Page 3 of When Love Changes Everything

***

After leaving the reception at midnight, I head home to my cozy two-bedroom townhouse in the heart of Cold Spring. As I turn onto Main Street, my heart sinks—there’s a fire engine parked right in front of my duplex. My neighbor, Iris, stands on her porch, her face etched with worry. I park the car hastily and rush towards her, but a firefighter blocks my path.

"Hold on, young lady," he says firmly. "I can’t let you through."

"I live here!" I blurt out, panic rising in my chest. "What happened?"

"Looks like a pipe burst, flooding one of the units," he explains.

"Please, let me through," I beg, my voice trembling. "That's my neighbor. Miss Iris, are you okay?"

The firefighter hesitates, then steps aside. I sprint up the steps and embrace Iris.

"What happened?" I ask, my voice unsteady.

"I don’t know," she replies, her tone just as shaken. "Your house is flooded. I came out to let Porgie do his business before bed and saw the water pouring out. I tried calling you."

I quickly reach for my phone, seeing twelve missed calls. "Oh no, I’m so sorry. I was at Lily and Noah’s wedding—I didn’t check my phone."

I start dialing Mom before it hits me—she’s still in California. We traveled there together, but I came home early for the wedding. With a sigh, I switch gears and call my other bestie, Loren. The words tumble out in one breathless rush as I spill everything that happened, leaving nothing out. She listens, patient and calm, then tells me everything's going to be okay. "We’ll figure something out," she says softly. "Hold on, let me put Aaron on the phone."

When he suggests that I stay with them, I immediately protest. “Have you lost your mind? No, absolutely not. I’m not crashing at your place with your very pregnant, ready-to-pop wife and the kids. Your plate’s full, Aaron, and so is your house. My mom’s place is like a well-guarded fortress, and I don’t have a key. I’ll just stay in a hotel and figure something out tomorrow.”

“You can stay in Lily’s guesthouse,” Aaron offers quickly. “I'm sure you can stay there as long as you need.”

“No way am I intruding on the honeymooners,” I reply, fully aware that they won’t be leaving for their official honeymoon until Monday.

“They’re not home,” he explains. “They left Davey with Katherine and Adam and went up to the lake house for a couple of nights.”

“Okay,” I say, my voice filled with gratitude. "I'll stay in the guesthouse."

“I’ll call Mateo to let him know you’re coming,” Aaron replies. “He can give you the key.”

Oh no. I can’t believe I forgot that little detail.

As we end the call, the realization of what this means begins to sink in. Staying in the guesthouse means being close to Mateo—too close for comfort.

After speaking with the incident commander from the fire department, I'm finally granted permission to enter the house and grab a few things. The power has been shut off, so I walk into my living room, enveloped in complete darkness, with only the faint glow of my phone's flashlight to guide me. With each step, my shoes slush through the soaked carpet. The sound of water squishing underfoot echoes through the quiet space. I would cry, but I’m not the crying type. Instead, I steel myself and make my way to the bedroom, where the polished wood floors I once admired now look like sand rippling beneath ocean water,submerged under at least two inches of water. My heart sinks as I take in the sight—everything is ruined. The bed, the dresser, the drapes—all of it, drenched and destroyed. The dampness surrounding me chills my bones, making the reality of the flood hit me even harder.

***

When I park my car in Noah's driveway, I spot Mateo sitting on the front porch, casually sipping a cup of coffee. "Just get the key and go," I whisper to myself. My emotions are frayed, and my body is tired. Holding back the tears is my only priority. I pop the trunk to grab my things, but within seconds, he's right beside me.

"Aaron called," he says, his voice rich with that soothing Spanish accent that both calms and tortures me. I could listen to it all night—just not tonight. "Are you okay?"

I force a tight smile. I need to pull myself together and figure out a plan. "I'm fine," I whisper. "Thank you for asking and thank you for letting me stay in the guesthouse."

"This is Noah and Lily's home," he reminds me. "I have no say in the matter, but... I'm glad you're here."

His words are sincere, and while I know I should feel comforted, all I can focus on is keeping the flood of emotions at bay. No pun intended.

"Would you like to come in and have a cup of coffee or tea?" he asks, his blue gaze full of sympathy. Before I have a chance to say no, he puts his arm around my shoulders and gently guides me inside.

What am I doing?!I admonish myself, feeling a whirlwind of confusion as I let him lead me in despite my better judgment.

He sets my two bags on the couch, and I follow him into the kitchen, where he pours me a cup of coffee. "Would you like to change?" he asks, glancing at the party dress I'm still wearing. "If you need anything to wear, I'm sure Lily has plenty in the guesthouse. You can borrow whatever you need."

"I brought several changes of clothes," I say, giving him a small smile. "Thank you. I think I will go change. I'll be right back."

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