Page 62 of The Escape Plan

I’ve never felt sparks like this before, ones that set your skin alight and make your insides fizz and bubble like champagne…

Champagne that I’ve tried to cork tightly within me, but currently feels like it could pop open at any moment, if I gave it half a chance.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Keeley

“You’re here!”The door to Serendipi-Tea flies open, and a flushed Nori stands in the doorway, beaming. Her eyes move from me to Beckett next to me, and her smile grows. “You’rebothhere.”

“Why are you so out of breath?” I ask my friend with a teasing wrinkle of my nose. “Did we interrupt you and Cash having a hot and heavy make out session or something?”

Nori laughs. “No, no, we were just setting up the chairs. If we’d been making out, I would have never answered the door.”

“Fair,” Beckett says with a grin. Nori grins right back at him.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Beckett. I’ve heard so much about you.” She gives me a wink, and I feel my cheeks going fire-engine red.

“She’s heard only normal things,” I jump in. “About you being my neighbor and… stuff.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Becks gives me a teasing little nudge, then extends a hand to Nori. “Nice to officially meet you, too, Nori. I’ve also heard a lot about you… and your tea and coffee shop. Everyone always raves about it. I’m excited to finally check it out.”

Nori beams with pride as she shakes his hand. “That’s so nice of you to say, Beckett.”

“Please, call me Becks.”

“You are such a charmer,” I mutter under my breath as Nori ushers us inside.

He’s walking just a step behind me, and he dips his head so his lips are close to my ear. “Are you charmed, Keeley?”

A shiver rolls through me. “Absolutely not.”

His responding laugh lights me up from the inside.

“Nori, it looks great in here.” I swiftly pirouette to a less shiver-inducing subject as I set my tote bag on the counter and look around the space.

Almost a week has passed since Becks and I went to visit Gramps. Since then, I’ve been hard at work on said article, writing about how Noeleen and Douglas were brought together when she lived in The Serendipity, but ultimately, their love wasn’t written in the stars.

I have a lot of the piece written—and it’s an effort I’m really proud of—but I’m having a hard time knowing where to go next with it.

It’s hard to write towards any kind of conclusion when I don’t know what themoralof the story is.

All I know is that Noeleen and Douglas loved each other, for a time.

And then that love hurt them.

I suppose my lingering question is that I have no idea if loving and losing someone is better than not loving at all.

But tonight, I’m taking a little break from writing, because it is the first official Indie Music Night. The cozy coffee shop looks even cozier than normal. The lights are dimmed atmospherically, and the sofas and loveseats have been pushed closer to make room for extra chairs that have been set out. Nori’s best friend and old roommate, Hayden, has apparently taken over Nori’s task and is setting out more chairs alongside her husband, Jasper.

In the front window, Nori’s boyfriend, Cash, is lying on the floor, maneuvering some wiring around a makeshift stage. Meanwhile, Ezra’s standing on the stage, setting up a microphone.

“Thanks, my friend.” Nori smiles almost nervously. “I’m really hoping it’ll be a success.”

“Everyone is going to lose their minds,” I say confidently. “It’ll be a packed house tonight, and you’ll get a ton of new customers putting your shop on their radar.”

“I hope so.” Nori turns to Beckett. “And I must thank you, Becks, for stepping up to fill the closing slot. I’ve had a few customers come in over the past couple of days who’ve been super excited to experience some authentic Irish music.”

He gives her a crooked grin. And even though Nori is my friend and fully in love with Cash, a strange flicker shimmies through me. It’s not that I don’t want him to smile at Nori… more that I want that smile directed at me. Always.

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