Page 95 of Coffee Break with the Billionaire

I wish I had someone to share it with.

“Silas!”

I freeze at the sound of a far-off call. I must have imagined it because—

No .Leaves crunch as someone hurries along the path. “I don’t like this path by myself,” she calls.

Another flash, a line of stardust, but I turn as Fenella bursts out of the trees.

“I knew you’d be here,” she says.

Even in the dark, she’s a beacon of light in her pink puffy coat and toque with the huge pink pom-pom. Andshe heads straight for me to throw herself into my arms. “I missed you,” she breathes into my chest.

“What are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d be back.”

“But why did you leave?” I don’t have to ask; I know she left to talk to her father about the job with the family company. What I really want to know, is if she got the job, why would she bother coming back?

“My father offered me a job,” Fenella tells me matter-of-factly like she didn’t spend the last two weeks hiding out in another country for the chance to work for Carrington Toys. “I told him thank you, and I’d be working remotely, from here.”

“What?”

She cups my cheeks. “Did you really think you could get rid of me that quickly?”

“But you left.” My emotions are pinballing, and I don’t know what’s coming next.Yes, I may have kept a little hope, but I thought I’d lost her. I couldn’t see a way for Fenella and me to work when everything she wanted was somewhere else.

“I had to talk to him in person,” she explains. “I’m sorry I ran out like that, but if I didn’t go then, I wouldn’t have gone at all. I hated to leave you, especially after my party, but I had to.”

I’m falling in love with you, too.

I keep her words at the forefront of my mind. “What did he say?”

“Look at that!” Fenella gasps, pointing over my shoulder.

I glance back in time to see the fading line. “It’ll be better tomorrow.”

“But it’s good now.”

“Fenella.” Her eyes widen at the sharpness of my tone. “You told me you loved me, then ran out of town without another word.Pleasetell me what’s going on.”

There’s no remorse in her gaze; rather she looks like she has a secret. One she’s quite proud of. “I went to talk to my father about buying your building,” she admits with a hint of a smile. “Hela’s building, not Coffee for the Sole. And the one beside it.”

It takes a moment for me to respond. “Why?”

“I have ideas for Battle Harbour. Plans that will help tourism, help business for everyone. I really want to make Hela’s into a club, like I told you, only bigger. That’s why I bought the place beside it—Mr. Pollack is ready to retire and maybe the town doesn’t need a pawn shop.”

“You already bought it?” I demand. It feels like the ground underneath me is unsteady, like I'm getting too close to the edge and sliding down into the unknown.

She nods. “I did the deal with your parents during the flight. I charted a plane so I could get back in time. I asked them to let me tell you. You can stay in your apartment,” she adds quickly. “I’m not kicking you out. Only if you want to—you can take over Edie’s place if you want. I bought that building, too.”

“What are you doing? You can’t just buy the whole town?” The thought of it makes me angry, at Fenella’sarrogance that this is what Battle Harbour wants. It’s a small, quiet town—it doesn’t need to be Fenella-ized.

But… I like the idea. I like the idea of herhere.Being a part of the community.

“I’m not. But it needs more. I spoke to King Magnus and Kalle, and they both want to go ahead with your idea of an observatory. They want to meet with you to make plans.”

“What?” Every time I think I understand, Fenella veers off and presents me with more.

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