Page 86 of When Forever Falls Apart

Billie has been eyeing me dubiously from the coffee machine since the moment I rushed into the café.

I hurried back to Cinnamon Springs, knowing Billie would need to open on her own. It’s not unheard of for one of us to open by ourselves in the morning, but I preferred not to put her in that position since she’s been working long hours.

The roads out were quiet, with the opposite side heading into the city just one big traffic jam. I made it back in record time, thanks to the caffeine hit I had before leaving. It’s incredible what a triple espresso can do after a lack of sleep.

As soon as I got in, thirty minutes ago, I drank another short espresso, so now my body is buzzing.

“A pleasure to see you today, Mrs. Winthrop.” I greet her with an endearing smile to keep up appearances. “Just your usual English Breakfast tea to go, with two jelly donuts?”

Mrs. Winthrop gives a slight nod of acknowledgment. She owns the bookstore in town and visits daily. I overheard Billie and Madelina talking about her one day, complaining about her lack of romance titles. During these conversations, I tend to zone out.

“A sweet lad, to remember my order.” Mrs. Winthrop’s chin tilts upward defiantly, creating an air of aloofness thatfeels anything but welcoming. “I heard your sister is still in the city?”

“It comes with the territory,” I answer politely, then nod. “Yes, she is. In fact, she’s expecting a child.”

Her eyes widen in excitement. “Well, isn’t that something!”

“Yes, it’s an exciting time for her and her fiancé,” I quickly reiterate, sensing the judgment in her tone. “Let me get your order ready so you can get on with your day.”

Dammit, why did I have to go and say anything?Eva was already on the fence about telling me, and there was no further discussion about whether other people should know.

My regret follows me to the coffee machine, where Billie is finishing up a takeout order.

“No offense, but you look like you’ve just survived a zombie apocalypse,” Billie points out, but her tone is soft with concern. “Do you want me to make you another coffee?”

“Thank you, but I think I need to slow down on the caffeine intake.” I sigh, trying to calm the tremors in my hands. “I might grab a quick bite to eat out back. And thanks for your honesty, I do feel like I’ve survived a zombie apocalypse.”

“Go, eat,” Billie urges. “I’m perfectly capable out front.”

I remove my apron, make myself a club sandwich, and sit in the small office to eat. Above the computer is a pinboard with pictures of Eva, Billie, Chloe, and Madelina. None of them are serious, just images of them pulling faces and goofing around. A smile lingers on my lips as I observe Madelina so carefree and happy.

My mind wanders back to last night. I told Aston and Madelina I was going to fetch my bike from the parking garage and would join them later, but the solitude welcomed me, and the last thing I wanted was to “talk” back at Aston and Eva’s apartment.

I found myself wandering through the city’s quiet streets, trapped in a loop of thought. With my hands in my pocketsand no purpose in my direction, it wasn’t long before I reached the serene greenery of Bryant Park. I lingered, enjoying the peace and quiet, but then continued my walk until I was immersed in the chaos of Times Square. It came as no surprise that it was full of people despite the very late hour, mainly tourists and street performers trying to earn a buck. The lights flickered and pulsed as if trying to steal my sanity, which had me wanting out very quickly.

I thrive in silence, and Times Square is anything but silent.

With the final bite of my sandwich, I go ahead and clean up before heading back out to help Billie. While we are accustomed to serving our regulars, there were many new faces in the café today. Billie mentioned that it was because of an article in theNew York Timesabout where to find a real estate bargain, and it listed Cinnamon Springs among the top five places to buy property.

It explains why there are many families with young children. As someone who grew up here for most of my life, it isn’t that bad. My parents kept things pretty low-key, so in some ways, we were sheltered from city life. However, when it comes to opportunities, Cinnamon Springs is a place where you have to work hard for success. It doesn’t come as easily as it does in Manhattan or Paris, where opportunity is everywhere.

“So, I’ve been chatting to some tourists. They love it here so much, they’re thinking about relocating, raising their kids here,” Billie tells me as she plates another serving of donuts for table eight. “That’ll be good for business. Kidslovedonuts. It wouldn’t hurt to have more of them around.”

“Sure, it’s a nice town,” I say nonchalantly.

Billie stills her movements, observing me with a knowing grin. “Has the Paris chef fallen in love with a small town?”

I press my lips together. “I’m just saying, it’s a nice place. I can see why parents want to raise their families here.”

“Speaking of raising families… you went to spend the night at Eva’s?”

“Yes…”

Billie continues with a raised brow. “You went to the city, and so did Maddy.”

“What’s your point?” I shoot back, irritation creeping into my tone.

“And Nicole is…” She trails off, her voice more tentative now. “You don’t have to answer, or want to talk about this. But I’m here, Elliot, to listen if you need an ear. I’m not playing the pity card, but when my mom was sick, it was good to have friends who would listen. No judgment.”