Page 59 of High Stakes
“Nothing,” he reassures me.
“Raff, I saw that look, what do you know?”
He sighs, “She’s buying the florist beside the bakery. Apparently, she’s got big plans to make it into some wedding cake venture.”
I let that information settle in. I’m glad she’s doing well, and that she’s using the money to set up a future. I didn’tthink she’d accept it, but I’m relieved she has. “You miss her,” says JP, breaking my thoughts.
I stare down at the table, “More than I ever thought I would,” I admit. “And hearing all about her plans, makes me realise how much. I want to be the one she tells everything to.” I sigh, scrubbing my hands over my face. “Yah know what she said to me right before she left? That if I’d have told her everything right from the start, she probably would have helped me.”
“Sounds like something she’d do,” says Raff, fondly. “She’s a good woman.”
“If you could start again, would you tell her?” asks JP.
I stand, “I’d have sold the club,” I confess, “Then I would have spent time getting to know the woman my brother insisted was my perfect match.” I slide the letter Jake left me, onto the table. “I finally read it,” I say, “It explains why he did it.”
“That’s the thing with hindsight,” says Raff, taking the letter. “But it can’t be changed now, Aiden. Leave Bella alone.”
Bella
I’m a shop owner. I stare at the empty florist, taking it all in. Cal joins me, smiling wide. “Congratulations.”
“Are you going to let us in, or should we just stand here looking?” asks Aria, stepping from the bakery to join us on the pavement.
I hold up the keys, smiling as I push it into the lock. “I can’t believe it,” I say, “I own a bloody shop!”
“You did good,” says Cal, stepping in behind me and looking around in awe.
“And the builders are starting tomorrow?” Aria clarifies. I nod. We’ve spent weeks picking out ovens, mixers and cabinets, but back then, it didn’t seem real. Now, as I stand in the empty shop, it feels very real and a little scary.
“Things are finally looking up,” says Cal, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
I turn to him, “Thank you for helping me,” I say sincerely.
He grins, pulling me into his arms. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“You’ve all been amazing. If it weren’t for you, Aria and Jake, I don’t know if I’d have done any of this.”
“We’re so proud of you, Bella,” says Aria. “Most people wouldn’t have made it through this, but you did. And look at this place, it’s perfect.”
Cal grabs me around the waist and spins me around, I laugh, wrapping myself around him. “Now, enough of the soppy bullshit, let’s get this place cleaned.”
As he slides me down his body, I glance out of the window and notice a car slowly driving past, with Aiden at the wheel. Our eyes connect and for a minute, everything seems to fade away, and all that’s left in the moment is me and him.
“Bella,” Aria calls from the back room, “When is the sign coming?”
I look away from the window. Neither have noticed my sheer panic at seeing him and I pull myself together quickly. “Erm, tomorrow,” I reply. When I glance back, the car is gone.
The days blend into one. I’m so busy with the shop, I haven’t had time to think about anything else. Including Aiden. Maybe his drive by was a complete accident. And if it was, he hasn’t been back to try and talk to me. Which I’m grateful for. And I didn’t bother to tell Aria or Cal, I couldn’t have the mention of Aiden ruin my big day.
I’m sure eventually, I’ll come across him, maybe in the street or a restaurant, and I’ll have to face my demons. But right now, I want to enjoy this time with my best friends without the stress and drama that Aiden brings.
“The builders are all done,” says Aria, popping her head into the bakery where I’m currently baking cupcakes for tomorrows opening.
I wipe my hands down my apron and follow her out, and back into my shop where I thank the foreman for everything. I’ve been super fussy with minor details, and I know he’s secretly wanted to throttle me more than once. I made sure to pay extra with daily cupcakes as an apology though.
Once he’s left, I turn to Aria and we both give a little excited squeal. “I can’t believe I’m opening tomorrow.”
“You’ve worked so hard,” she says.