Page 91 of Hate It with You

Alex has something pulled up on his phone, all but shoving the screen in my face when he reaches the front desk. “Don’t be mad, but look what I did.” I take the phone from him, looking at the screen, baffled by what I’m seeing.

It’s several emails sitting in Alex’s inbox, all in relation to my bookstore. I look up at him, confused.

“I sent out a few messages, made a couple of social media posts, you know, did some outreach about the bookstore, and those are the replies. Each one of those groups wants to host a book club night here. You have enough interest to book two nights a week, and it’ll only grow from there.”

I scroll through the emails, unsure if what he’s telling me is true.

Benny hums from beside me. “That could draw in a lot of business. Especially with how comfortable you’ve made it in here. I could set up an online shop for you too, and you could post each book club's monthly book there so others could join in.”

Alex steps forward to stand in front of Ben as Ben shows him the laptop screen. “That’s a great idea. I bet we could index all of these books and set up an online store. We’ll definitely reach more buyers that way if we have in-store sales as well as online sales.”

“Uh, guys?” I say, trying to interject my business into their current planning, but they don’t hear me.

As they continue talking, I close the laptop lid, finally getting their attention. “I’m happy the two of you are getting along, but do I have any say in this?”

They look at each other once before looking back at me, both simultaneously saying “No,” before opening the laptop again.

I roll my eyes but can’t help the smile spreading across my face. Their ideas are good and could help save my crumbling business. I didn’t want to admit it before, but I could use the help, and hearing these two discuss their ideas, I know they are up to the task of helping me succeed.

“Let me go grab some lunch, and then we can get started on setting up your online shop,” Ben says to me after a few moments of brainstorming.

“Great idea. Here, lunch is on me.” Alex pulls out his wallet and hands Ben his card.

Ben waves the card in the air at me. “Now his money, I can accept.”

I laugh as Ben makes a quick exit before Alex can take his card back. When the doorbell chimes, it leaves Alex and me alone in my bookstore, the rare Pacific Northwest sun shining through the windows, painting everything in a warm glow.

Alex moves around the desk to meet me where I stand. His hands wrap around my waist. “What was that about?” He asks.

“Just an inside joke.” I smile, bringing my hands up to wrap around his shoulders.

He chuckles before he says, “I got a plan in place for self-defense lessons this morning. We’ll start them next month, and Tiffany thinks we’ll get good traction for them.”

I squeeze his shoulders. “That’s amazing,” I all but squeal into his ear.

He laughs. “No, you’re amazing. I just listened to you.” He smiles, and the sunlight hits his blue eyes in a way that takes my breath away.

It’s then and there that I know I don’t want to spend a single day apart from Alex for the rest of my life.

“Benny will be staying for a week while he’s on leave, but I was thinking…”

“Yes.” Alex is quick with his response.

Laughing, I say, “You don’t even know what I was going to propose.”

“You stay at my place, and he takes yours. Everyone is comfortable, and I don’t have to go another night without you by my side.” He pulls me in closer as he says the words I was thinking out loud.

“Well, since you offered, I guess that would be fine,” I say sarcastically.

He smiles against my lips as he leans down for a kiss, a deep laugh escaping his throat as he says, “I love you.”

My heart is open, and my walls are obliterated as I kiss him back, not hesitating when I say, “I love you too.”

EPILOGUE

BETH

Five Months Later