Page 125 of Capri

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CAPRI

Collie:

Where are you? I thought you were coming to family breakfast?

Capri:

Not today. Heading back to Paloma to meet Jones. He texted asking if I could meet him. Said he has something to talk to me about.

Collie:

Ooooo. Juicy! Is the candy man gonna drop the L word on you?

Capri:

No clue but I’m ready to tell him, Cols. I almost did the other night but I chickened out. Today is the day.

Collie:

Go get him, tiger. I’ll save ya some brie.

Paloma isjam-packed with visitors today.

I think, trying to remember if it’s a holiday, but nothing comes to mind. A crowd of visitors are parked outside the front entrance doors, little kids in uniforms selling cookies with big smiles on their faces.

Families line up, patiently waiting to support them.

Entering the building, my eyes search for Tracy, the woman at the front desk I’ve come to know the past few weeks. I’m greeted with a big smile before she directs me to my man. “Mr. Archer should be outside on the patio, Ms. Meadows.”

“Thank you so much, Tracy.”

When Jones texted me last night saying he wanted to talk and to meet him at Paloma, I slightly panicked. He leaves to go back to Italy in a week, and we haven’t so much as talked about what’s next for us.

I know things have been a little out of sorts with his mom lately, so I figured it had a lot to do with that.

But I won’t lie and say my heart isn’t hurting. I feel like I’m on the edge of heartbreak.

That’s why I need to tell him how I feel. I can’t go another second without him knowing how much I love him.

Hopefully, the reason he asked to meet me is because he wants to do the same.

I make my way around the hall, heading toward the double doors leading to the patio that’s shared with the garden. The same garden Dolly has now planted every type of vegetable in.

I enter the patio and take in the vibes around me. Concrete pavers are lined diagonally across the entire space, a stone waterfall takes up the center with lush green palmettos, and hydrangeas are planted along the perimeter.

It’s tranquil. Pairs of tables litter the small space, opening up to a vast field behind them.

Looking past the few women seated at a small table playing bingo, my eyes search for Jones.

I filter through the faces, finding my man just across the way.

But he’s not alone.

What the…No, that can’t be…

My heart sinks, and my breathing falters. Nothing could have prepared me for the gut punch I feel right now. The way my heart physically feels like it’s being ripped from my chest and stomped on. Broken and torn in two.

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