Page 9 of The Offer

Jess rolled her eyes. She watched as Calvin began typing.

“Calvin…how bad is it?”

He looked up from his screen, confused.

“The bike shop, his finances,” she clarified. “He said he sold his car. It…it can’t be good.”

Calvin sighed, placing his phone back down on the desk as he leaned back in the chair. “He’s doing his best to keep his expenses low, but he’s still not bringing in enough business. The car was able to buy him another month or so. But the boost he gets from summer people might not be enough this year.”

Summers in Haverport were known as the busy season—the town population tripled with tourists (or “summer people” as they called them) between May and September. Small businesses in town made enough during that short summer season to last them through the dead of winter. But not all of them could survive it, including a charming little bike shop.

“Does he have a plan?” she pried. “Is he going to try to switch things up?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

Her brow furrowed. There had to be another way. There had to be. “What would happen if the shop closed? Do you think he’ll stay in town?”

Calvin shrugged. “It depends on how broke he is. If things don’t turn around, he might move back in with his parents in Vermont.”

Jess felt that panic rising again in her chest. Kevin was annoying as hell, but having him around was a constant. Kevin was one of the few people from their graduating class who had done what she did. Knowing he’d chosen to stay and work rather than head off to college had made her feel a little less lonely in this tiny, suffocating town. Even if he drove her nuts.

Calvin stood up, sliding his phone in his pocket. “One more thing before you go.”

She looked up at him, his face stern.

“If you ever need money, talk to me,” he said.

Jess glared. “I would never ask—”

“I would know if you swiped it from the box,” he said matter-of-factly. “So do yourself a favor and avoid that mess. I’m your friend, Jess, come talk to me first.”

She huffed.

“Promise me?”

She gave him the finger, heading for the metal back door to exit the shop. “I can handle myself, Ball. Stay out of it.”

Charlie was already asleep when Jess got home, so she didn’t bother making the trip upstairs. She kicked off her sneakers and tiptoed toward the bathroom, flicking on lights as she went. She glanced over at the table on her way, noticing a pizza box from Penny’s sitting on top of her tax papers and receipts from earlier. Her stomach growled as she stopped and flipped the box open, only to find a few crumbs left. She swore softly and discarded it in the recycling bin, trying to not get too angry at the small grease stain that’d leaked onto their bills.

She tugged off her Scoops uniform and tossed it in the laundry basket, then slipped on the sweats she’d left in the corner of the bathroom that morning. As she brushed her teeth, she stared at her reflection in their tiny mirror.

Calvin was right—she did look like shit. The bags under her eyes were more pronounced than they’d ever been. Her lips were cracked, and her face was ghostly pale, like she hadn’t seen sunshine in ages. She sighed and spit out the toothpaste, rinsing off her toothbrush. She should probably add ChapStick to her list of groceries to pick up tomorrow, maybe a small bottle of concealer to mask the dark circles around her eyes. Buying makeup wasn’t a priority in the budget anymore—it felt a little frivolous. She shook her head and scrapped the idea.

Jess removed her glasses and popped them into her case, then climbed into bed next to Charlie, not feeling the least bit tired despite how long she’d spent on her feet that day. Instinctively, Charlie rolled over, swinging an arm around Jess and curling her close, nuzzling his face into her neck.

During their first few months of sleeping in the same apartment, in the same bed, this small moment each night made Jess’s skin prickle with excitement. The way he cuddled her and wanted her close after months of sneaking around. At the time, his neediness was sweet, because she was head over heels. But now? His hot breath smelled like pizza and it kind of made her want to punch him in the face, and she wished for space more than anything.

What changed so much for her to feel this way?

Deep down, she knew. She thought back to the moment when Charlie Sullivan IV went from being a family friend to something far greater, from a boy she used to play with to one she couldn’t help but fall for.

It was the summer before their freshman year of high school. Jess and her sister, Dakota, were helping their father at his boatyard after lunch, checking to make sure everyone had their permits, while also checking the docks to make sure the areas were safe and clean. The summer season was about to begin, and the boatyard was now a central hangout spot in Haverport thanks to Mr. Sullivan, Charlie’s father.

Before Jess’s dad brought him on as a business partner, Cap’s Boatyard was rather simple. A place to dock the boat and grab a burger and a cold bottle of beer, maybe some french fries if you got in before they ran out. That was until Mr. Sullivan came along. Cap’s exterior went from chipped charcoal paint to a crisp white. The aging rugs were ripped out and replaced by polished wood floors. The plastic table and chairs were swapped with hand-crafted wood fixtures, tablecloths, and plush armchairs. And the menu upgraded significantly—from burgers and beers to oysters and Chardonnay, and a chef who served a breakfast and lunch menu with prices that Jess’s father felt the citizens of Haverport would never be able to afford. But the patrons who blew in for the summer—with their motorboats and small yachts—didn’t even flinch at the menu. Soon, Cap’s became a destination spot for the entire state of Connecticut.

Jess remembered her father’s private complaints over how much changed, but he never voiced it to Charlie’s father. Business was much better now that he was on board, and their family actually had money to spend. Jess would pretend to side with her father when he grumbled, but she would never tell him how much she loved sneaking into the kitchen, watching as the new chef piped little cakes and topped perfectly sliced fruit on tarts for the guests. She was mesmerized by it, wishing she could learn how to do the same.

That’s where she was when Charlie found her that afternoon. Jess kissed her father on the cheek, wishing him luck on the kickoff day of the summer season, and left to go use the bathroom. Dakota had rolled her eyes at her, knowing fully well that Jess intended to slip into the kitchen.