Page 134 of Friends Don't Kiss

“About what?”

“Selling your cakes out of Colton’s garage. Or next to it.”Her speech is clear, but her thoughts? I’m going to discard everything she says. “It’s a great idea,” she continues. “You should tell Colton about it.”

“She’s right,” Willow says as I ease into her driveway. “I mean, you already bring loads of muffins and cupcakes to the garage. There’s a reason people book their services on Mondays and Wednesdays. Might as well start selling them.”

“What she said,” Emma says, before stepping out and blowing me a kiss.

As I drive away, I wish again I’d stayed with them tonight instead of going to the board meeting and making a fool of myself. I really need to unwind now.

Not wanting to go home, I head back into town and end up at Lazy’s. I make my way to the bar, crowded with regulars at the moment.

Before I can perch myself on a stool, Justin points to a booth in the back. “He’s over there.”

A sinking feeling overtakes me. There can be only onehimthat Justin would tell me about. Shit. I never even stopped to think about how Colton would feel about what happened.

I quickly make it to his table. He’s lost deep in contemplation of what’s left of an amber liquid in his glass. Considering his family history, that’s not good.

“Hey,” I say softly, and go to slide on the seat across him.

He lifts his gaze to me, relief washing over his features. “Fuck, sweetness, where were you?” he says, standing and wrapping me in his arms. “I got so worried.”

“I had to drive the girls home…” My words get lost in his chest. I check my phone out of habit and see all his missed calls. I’ve been on silent mode since the meeting. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry ’bout what?” he says, sitting back down and gathering me onto his lap.

“That… that you felt you had to say all those things…”That no matter what I try, I always end up on the loser end of things.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, sweets. I’m angry at myself. But we’ll figure it out. We’ll find a way.” He gives me a squeeze and one of his fabulous kisses right behind my ear that make the world go right again. I almost give in, want to believe him. But I can’t.

And I have to say this before he gets too deep in shit because of me. I don’t want to be a burden to him, or anyone. “I’m going to France,” I blurt.

His body tightens underneath mine, the vibration nearly undoing me.

I try to turn to look him in the eye as I speak, but his grip on me is too tight. It’s like he doesn’t want me to say it.

“We already been through that, sweets, and you know I support you. I just don’t want you going for the wrong reasons. This seems like running away to me, not following your dream. But sure.” He takes a deep breath, his body releasing some of its tension. “What you gotta understand, is that you’re not alone. No one ever does it alone. You meet people along the way, and they help you, and that’s part of being human. Accepting help from those who are on your path, those you meet on your journey. This was me helping you, earlier. But you ran away. You gotta stop doing that. You have something to prove, sweetness, I get it. But know this: it’s only to yourself. And I’ll support that. If you need to show the French you know as much as they do, and that’ll make you feel better about yourself, go for it.”

That’s the exact moment Justin chooses to set my IPA in front of me. “What’s that about?”

I feel Colton’s glare above my head, or maybe I see it in the way Justin receives it. He raises his hands. “Never mind,” he says and leaves.

Colton takes a deep breath. “Three, four, five,” he mumbles. I’d laugh if I weren’t so uptight. “Seven… Nine—”

“What the heck?” Chloe, Justin’s wife, says as she slides in the booth, followed by Willow and Emma.

I narrow my eyes on them. “I thought I dropped you off.”

Willow nods. “You did.”

“We were just too uptight,” Emma says.

“Tell me Justin heard wrong,” Chloe says. “I mean,” she continues without letting me speak, “I was at the Select Board meeting, and by the way,” she turns to Colton, “nice speech, butFrance? As in Europe? What—why? You’re giving up on us?”

Willow’s gaze actually gets misty. “Boo,” she says, trying to take my hand. “Who’s gonna boss me around if you leave?”

“She’ll only be gone three months,” Colton growls.

“They all say that,” Noah says, pulling a chair and sitting at the head of the table.

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