Page 144 of Until August

In. Out. In. Out.

Being the bigger man did not come without a price.

* * *

Staying busy helped.

While Nicola took some time away from the kitchen, leaving me in charge, Luca became my righthand man, and I did some shuffling. I moved Miguel to the sauté station and Hannah to the fish station.

I gave Jayden from the dish room a trial shift on the line. Then I unofficially hired him when he proved eager to learn and excited about the opportunity.

The kitchen was in pretty good shape when Nicola returned to work the following week.

Nicola and I were another story.

No matter how much we tried to pretend we could continue working together, it proved to be a problem.

We couldn’t go back to being just friends.

We couldn’t act like we’d never meant more to each other than just a casual hookup.

And I already knew that she couldn’t make the tough decisions with me in her life.

So I waited another two weeks, and when I was confident that her kitchen would run smoothly without me, I quit.

CHAPTERFIFTY

Nicola

August was waitingfor me outside the service entrance, leaning against the wall in our unofficial meeting spot. He wore jeans, a black hoodie, and motorcycle boots.

Not the Blundstone boots and cargo pants he wore for work.

My first thought was:God, he’s so hot.

My next thought was:He’s leaving me.

My footsteps slowed. As if by walking slowly enough, I could give August time to change his mind and stay.

When I stopped in front of him, his eyes flitted over my face before he spoke. “I’m leaving.”

Just like that. No hemming and hawing. He just ripped off the Band-Aid.

Was that supposed to make it hurt less?

I opened my mouth to speak, then shut it again and chewed on my lip, casting around for the right words.

Please don’t go.

I need you.

If you leave, all the magic will be gone.

But I had no right to ask him to stay, and I didn’t want to make this more difficult for him.

I was the one who ended things. I was the one who told him not to wait for me.

So what had I really expected him to do?