Page 170 of How To Not Need You

“I haven't done anything.”

“You've stood up with a beverage. I know you.”

“A toast.”

“Of course.”

Luca clears his throat. Nobody hears him. He clears it louder. Still nothing. “ATTENTION.”

Half the bakery turns. Natalie closes her eyes. Adrian takes another bite of his pastry.

“To Natalie Donovan,” Luca announces, “who has somehow managed to turn several months of stress, questionable financial decisions and an unhealthy relationship with butter into this.”

Natalie laughs. “Thank you?”

“You're welcome. And to Whisk & Wonder, which is a much better name than anything she allowed me to suggest.”

“Because your suggestions were terrible.”

“The Dough-mestic Goddess was inspired.”

“It was a crime.”

Ben raises his coffee. “I liked it.”

“Thank you.”

“That shouldn’t be a compliment.” Jake points out.

Luca ignores him and raises his cup higher. “To Natalie. To backing yourself even when it's terrifying, and to having enough people around you to remind you why you started when you inevitably decide you've ruined your life.”

Natalie's eyes immediately go shiny.

Fuck.

“To Whisk & Wonder,” Adrian says, rescuing all of us. We raise our cups.

“To Whisk & Wonder.”

Tilly raises a half-eaten pastry. “WHISK AND WINNER!”

“Close enough,” Jake murmurs.

Natalie wipes beneath one eye. “I hate all of you.”

“Love you too,” Elsie says.

“I didn't say that.”

“You didn't have to.”

Natalie looks at the table. At all of us crammed around something that absolutely should not fit in this bakery.

Then she smiles. “Thank you. Really. For everything.”

I lift my coffee toward her. “No crying.”

“You cried when Jake told you he loved you.” Wren pipes up.