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I lift my head, glaring. “You better not be in on it.”
She takes a slow sip of her coffee, refusing to confirm or deny. I sigh, leaning back in my seat. “It’s fine.”
Stella’s expression flatlines. “Fine?”
“Fine.”
She glares harder. I roll my eyes. “For the past few days, we weren’t talking. But then Buddy got sick, and now… we’re just cordial.”
Stella leans forward; interest piqued. “Wait, Buddy got sick? What happened?”
I rub a hand over my face. “He got into something, probably old paint or thinner. I had to take him to Doc Wheeler’s clinic in the next town, and Bryan freaked out.”
She scoffs. “Of course, he did. He loves that dog.”
I nod, taking a slow sip of my coffee. “I’ve grown fond of Buddy too. Anyway, Buddy’s fine now. But since then, Bryan’s been… I don’t know. Just there, fixing things around the house without saying anything.”
Stella’s eyes widen. “Fixing things? What kind of things?”
I shrug, looking down at my cup. “The faucet. The attic door handle. Probably more I haven’t even noticed yet.”
She gasp-laughs, shaking her head. “Oh really, Emma? This man is fixing your part of the house for you, and you’re telling me nothing is happening?”
I glare. “Nothing is happening.”
Stella smirks. “You keep telling yourself that.”
I exhale, glancing out the window, watching the waves roll onto the shore. “I don’t want anything to happen, Stella. He hates me and I can’t blame him. After all, I’m the one who lefttown without a word. He’s probably only helping to return the favor I did for buddy. I just want to focus on my plans.”
Her smirk fades into curiosity. “Speaking of, what is the plan? You were talking about opening your own clinic, but… are you really going to do it?”
I hesitate, running my finger along the rim of my cup.
“I… don’t know.”
Stella frowns. “What do you mean you don’t know? That was always the goal.”
I exhale, rubbing my forehead. “I know. But…”
I pull out my phone, open my inbox, and slide it across the table. “Just this morning, I got another rejection email for financing.”
Stella scans the message, then scowls. “Are you kidding me? They rejected YOU? Have they met you?”
I force a laugh. “Apparently, my ‘business plan lacks feasibility given the current economic climate.’ And since it is not profit oriented let’s just say it isn't such a great plan.”
Stella shoves my phone back toward me. “That’s nonsense.”
“Yeah, well.” I shrug. “It’s not like I have another option.”
Her eyes narrow in determination. “Oh, no. We are not giving up on this.”
I sigh, shaking my head. “Stell, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I’ve been at this for months. Every time I think I’m getting somewhere, another door slams shut.”
“Then we keep knocking.” She grins, pulling out her laptop. “I’ll help you apply for more funding. We’ll cast a wider net.”
I stare at her. “You’d do that?”
She gives me a look. “Emma. You’re my best friend. Of course, I would.”