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And yet, as Alex got up to fetch a towel to clean us off, a small part of me—a part I was trying desperately to silence—still wondered what Matt was doing, if he was thinking of me, if he'd ever call again.

I pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the man in front of me, the one who was here, the one who was present. The one who drew hearts on my belly and made me laugh and looked at me like I hung the moon.

Maybe this was what moving on looked like. Maybe this was what I deserved all along.

Chapter 11

Geri

The next few days passed quietly. Alex called and texted every day, his attention constant and unwavering. Matt remained absent, a ghost in my life that I was trying desperately to exorcise.

I walked into the Harborview for the afternoon shift, having just finished at the day spa. My feet ached, my back was tight, and all I wanted was to sit down for five minutes before the dinner rush began. I spotted James and Marco at the bar, drinking beers before the night got busy. There was someone with them I hadn't seen before—a tall guy with styled brown hair and what looked like chef's pants.

I walked over, placed my bag under the bench, and tied my apron on. James, bless him, pulled a plate from the fridge with octopus salad already prepared. I smiled and grabbed a fork, kissing his cheek in gratitude.

"Thank you," I said, already digging in.

"I knew you hadn't eaten," he replied, watching me with that knowing look he always had when he was right.

Marco gestured to the stranger. "Geri, this is Con—or Constantine for long. He works next door at the café."

Con extended his hand, his green eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Con and I did our apprenticeships together when we were younger," Marco explained. "He just applied to work at Alpine Ridge for the winter."

That perked me up. "Oh, seasonal job? You've worked there before?"

"Yes, I go every year, in fact," Con said, taking a sip of his beer. "The pay is decent, but the real perk is getting to ski every day."

"I grew up in Riverdale," I told him, "which is about twenty minutes from Lakeview. That's another ski resort just down the mountain from Alpine Ridge."

"No way! Small world." His smile widened. "You should totally do the season too. They need waitresses there, and they supply accommodation to all workers."

I paused, fork halfway to my mouth, as the idea took root. Get away from all this mess for a few months? Escape to the mountains, far from the drama, and just be someone else for a while? It seemed appealing—more than appealing, it seemed like exactly what I needed.

"I might actually consider that," I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it.

We sat and talked while I ate my salad. Con was easy to talk to, with a laid-back energy that felt refreshing after the emotional rollercoaster of the past few weeks. He told me about the ski resort, the staff parties, the breathtaking views from the mountain. I found myself genuinely interested, mentally calculating how much notice I'd need to give at both jobs, whether I could afford to leave Seabreeze Haven for a few months.

Then someone cleared their throat, and I looked toward the doorway. The restaurant wasn't open yet—we still had another forty minutes—but Matt stood there, looking angry.

My stomach dropped. James pressed his lips together, his face hardening as he recognized who it was. I cleared my throat, put my salad down, and said, "Excuse me," before walking over to Matt.

I looked at him, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you answering your phone?" he demanded, his voice tight.

I blinked, genuinely bewildered. "What?"

"I've called you four times in the last twenty minutes. Not once did you answer."

Something snapped inside me. All the hurt, all the confusion, all the nights spent staring at my phone willing it to ring—it all came rushing to the surface in a wave of white-hot anger.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exploded, right there in the doorway. "You ghost me for days at a time, ignore my calls, my messages, and then you have the audacity to show up here and demand to know why I didn't answer my phone for twenty minutes?"

His eyes widened at my outburst, but I was just getting started.

"You disappeared forsix days, Matt. Six days after I spent the night at your parents' house, after you asked me to move across the country with you. And now you're mad because I didn't pick up my phone while I was working?"