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Chapter one
Jenny
It'sbeenayearsince I was back in Fern Hollow, and everything's changed.
When I drove away, I was single, and hopeful, and excited. Now, I'm engaged.
And I should be hopeful.
I should be excited.
So why do I feel so scared?
My mom and I sit in my parents' restaurant and we flip through a wedding catalogue. My fiance, Steven, is working abroad at a med school, and my parents couldn't be happier about the match.
And I am...nervous.
I spin the engagement ring, a chunky, glittering diamond, on my left hand. My mom keeps looking at it, an unreadable look in her eyes, and she suddenly points at an elegant, high-necked gown.
"How about this one?" she asks.
Like she's asking a deeper question.
I chew on my lip and stare at it. The dress is beautiful, but it isn't me. The model has her hair swept back in a neat up-do, her thin frame perfect in any dress, and I'm more...
...squishy, I guess.
Messy. Wild.
"Can we talk about something else?" I ask. "How have things been at the restaurant?"
My mom huffs out a sigh and tosses the catalogue onto the table. "Fine. But we need to start planning eventually, Jenny. Your wedding isn't going to plan itself."
I know she's right, but the thought of planning a wedding with Steven feels suffocating. I love him, I do, but there's a part of me that wonders if we're rushing into things too quickly. Maybe that's why I feel so scared.
A year ago, I was still head over heels for my best friend, and now, being back here...
I push the wedding catalogue aside and stand up from the table, my head spinning with thoughts and doubts. "I need some air," I say to my mom.
She nods, her expression softening with sympathy. "Go take a walk, honey. Clear your head."
I step outside into the crisp autumn air and take a deep breath. The streets of Fern Hollow are quiet, with only a few locals bustling around. My parents' restaurant is at the end of the street, and I know all I really need is a loop around the block.
I walk past the shops and cafes, lost in my thoughts, until I hear a voice that snaps me out of my thoughts. It triggers a memory from childhood--thousands of memories on this exact street, walking up and down with the boy I was totally gaga over.
Finn Carson.
I turn to see him across the street, a grin on his face and a bag of groceries in his arm.
My heart races as I meet Finn's gaze, the familiar fluttering feeling in my stomach returning. Finn was my childhood crush, my best friend, and my first kiss. We never went any farther than that--and the kiss was less romantic than a way to collect experiences--but we still made a promise when we were fifteen that we would marry each other if we weren't married by thirty.
Now I'm twenty-seven, and I'm getting married.
Guess the deal's off.
"Jenny!" Finn's grin widens as he jogs across the street to meet me. He's barely out of breath when he comes closer, fit as ever. "What are you doing back in town?"
I swallow the lump in my throat and try to steady my voice. He doesn't use social media; he hasn't heard about the engagement.
