Page 141 of Chasing Infinity

I am considering my options. Has Jordan actively been keeping in touch with Noah these last few years? He knows he’s okay but claims that’s all he knows. I could push the issue further and see if Jordan would be willing to open up a little bit more or—

My throat goes dry again, and I swallow thickly. I glance around my surroundings, taking in the impressive turnout for my first day of business. It’s at that moment that I make another life-altering decision. I’ve spent many hours putting my blood, sweat, and tears into building this place. It would be foolish of me to throw it all away for something that’s in the past, for something that has no guarantee of ever working out.

And that’s precisely what Noah is now. He’s my past. This diner, my life now, is my future.

“No. Please don’t tell him anything,” I say firmly, my voice unwavering.

Jordan narrows his eyes just slightly but then dips his chin at me. “Of course.”

Out of my peripheral vision, I notice Caleb walking back to the table from the restroom. I give him a forced smile. “Just let me know if you guys need anything else. Thank you so much for stopping by today. I appreciate your support.”

I don’t give the men a chance to answer before I turn away and scurry back to the counter. As soon as I’ve crossed the line from the dining room to the back, I set my pitcher down on the counter and brace my hands against the hard surface. My head drops between my arms, and I focus on taking deep breaths.

My brain knows I made the right decision just now, telling Jordan not to bring Noah into the equation. But my heart still aches, wondering about thewhat if. I could probably sit here all day and play each and every scenario over and over in my mind, working out the finer details to give us all the happy ending in every possibility. That would be a waste of time, though, because life hardly ever works out how we want it. All we can do is roll with the punches and try to make the best of the hand we’re dealt.

After a few cleansing inhales, I stand up straight, square my shoulders, and put it all behind me. What’s in the past is in the past. I have no reason to worry about it now. All that matters is what I do moving forward.

And so, with my head held high, I step back onto the floor and see the rest of my opening day through. The next handful of hours is a whirlwind of activity, allowing me no time to slip back into my previous thoughts. There’s simply no time to get lost in my memories until Noah’s mother makes her appearance.

Things are finally starting to quiet down after the dinner rush when I notice Catherine McCoy walking up the stairs and opening the door, the bell above jingling at her entrance. I groan to myself when I see her. It seems like I’m just running out of luck today to avoid the past I’m trying so hard to move on from. When she steps into the diner, she stops right in the middle of the floor, taking a second to look around. Her keen blue eyes take in every detail before settling on me. I catch my breath as I gaze into the same eyes her son has.

Catherine offers me a kind smile. “Addison, dear, this is amazing.”

I quickly glance behind her, ensuring her husband isn’t trailing along in her wake. I’ve only encountered Declan McCoy a handful of times since Noah left. The mayor always manages to give me a polite word and then leave as soon as possible. Which is, of course, fine with me. There’s something about that man that has always felt off to me.

“Thank you, can I get you a hot tea or a decaf coffee?” I ask her, stepping into her outstretched arms and accepting the hug she’s offering.

As soon as Catherine lets me go, her attention darts to the display case behind me. There’s not much as far as baked goods go—only a small selection of muffins, cookies, and pastries.

“I think I’ll take one of those chocolate chip cookies if you don’t mind. And a tea to go would be lovely, thank you,” she says, her voice light.

I get to work, bagging up her cookie and pouring a cup of steaming hot water. I dunk an English Breakfast teabag into the cup and then slide it across the counter toward her. “Do you need any sugar or cream for that?”

“No, thank you. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to swing by earlier,” Catherine says, taking a moment to look around again. “You’ve done a marvelous job, my dear. I’m so proud to see something made of this storefront, and you are just the right person to have done it.”

A warmth blooms in my chest at her high praise. Catherine and I aren’t close by any means. However, despite everything that happened between Noah and me, I still appreciate her tenderheartedness toward me. I’m not sure how much she knows about the whole situation—honestly, I’m not even sure how muchIknow about the situation—but I’ll always be grateful for her kindness.

She stays for a minute to make small talk, asking about the details of our first day and asking open-ended questions to get me to talk. I resist the whole way through, still slightly uncomfortable with interacting with her.

“Congratulations, Addison,” she says to me as she moves toward the door, her dark brown curls swaying as she turns her head. “You should be very proud of all you’ve accomplished with this little diner. I think it will be a huge success here in Willow Heights.”

Again, the warmth inside my chest expands outward, and I grin, feeling elated. “Thank you, Catherine. That really means a lot to me.”

She observes me another beat before curving her lips upward, giving a slight wave of her hand, and disappearing into the night, just as stealthily as she came.

The remaining few customers linger, give their compliments about the diner, and then head home. When the dining room is empty for the night, I let out a big sigh of relief. I turn to my closing staff and give them a big, beaming smile.

“We did it!” Though only a handful of them, they offer a small round of applause. I laugh and join in. “Now you all go home and get some rest so we can do it again tomorrow!”

They disperse, giving me high-fives or small side-hugs on their way out. I breathe deeply before starting the closing responsibilities when it’s just me again. My staff has taken care of just about everything. I just need to take the trash bags out back and lock up.

I reach for the packed bags, slinging them over my shoulder, and go out the back door. As soon as I’m outside, I drop the bags on the ground, lock the door, and pick them up again before heading to the dumpster.

“Hey,” I hear a voice say. I glance over as soon as the dumpster lid clangs shut behind the bags I just tossed in. Eli walks towards me, his hands stuck in his jacket pockets.

I give him a wane smile, feeling the exhaustion from the day creep up on me. “Hey. Where’d you disappear to? You didn’t say goodbye before you left.”

“I took off right around four. You were running around like a crazy person, and I didn’t want to mess your flow up. Besides, I figured you had everything under control by that time. Just needed to get the feel of the helm beneath you, I think.”

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