Page 2 of All Along

I don’t wait for her to answer before leading her to a table set out on the sidewalk in front ofSmuggler’s Cove.The restaurant has placed a bunch of tables outside for people to watch the love parade.

“Stop fussing over me,” Nova says once she sits down. “Hudson fusses over me enough.”

Chloe plops down on a chair next to her. “Because he’s your baby daddy.”

“He’s, my partner. Baby daddy sounds like we had a one-night stand.”

I giggle. “Didn’t you get pregnant with Sprog after a one-night stand?”

Nova has been obsessed with Hudson since over a decade ago when he was on the football team in high school. She even tried out to be a cheerleader to impress him. She didn’t impress anyone during her try-out considering several cheerleaders ended up at the hospital. There was only one broken bone, though.

Sophia checks her watch. “We should probably head on over to the brewery and make sure things are running smoothly.”

The brewery is our brewery –Five Fathoms Brewing.We founded the brewery after we returned to the island after college and we now operate it together.

Chloe is the hospitality manager since she couldn’t sit behind a desk for eight hours if someone chained her to the chair. Sophia is the marketing manager. She used to work for some fancy schmancy marketing firm in Atlanta before cominghome last year and promptly falling in love with her brother’s best friend.

Nova is the sales manager. She smiles at prospective clients and they fall at her feet. Paisley is the actual brewer. My nerdy friend is obsessed with trying out new flavors. Lucky for the brewery, her ideas are genius. Except for the time she decided to test the limits of how hoppy an IPA could get. Not her best idea.

And, finally, there’s me. I’m the financial manager for the brewery. What can I say? I love numbers as much as Paisley loves facts.

I stand. “I’ll go. You’re meeting Flynn here in a few minutes.”

Sophia sighs and the love she has for her fiancé is plain to see. I love it. I love how all of my friends are heroines in their very own romance novels.

Paisley joins me. “I’ll go with you.”

Paisley is the only other single person left in our group of friends.

“Can you check in on Addy?” Chloe asks as she waves goodbye to us. “It’s her first time being in charge for the day.”

I nod to Chloe before walking toward the brewery with Paisley.Five Fathoms Brewingis located in an old barn a few blocks from downtown. It’s not a long walk. Although, to be fair, nothing is far in Smuggler’s Rest.

The island isn’t very big either. There are three towns on the island – Smuggler’s Rest, Pirate’s Perch, and Rogue Landing –but all of the fun festivals happen in Smuggler’s Rest. It’s also where my friends and I grew up.

“Are you all right?” Paisley asks once we’re away from the crowds.

“All right? Why wouldn’t I be all right?”

“You always get sad when we mention Caleb.”

“I’m not sad,” I deny.

“I disagree. Your chin trembles and your eyes get dull whenever his name is spoken out loud.”

Leave it to my fact obsessed friend to come up with evidence.

I sigh. “I’m fine. Caleb is my friend.”

“But you want more.”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“Why not? Your needs and wants are valid. Why shouldn’t you get everything you want?”

She doesn’t get it. I can want Caleb all I want. It doesn’t change a thing. We’re friends.

“Caleb is half a world away,” I remind her.

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