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“Stella, talk to me,” Grace said gently, pulling me back from the scene outside. “You have circles under your eyes. Let me guess—you’ve been tossing around the last few nights?”
I took a sip of coffee before letting out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I have. Seeing Aiden again stirred up a lot of old feelings.”
“Understandable.” She leaned back in her chair, her expression open and attentive. “He was your first love, after all.”
“More than that.” The words spilled out as the dam of my emotions broke. “I thought we had a future together. Senior year was supposed to be our launchpad—not just for college, but for us. Forever.”
She nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. “I know. I was there, remember? You had it all planned out. Until he moved away.”
“That was bad enough.” I didn’t care about the bitterness tainting my tone. “But we had it worked out. We’d hold onto our relationship long-distance and see each other whenever we could. Except that’s not what happened. He completely ghosted me, Grace!”
“I know how much he hurt you. I’m still not sure you completely got over it.”
I scowled at her. “I’ve had boyfriends.”
“True. Casual relationships where you held the guy at arm’s length.”
“If the disaster with Aiden taught me anything, it’s that my career is what matters. Especially now. But I can’t deny that I’m reeling. I thought the wound had healed over, but now I’m not so sure. How am I supposed to trust someone who cut me off like I meant nothing?”
“Maybe he had his reasons?” she suggested, but her eyebrows knitted together as she quickly added, “Not that it excuses him.”
“Reasons that couldn’t include a phone call or a message? His family moved back to Michigan so he could go to college there where they had roots—and in-state tuition costs. I understood that part of it. Hell, I wanted him to chase his dream of becoming a doctor! But the rest? How could he just go radio silent?” I shook my head and laughed without humor. “Now he’s back, and part of me wants nothing to do with him. But a different part wants to ask why—why he left, and why he never reached out.”
“Are you going to?” Grace tilted her head, studying me.
I sighed, staring into the depths of my coffee as if it might hold answers. “I don’t know. Should I really dig up the past when I’m not sure I can forgive what he did?”
“Only you can decide that, Stella. But whatever you choose, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks, Grace. I mean it.” I managed a half-smile. “It’s just hard to forget the dreams I had. All those plans that vanished when he did.”
“Sometimes, people come back into our lives for a reason.” Grace’s gaze drifted out the window. “Maybe this is a chance for closure. Or a new beginning.”
“Or a repeat heartbreak,” I countered, though her words ignited a flicker of hope I was afraid to acknowledge. “Even if we did meet up again, which seems likely given how little our two keys are, I couldn’t just pounce on him and demand answers. I need to think about this. All of it.”
As I drove back to Calypso Key, Liv’s comment about a family meal came back to me, and I placed the call on my Bluetooth.
“Stella.” Hunter’s deep voice was even yet cautious. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I inhaled deeply, letting the cool air fill my lungs before exhaling. “I wanted to get back to you about your visit. How about lunch at the Big House? Like, soon?”
There was a pause, then a long sigh. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
“Maybe so, but we have to start somewhere, right?” I watched a lone pelican dive into the ocean, resurfacing with its prize. “You and Evan. All of us. We’re family.”
“All right,” he said with quiet resolve in his voice. “I’ll come.”
“Good. I’ll figure out the details and let you know.” My heart lifted a fraction as I ended the call. One hurdle crossed.
I sent Evan a quick text next.
Stella: Dinner tonight during my break? Need to talk.
Evan: Sure. I can meet you at eight. Problem?
Stella: Nope. Just missing my little brother.
Evan: Okay, now I know there’s a problem.
