Page 41 of After All This Time

The bookstore.

CHAPTER TWELVE

dani

I’m sitting in the car in front of the Just One More Chapter bookstore, banging my head on the steering wheel. Not to the point where I could get a massive headache, but to the point where I’ll definitely have a mark on my forehead later.

The last time my writing block was this bad was when Dad passed away.

Actually, it was worse. I couldn’t write for months. It was a chore to do schoolwork. All I wanted was to do was sleep in my bed and never leave.

Getting out of my car and locking it, I head into Just One More Chapter.

I have no idea what I’m looking for. I knew I had to get out of the house and clear my head.

When I walk inside, it’s hard not to notice the giant arched windows in the back of the store that have rolling shelves in front of them which are full of books.

There are a few people here and there.

Two girls that look younger than me are hanging out on the sofa in front of the store and a group of high school girls are scouring through the romance section.

Sunlight is reflecting off the white paint from the bookshelves that are located all over the store. The walls are white with abstract blue waves painted across the bottom of them. There aren’t any signs for genres anywhere, but everything’s organized. It’s just a matter of knowing what you’re looking for.

I don’t see any employees I know since I haven’t been here in years.

I didn’t visit Just One More Chapter that often during my high school years since I used to be a frequent visitor of Sweet & Salty.

The fact that we even have a romance-only bookstore is incredible to me. I’ve been seeing them pop up all over New York and Chicago.

It warms my little romance reader’s heart.

My eyes gravitate towards Beach Read by Emily Henry, sitting on a small table display with the rest of her books in the middle of the store near the small romance section they have.

I read Beach Read during my freshman year of college and it was life-changing. Emily Henry perfectly encapsulated what it’s like to be a writer. Gus Everett quickly climbed to the top of my book boyfriends list.

“Dani, is that you?” A high-pitched voice calls out.

Turning around, I see Violet Prescott standing before me.

I haven’t seen her since high school when chaos erupted like a volcano for her. We were never really close and part of me regrets we weren’t, but shit happens.

Her blonde hair is in a braid and she has a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of her head. She’s wearing a white tank top with spaghetti straps, gray sweatpants, and beige sandals.

“Wow, it’s weird seeing you here,” she says.

“I could say the same. I’m so used to seeing you at Sweet & Salty.”

“Yeah, same here.” She pauses. “Hey, I’m so sorry about Ben. When Noah texted me, I couldn’t believe it.”

“When Noah texted you?”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping in contact with him for the past several years.”

Say what now?

“Oh.”

“Enough about me. How are you?”

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