I noticed I was wearing one of Niall's t-shirts when I woke up, and it was a lot softer than I imagined. I rolled over to face him, accidently waking him in the process, but he smiled when his eyes fluttered open for a very brief second, then closed again.
"Morning," he roughly mumbled.
"Morning."
"So, how are we feeling about last night, now that you've had a solid eight hours to sleep on it."
"Oh, I've completely changed my mind about everything."
His eyes flew open, but relaxed as soon as he saw my grin. He reached out to me and pulled me on top of him. "I hate when you do that."
"You secretly love it. How else would you get your heart racing like that."
"I can think of... a few things I could do."
"Can you now?" I teased.
He laughed and nodded, then pulled me down so he could kiss me. He brushed my hair behind my ear and sighed when he pulled away. "So breakfast?"
"I think I'm feeling pancakes."
"Do you feel like going out and getting them? We could pick up Emmy, and if Mary and Al haven't eaten anything, the could come too."
"That sounds great." I gently kissed him. "I'll go get ready."
I started to get up, but he pulled me back down and kissed me a few more times before he finally let me get up and shower.
I checked my phone when I got out and frowned at the text I got from Tatum. Apparently there's a flood of orders, so I'm definitely going to have to go back today to start preparing. I was hoping for at least one more day.
I quickly finished getting ready and met up with Niall downstairs. I informed him of my sudden changed of plans. He seemed disappointed, but he also understood. I grabbed my bag and carried it to the car as Niall called Mary to let her know we were on our way. We ended up all grabbing breakfast together, but he had Emmy stay back at the house with her grandparents while he drove me back to White Lake. It resulted in a massive goodbye with Emmy and a promise to see her soon.
We spent the entire drive back planning the next time we could see each other, and unfortunately that turned out to be after the holidays. We both had so much work to do that there was no way we could take any time off, not with Christmas being nine days away. We thought about spending Christmas together, but with my parents coming up, and Mary and Al in Manhattan, we couldn't decide where to have it, and with the both of us having to work the day after, it just seemed so complicated. We settled on the weekend after that.
With promises of texts and calls, he dropped me off at my house with a kiss, and then he was driving away. I quickly went inside to leave my bag, then immediately went to the bakery. Tatum practically ran around the counter to give me a hug and she was talking a mile a minute. I could barely keep up. She was even pulling her phone out to text Quinn, then the next thing I knew, Quinn was walking into the bakery with Gemma and Dex. They gave me huge hugs, then went to gather some coloring supplies and sat at their table.
"Wes will be here in a couple minutes to pick them up. They've been a little antsy all day, so I think they just want to go home," she explained.
"We, however, are feeling just fine and want to hear everything about your date with Niall," Tatum happily added.
"I know you are both dying to know what happened and I'll tell you, but can we do it in the kitchen so I can at least get some work done while we talk?"
"Yeah, absolutely, because there is Wes."
He strolled in, confident as ever, and gave Quinn a quick kiss before scooping the kids up and taking them outside. They followed me into the kitchen as Jen, Nash, and Hudson handled the front and any customers that came in. I got to work sorting the orders, then started doing some actual baking while I told them about the date. The swooned, they shrieked, they were almost as happy as I was.
"So, what happens next?" Quinn asked.
"Next we talk all the time until we get the chance to see each other again."
"But you're officially together?" Tatum made sure, eyes wide with hope.
"Yes, we are officially together." More shrieks and I laughed.
"We're just so happy for you," Quinn said. "I kind of hate that I'm going to ask this and bring down the mood, but what's going on with Luke and the divorce?"
"I think everything with that is going to be okay. He called me two days ago when he got the papers, and he tried to convince me not to go through with it, but it was only halfheartedly. I think he's finally accepted that we're not going to be together anymore. He's not thrilled about it, but he's accepted it."
"I have to say, I'm very relieved to hear that."
"Yeah," Tatum agreed. "It was about time he let go and move on."
"It was so strange, being in the city with Niall and Emmy... but in a good way. It was like we were a family, and I don't know if I should be as excited as I feel or majorly weirded out. I mean, we just started dating and while I know I want something with him in regards to a future, I'm just wondering if we're moving too fast. Should we be slowing things down?"
