“Uh-huh” is all I manage.

“I could go for something to eat. If you want, we can head back inside. Those donuts looked delicious,” she mentions, glancing back into the store.

“No,” I slip out in a sharp tone. My lips press together to control my frustration. “This town has big ears. How about we go back to my place? I can whip up something for us.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The last place I want to be is on the houseboat after everything that happened last night with Madelina, but the prying eyes of Cinnamon Springs folk grate on my nerves.

As I navigate the winding roads toward Peppermint Lake, I see Nicole’s rental car behind me. I pull into the parking area and cut my bike’s engine, the roar of the motor fading into the tranquil sounds of nature as I remove my helmet. Nicole exits the car, her gaze wandering curiously around.

Inside the boat, the air feels heavier, charged with this tension that weighs between us.