Page 45 of Always the Baker

“That doesn’t sound like Brax. Not that I know him personally, but he hasn’t gotten into a fight since he became famous. Other than those grainy videos on YouTube of him fighting back in the day… this doesn’t match his grown man character at all.”

“No.” I agreed, tears welling up. “It doesn’t.”

I scrolled through pictures and more articles, all detailing the brawl he’d been involved in. There was a video of the fight on Instagram and Jesus… he definitely took his frustration out on the stranger who never stood a chance against him. None of it made sense. Why was he getting drunk and fighting with people just because of me? Or was it something else that had him in a funk?

I touched the screen where his scowling face glared back at me. “What are you doing, pooh?”

Ember’s voice was gentle when she said, “He’s hurting too. Maybe if you just…”

“I can’t,” I cut her off, wiping away a tear. “I’m the reason he’s like this. How could he ever forgive me?”

Before she could respond, I told her I had to go. Usually I could count on her to cheer me up, but there was nothing she could say to make me feel better this time. As I hung up, I curled into a ball on the couch. Brax’s troubled face burned into my mind. I’d done this to him. And now, I had no idea how to fix it.

I scrolled mindlessly through my Instagram feed, trying to distract myself from the gnawing guilt. Suddenly, a username caught my eye.

“GuitarHero96.” My heart skipped a beat.Brax.

“No way,” I muttered, tapping on the profile. It was private, with no posts visible, but the bio simply read,Music is my escape. It also had the hashtag #MemphisMane. Classic Brax.

I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment before hitting Follow. Almost instantly, a notification popped up.GuitarHero96 started following you. Only seconds passed before he was liking my posts. Was he missing me?

I was about to close the app when my mom’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “Billie, honey? Can you come here for a sec?”

Sighing, I dragged myself off the couch and trudged to the kitchen. Mom was standing at the counter, mixing a bowl of something that smelled suspiciously like her famous ‘cheer up’ brownies.

“Hey.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I thought we could use a treat.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I mumbled, leaning against the counter.

She put down the spoon and turned to face me. Her brows were furrowed with concern. “Billie, what’s going on? You’ve been moping around all day. This isn’t like you.”

I shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “It’s nothing. Just work stuff.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, clearly not buying it. “And does this ‘work stuff’ have anything to do with that handsome boy you met in the city?”

My head snapped up. “How did you know about him?”

“Oh, honey. I’m not that old.” She laughed and patted my cheek. “I saw him post you online. Your cousins asked me a million questions about a man you never mentioned.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “It’s complicated.”

“Love usually is. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on it… If it could be love.”

“I really screwed up. He probably hates me now.”

Mom wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. “Do you know for sure?”

I pulled back, wiping my eyes. “No, but what if…”

“No what ifs,” she interrupted, and her tone was firm but gentle. “You need to follow your heart, Bill. Take a chance. Reach out to him.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

Mom cupped my face in her hands. Her eyes were serious. “Billie Hopkins, you are the bravest, most stubborn girl I know. If anyone can fix this, it’s you. Don’t let fear hold you back from something that could be amazing.”

I nodded slowly. A tiny spark of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

Two Days Later

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