Page 13 of My Heart To Heal

‘I know. I know you didn’t do any of it for anything in return, but I love you. You deserve this. It doesn’t make sense to me that you’re up there alone with Jonah when you can be here, with family.’

She reaches out her hands for mine, and I take them, a sob escaping with the contact.

‘I bought you the salon and this apartment. It’s all in your name. Doug is prepped and ready to help you rip it all out and make it as pretty as youwant.’

I release her hands to wipe my tears before pulling her into a tight hug.

‘You’re my family, Missy. I want you happy, and I want you close.’

‘Thank you.’ I want to say so much. I want to argue that she can’t do this, that I don’t want her to, but I do, and she already has, and just like that, I’m moving to Forest Falls.

You Don’t DeserveBreakfast

Nick

That was a longday. I just want to take a shower, put on some sweats, and fall asleep during a Netflix binge, but as I walk up the stairs to my apartment, my hackles rise. Voices.

I’m not so completely socially awkward that I don’t like bumping into people, but up here, where I’m the only resident, and there’s no reason for anyone to be visiting, it has me on edge. I reach the top of the stairwell and freeze when I see Cara and fuckin’ Missy.

She’s still beautiful, so much so that it makes me uneasy.

‘What are you doing up here?’ I snap, and she smirks.

‘Hey, Nick, nice to see you.’

Cara’s cell starts to ring, and she holds it up, ‘I’m just going to…’ she doesn’t finish the sentence as she accepts the call and heads for the stairwell.

‘Missy, why are you outside my apartment?’

‘Your apartment?’ Her eyes widen, and I know for sure she didn’t know I lived here.

I raise my hand, dangling my keys from my finger. ‘Yes, my apartment. What are you here for?’

‘Um—’ She presses her lips together and I find myself curious at the expression on her face. ‘Well, I guess we’re about to be neighbors.’

‘What?’

She points to the door behind her. ‘I’m moving in.’

Shaking my head, I step forward. ‘You must have the wrong place — this one isn’t available.’

Mimicking my earlier move, she raises her hand up, dangling keys from her finger.

‘I know because that’smyapartment.’

My attention fixates on the keys in her hand and the beer bottle keychain that I’ve seen countless times before for longer than I mean it to.

‘Your apartment?’ Vocalizing my confusion, I bring my gaze to meet hers, and she nods. I think she senses something going on in me because she doesn’t sass me. Instead, she just nods.

‘Yeah, I own the apartment and the barbershop. I’m going to fix it all up and reopen the shop as my hair salon.’

‘You own the shop?’She nods, yes, and I exhale sharply before turning on my heels and storming back the way I came.

My car is hardlyin park when I jump out and storm across the front yard to bang on the door. It swings open, and the surprised look on my mom’s face stalls my fury a little.

‘Nicky, what are you doing, banging on the door like that?’

‘Where is he, Ma?’

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