Page 10 of Back in the Bay

"Oh, and he bought a house!" Mom announces as we pull into the familiar driveway of my childhood home. "Right on Maple Street, three blocks from here. He fixed it up himself—you know how he is. Added a whole second story and everything."

Three blocks. Jesus Christ. I could literally walk there in five minutes if I lost my mind completely.

"How nice for him," I manage, stepping out of the car and breathing in the scent of Mom's rose garden. Even that smells the same—sweet and overwhelming, just like everything else in this place.

"The yard is just beautiful now. He planted all these native flowers, and there's this gorgeous deck overlooking the water. Very romantic." She gives me a pointed look as she unlocks the front door. "Perfect for entertaining."

"Mom." My voice carries a warning that she completely ignores.

"I'm just saying if you wanted to stop by and say hello while you're in town?—"

"I don't."

"—it would be the neighborly thing to do."

The house wraps around me like a time capsule. It's the same burgundy couch where Cole and I used to study for calculus tests. The same family photos march up the staircase, including several that feature a younger, happier version of myself wrapped in his arms.

Aidan whistles low. "Wow, this place is like a museum. Is that you at prom?" He's pointing at a photo where seventeen-year-old me is beaming up at Cole in his rented tux, his hands resting on my waist like I might disappear if he let go.

"Ancient history," I mutter, dragging my suitcase toward the stairs.

"He still asks about you, you know," Mom says quietly, and something in her tone makes me freeze halfway up the first step.

I turn around slowly. "What?"

"Cole. Whenever I see him around town, he always asks how you're doing in Portland, if you're happy." Her expression softens. "He seems... lonely, honey."

My throat constricts. "That's not my problem anymore."

But even as I say it, something twists painfully in my chest.

Mom's eyes follow me up the stairs, and I feel them burning into my back like twin lasers. "Your dad will be home for dinner at six," she calls after me. "He's so excited to see you."

"Great," I say, not turning around. I can't let her see my face right now.

I push open the door to my childhood bedroom, and it's like stepping into a time warp. Everything is exactly as I left it when I packed for college—the pale blue walls, the white eyelet curtains, even the framed sketch of the Cedar Bay lighthouse that Cole drew for me on our first anniversary.

Aidan appears in the doorway behind me, whistling low. "Well, this is like the Mabel Maxwell museum exhibit. I half expect there to be a velvet rope and an audio tour."

I toss my suitcase onto the bed with a groan. "This was a mistake. I should have stayed at the Bay View Inn."

"And miss all this maternal matchmaking? Not a chance." He flops down on the bed beside my suitcase. "It’s good to know I’m not the only one who believes you should give that small-town Romeo another chance."

“You’re both delusional.” I counter while unzipping my suitcase.

"Am I, though?" Aidan picks up the framed lighthouse sketch, examining it with the critical eye of someone who appreciates art. "This is good. Your boy's got talent."

"He's not my boy." I snatch the frame from his hands and shove it face-down in the top drawer of my dresser. "And talent doesn't excuse abandoning someone when they need you most."

"Mabel—"

"Drop it, Aidan." I pull out my cocktail dress for tomorrow's rehearsal dinner, shaking out the wrinkles with more violence than necessary. "I came here to see my cousin Rowan get married, smile for photos, and leave. That's it."

But even as I say it, Mom's words echo in my head.He seems lonely, honey.

Good. Cole should be lonely. He chose this town over me, opting for his safe, little life over our future together. If he's lonely now, that's exactly what he deserves.

A knock at my bedroom door interrupts my internal spiral of righteous anger.

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