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“Sweetie—” Martha said.
“You’re so full of it,” Cami chimed in. “Do you not hear the way you sigh when you say his name?”
“I do not sigh. There is no sighing,” she said, glancing up at Martha. She turned back in her chair, looking down at her coffee with a splash of half and half and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Dammit, even her coffee reminded her of him. “I don’t care that he has the most gorgeous blue eyes, or that his laugh is contagious, and he’s weird and likes black jelly beans as much as I do. I don’t care that he made me happier in the past week than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I’m not going to talk to him, and Martha”—she looked up at her—“you’re a strong independent woman. I’m sure you understand, right? I shouldn’t have to be the one to go to him.”
Martha shook her head, and Ella deflated.
“No, that’s not it,” Martha said, waving her hand, her bracelets clacking together. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but he left for California with his father first thing this morning. He’s gone.”
Chapter 23
Ella put all the pictures she took of Marco’s and Krissy’s place and spread them out on the table. She began sorting and placing the pictures into a portfolio. Once she was finished, she moved to the computer and added the pictures to a website Krissy helped her set up.
Lucas was right. She was selling herself short. She had a natural talent for interior design, and there was no reason why she shouldn’t charge for her time and concepts. At least she got something out of her time with him.
The jerk hadn’t even called her. Just upped and vanished without a word. She understood they had a fight, and yes, she slapped him, but he deserved it, and he could have told her he was leaving. She would have even settled for a text.
Angry tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back. She was done crying over a guy who didn’t think she was worth a phone call. Besides, who had time to cry when she had a business to start?
First step was establishing herself by getting her portfolio ready for potential customers to view, so she arranged the photos by room with added color palettes.
Her website needed to be sleek and convey a professional vibe. She couldn’t have a sloppy website and expect people to trust her with their spaces. So she spent her time, making it the best to her ability. Maybe in time, when she had the money, she could pay someone to take it to the next level, but for now she had to work within her means.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she worked, Lucas was on her mind like a pesky fly that wouldn’t go away. His stupid smile kept appearing, his laugh echoing in her head and those damn blue eyes that reminded her so much of the sky were there every time she closed her eyes.
Marco had told her in time it would get easier, but it’d been a week and the pain of losing him was still there.
She looked at the rose quartz crystal Martha had given her and picked it up, running her thumb across its surface. Apparently, it was supposed to heal one’s heart from pain and disappointment. So far it wasn’t working. Desperate, she’d even tried to sleep with it under her pillow, carried it around in her pocket, but it seemed even Martha’s crazy natural cures were no match for her broken heart.
Maybe if she just called him or texted him… She put the rose quartz down and picked up her phone. She scrolled to his name and hovered over it.
What was the point? He gave her an answer by walking out of her life and never looking back. A call or a text wouldn’t change that. Even if it brought her closure, she wasn’t sure it would make her feel any better in the end.
But god, she missed him—a fact she hated to admit but couldn’t deny no matter how hard she tried. No matter how much she hated him, the jerk had snaked his way into her heart, spread his venom, and infected her with his charm and sweet, tender kisses—an intense poison that left her numb and broken, a lifetime of after effects that she’d forever carry with her.
Damn him.
She ignored the tug trying to pull her into an hour of self-pity and turned her focus back on her website, her future. She couldn’t control Lucas, but she sure as hell could control what she was going to do with her life from here on out.
She worked until her eyes hurt and her legs were numb from sitting. The website was perfect—everything she wanted it to be, and now she needed to find her first paying client. She swung her bag onto her shoulder and headed out the door to her bike.
It was a short ride into town, and she hoped that the dark circles she’d been sporting under her eyes for the past week weren’t as bad as she remembered. A look in the mirror before she left would have probably been a good idea, but she didn’t want to waste any time. She had the courage now, and she was going to use it to her advantage.
She cruised by the local shops and over the cobblestone streets until she reached the boardwalk. The sign for Joe’s Lobster House glowed in the distance, but she kept her focus on her side of the boardwalk, walking her bike toward Vinny’s Lobster Shack.
Spring had finally arrived in all its glory. Vibrant flowers of yellow, purple, and reds filled window boxes, and the boardwalk was beginning to fill with unfamiliar faces. Pretty soon the hot days would usher in more happy families on vacation and happy couples on a long weekend getaway. The sight had never bothered Ella before, but the thought of seeing people blissful and in love made a rock settle in her gut.
She waved to Martha through the window of Mind, Body, and Soul as she continued to the restaurant. When she spotted Enzo standing behind the bar and her grandfather sitting on the stool across from him, she smiled.
The thoughts of happy tourists didn’t matter anymore. Her mind was back in the zone where it needed to be. She walked into her family’s restaurant, exuding confidence and determination.
“Fabriella!” Vinny called out.
“Hi Grandpa,” she said. “I’m happy you’re both here.”
“What’s the matter?” Enzo asked, dark eyebrows furrowing.
She slid on the stool next to her grandfather and placed her bag on her lap, pulling out a binder.