"It took him a week to ask you out. Didn't Luke ask you the second day of high school?"
"Yeah."
Tatum laughed. "Then I think this definitely qualifies as slow by your standards."
I smiled and shook my head. "Maybe you're right. I'm probably just overthinking everything."
"You mean like always," Quinn teased.
"Yeah. Like always."
"You seem happy," she complimented. "I don't want you to talk yourself out of this, because I've never seen you this happy."
"And the last time I saw you this happy was before you got married."
I had to admit, Tatum was right. I mean, I loved Luke in the blissful teenager I'm so in love type way, then I got married and it was nice for a while, but I don't think I ever really wanted to get married. Luke convinced me and then completely deserted me. This thing with Niall, though, it definitely feels like it could be something. Something real, something intense, and something that will last. I want it to last.
"So this is where the party is."
I looked up from my mixing and grinned. "Joey!"
He easily strolled over to me and gave me a hug that I couldn't return because I was very in the middle of baking. "It's good to see you. I feel like I haven't seen you in days... oh wait."
I laughed and bumped my hip into his. "Doesn't it make the time we do see each other all the more special?"
"If I had to choose, I'd definitely choose to see you everyday."
"I feel so honored."
"I should probably tell you I have ulterior motives for coming here other than missing you."
"Is that so? What if I hadn't been here?"
"I would stopped by your place tomorrow."
"What is this ulterior motive?"
He held up an envelope. "Luke wanted me to drop this off."
My heart raced as I looked at it. "That's probably my, um..."
"Yeah, I think they might be."
"We can give you a minute," Quinn said, but I shook my head.
"No, that's fine. I'll open them when I get home. I want to hear about everything I missed while I was in Manhattan."
They gave each other a glance, but then Joey was the first to start talking. They took turns telling me stories about, boyfriends, husbands, and kids. I laughed and smiled, and actually got a lot done. Time was flying by, which I loved, but also didn't. It meant I'm much closer to being home and having to open the folder. I prayed it was going to be good news, but I also had a feeling that it wasn't. But if it was bad news, why have Joey bring it to me and not Luke himself.
When I finally did get home, I had dinner and maybe a glass or two of wine to help myself relax. I was really dreading opening it, but I did it. I forced myself to open it and pull the papers out, a folded piece of paper coming with them. I looked over the papers first and sighed with relief when I saw his signature. They were notarized and everything. I honestly couldn't believe it. I for sure thought he'd pull a Haley James Scott and write "I love you" on the line instead of his name like she did in One Tree Hill, but nope. There it is. His full name. Lucas Cole Carson.
I stared at the papers in shock for a full five minutes, my mind spinning with relief and maybe just the slightest bit of sadness before I looked at the folded paper he had also put in the envelope. I took a massive gulp of my wine before I opened it, and started reading.
Beck,
I know this might not mean much after everything, but I am so sorry. I should've done so many things differently, starting with listening to you when you were reluctant to get married. I loved you so much that I was afraid to lose you, and when I saw the disaster my parents' marriage turned into, I was afraid that would happen to us. I sent the divorce papers without a second thought, but by the time they got back to me, I realized it was a massive mistake.
I should've come back the second I realized that, but things were just awful at home. My parents tried to by my love and my loyalty, and I lost myself in a life I was forced to move away from when I was fourteen. I did stupid things with people that didn't mean nearly as much to me as you do. When I did finally wake up from being a colossal dick, I came back here expecting to find you missing me as much as I missed you. You clearly didn't, and I can't blame you for that. You deserve so much better than me.
You were right. I refused to let you go, because you were the only thing I was sure about. I loved you and I felt safe with you, but only because I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I wasted the last five years and now I feel stuck. I thought that being with you would be the start to figuring out the rest of my life, and it wasn't fair for me to put that all on you.
I'm sorry that I held onto you for so long. I should've let you go a long time ago. I want nothing but the best for you. I want you to get everything you want, because that's what you deserve. I promise that this is it for us. I'm leaving town as soon as I finish this, and you won't ever see me again.
I'm so sorry,
Luke