Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Rina: I was headed to the arena, but I’ll swing by the bakery instead. Make sure there’s a cinnamon hustler waiting. Extra dirty.
Sloane: Girl… we all know how you like it dirty.
Rina:
Lilah: It is way too early for this.
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop a small smile from breaking through. The kind that sneaks in, even when everything inside me feels twisted and uncertain.
No matter how bad things feel, these women show up every single time.
And somehow, knowing they’re on their way makes everything feel a little more manageable.
“I haven’t even told you anything,” I say.
“You didn’t have to,” Sloane replies, pulling mugs from the cabinet. “We’ve indulged in enough late-night wine and post-breakup debriefs for me to recognize all the classic signs.”
She hands me a mug of fresh coffee before giving me a wink. “Drink that. We’ll talk when the whole crew gets here.”
Forty minutes later, the bakery is quiet again, the morning rush leaving behind an empty pastry case with a few stray crumbs. I join the girls at the table near the window, where Lilah and Rina are already seated with a platter of pastries between them.
Lilah peels apart a croissant, her eyes locked on me. “Okay. Spill.”
I slide into the empty seat and wrap my hands around my mug. The warmth seeps into my fingers, but it doesn’t quite make it to my chest.
All three watch me without judgment. Just patient, steady concern. It’s more appreciated than any of them realize.
I let out a slow exhale. “It’s Zane.”
With a groan, Rina rolls her eyes. “Of course it is.”
Sloane leans back in her chair as she crosses her arms loosely in front of her. “What happened?”
“The guy was a real dick on the ice to River,” Rina mutters. “I was this close to marching down there and beating him with his own stick.”
“I would’ve actually paid money to see that,” Lilah says with a snort.
Rina raises a brow. “Now you tell me.”
Lifting her mug, Lilah’s gaze slides to mine. “Sorry. Got distracted by the mental image. Please continue.”
The corner of my mouth twitches. Even now, they manage to make me smile. But it fades as quickly as it came.
I set my mug down and say what I’ve been holding in all morning. “After the game last night, Zane told me that he wants to get back together. He wants us to be a family again for Nora’s sake. That he’s changed.”
The silence that follows is instant and heavy.
None of them speak at first, and I don’t blame them.
“He also paid off the bakery loan,” I add. “All of it. Lakeshore Sweets belongs to me now. Free and clear.”
Rina is the first to recover as she sits up straighter. “That’s… unexpected.” Her expression twists into a frown. “And what about Gigi? Wasn’t she supposed to be the love of his reality TV life?” There’s a pause. “Hold up.” She unlocks her phone and starts typing. “I think Railers Rumors posted pics of them at a club after the game.”
I blink. “Are you sure it was taken last night? Maybe they’re old photos.”
She hands me the phone, and the second my eyes land on the first image, my stomach drops. His lip is split and he’s wearing the same clothes he had on after the game.
And there’s at least half a dozen of them. In every single one, Zane and Gigi are tangled up in each other, grinding against one another, laughing, kissing like nothing in the world exists but the camera and the attention it brings.
More confusion crashes over me as I stare at the photos.
Why would he go out of his way to lie to me?
I don’t understand any of this.
Lilah reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry, Callie. I know he said all the right things, but I just don’t think he’s being genuine.”
“No,” I murmur. “It certainly doesn’t seem like it.”
With a tilt of her head, Sloane asks quietly, “Are you one hundred percent sure he’s the one who paid off the loan?”
My head snaps up. “He told me he did when I asked about it.”
Rina and Sloane exchange a quiet, knowing look. It’s enough to send a ripple of unease through me.
“Callie,” Rina says gently, “I’d verify that information before you take his word for it.”
I take a sip of coffee to buy myself a moment, but instead of offering comfort, it scorches all the way down.
“Maybe what I need to do is talk to Zane,” I say, setting the mug down.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Lilah agrees.
“You’ve been asking him to step up for years,” Sloane adds. “And now, only after you’ve started something with another man, he suddenly decides to act?”
“Honestly,” Rina cuts in, “I’m not convinced he did anything except muddy the waters because he doesn’t like seeing you move on. It has nothing to do with Nora and everything to do with control.”