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"You thought wrong." Each word is a knife, but I force them out anyway. "It was fun, but that's all it was."

The light dies in her eyes. That beautiful spark I love - loved - flickers and fades. She takes a step back, arms crossing over her chest like armor.

"Right. Of course." Her voice turns brittle. "Anything else?"

"No." I turn away before I can see the tears I hear in her voice. "That's all."

The bell chimes again as I leave, and it takes everything I have not to look back.

CHAPTER17

VANESSA

My hands shake as I write "Happy V-Day!" on yet another pink heart-shaped cup. The line at The Love Roast stretches to the door, a sea of lovesick faces that make my stomach churn.

"Grande caramel latte for Mike!" I call out, forcing a smile that feels like it might crack my face.

A week. A whole week since Jack looked at me with those cold eyes and told me it wasn't going anywhere. The same Jack who'd held me like I was precious, who'd made me feel safe enough to let my walls down.

"Vanessa, we need more heart sprinkles!" Julia shouts from behind the counter.

I nod mechanically, heading to the storage room. The boxes blur before my eyes. What happened? Everything was perfect—the rooftop, the cooking class, the way he'd study me like I was fascinating. Then suddenly, nothing. Like a switch flipped.

"Hey! Vanessa! What’s going on?" Becca waves her hand in front of my face. "That's the third time you've grabbed the wrong syrup. What's going on up there?"

"Sorry, I just..." I grab a handful of paper cups, dropping half of them. "It doesn't make sense. You saw us together. He was different."

"Maybe that's why he ran." Becca helps me pick up the cups. "Some guys can't handle real connection."

But that's not it. I've seen enough fake guys to know the difference. Jack's withdrawal wasn't about fear of commitment—it was something else. The way he'd practically flinched when I reached for him, like he was fighting himself.

"Order up!" Julia's voice cuts through my thoughts.

I'm restocking the display case when someone taps a spoon against a coffee mug. The cafe falls quiet.

"Amanda," a guy in a blue suit drops to one knee in front of his girlfriend's table. "Will you marry me?"

The girl gasps, hands flying to her mouth. Everyone around them starts cooing and pulling out phones.

My chest tightens. I grip the edge of the counter, forcing myself to breathe. The happy couple embraces as their audience breaks into applause.

"Free heart cookies for everyone!" Julia announces, caught up in the moment.

I duck into the back room, pretending to grab more napkins. The storage shelves blur through my tears. A week ago, I'd imagined a future with Jack. Now I'm hiding from a stranger's proposal.

Becca follows me in. "Hey, you okay?"

"What did I do wrong?" My voice cracks. "Everything was perfect. We connected. He looked at me like..." I wipe my eyes with my apron. "Was I too much? Too intense? Did I say something wrong?"

"Stop that." Becca grabs my shoulders. "You didn't do anything wrong. That man was crazy about you. Something else is going on."

"Then why won't he talk to me? Why act like none of it mattered?"

Outside, the newly engaged couple poses for pictures. The ring catches the light, sending sparkles across the cafe's pink and red decorations. The girl can't stop smiling, and her fiancé looks at her like she's his whole world.

Just like Jack used to look at me.

An hour later,I'm wiping down tables when the door chimes. My heart stops.