Page 99 of Unravelling

She squeezes my hand. “Ev?”

I suck in a breath. “Yeah?”

“Just relax.”

“Okay,” I murmur. We walk for a couple minutes more, and I lead her forward, her fingers interlinked with mine. I feel a rush of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside me. I know Scarlett trusts me, and I know that what I’m about to show her is going to be worth it, but the anticipation is still killing me.

“Okay, we’re almost there,” I say softly, my voice laced with a teasing excitement. I squeeze her hand, and then finally, after what feels like eternity, I stop. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she squeaks, “I’ve been ready since I put this thing on.”

I laugh, reaching behind her and unwrapping the cover from her eyes. The first thing I notice is the way she turns to me immediately, expectant eyes, still making sure I’m here before she looks to see what’s in front of her.

Before us stands a familiar, beautiful, quaint building, its tall windows glowing warmly, as though inviting us in. Above the entrance, in elegant gold letters, is the name The Nest.

I turn to her, grinning proudly.

“Wh-What is this?” she asks.

“It’s our library,” I say simply.

Her eyebrows furrow. “Our library?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of like the one behind the bakery but this one is public, a real space for everyone to enjoy.”

“I’m sorry. You just said this isourlibrary. What does that mean, Evan?”

I laugh, scratching the back of my neck. “It’s a bookstore, café, a library all rolled into one. I thought about doing it on my own, but I had a brief chat with my mom for the first time in months. Even though she’s taken a step away from business trading, I know she’s always wanted to expand, but she didn’t know how to do it, or when would be the right time—especially since it’s been years since she first considered it. The internship opened my eyes to so many business opportunities and I thought this could be a good place to start. It takes some inspiration from my mom’s secret library space, but it’s a little different. This is going to be ours. A place that has nothing to do with Voss or B&Co, no legacies to uphold or expectations to meet. Just a place where we can create something of our own.”

Scarlett’s speechless.

I watch as she takes in the exterior, her gaze settling on the tall windows, where shelves of books sit behind fairy lights and lamps giving off a soft, warm light. It’s been hard keeping this a secret for so long, but it’s turned out perfect. My mom took a back seat in most of the production side of things, leaving it up to me and a team I put together to make it work. We don’t speak a lot, but it’s more than before, so that’s something. It’s new and I’m still getting used to the idea, but this is something special, I just know it.

Since Scarlett still hasn’t said anything, I continue. “I called it The Nest because it’s a place for people to come, to feel safe and at home. A place to grow, to learn, and to justbe.Just like you make me feel. I want this to be our project, something that represents us and our future.”

“Evan,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. “This is . . . I don’t even have the words. It’s perfect. It’s everything.” I take a step closer to her, my hands gently cupping her face.

“You like it?” I ask, swiping my thumb against her cheek. “I mean, you don’t have to work here if you don’t want to. I know you’re enjoying your time at Glow and you’ll have so many more opportunities after college but—”

“I love it,” she says, cutting me off with a soft laugh. “And I love you.”

She smiles, tears welling up in her eyes as she leans into my touch. “I love you too, Scarlett. This is our beginning.”

I pull her into my arms, holding her tight as I look at The Nest. Our place. Our future. And for the first time in a long time, everything feels right and settled.

I lean back slightly just to look at her, and my heart races. I kiss her, right there in front of our new beginning, feeling the weight of the past lift off my shoulders. As I hold her close, I know one thing for certain—whatever the future holds, we’ll unravel it together, thread by thread, until we’ve woven something that’s entirely, beautifully ours.

Because this is just the beginning of our forever, and there’s no one I’d rather face it with than Scarlett Voss.