Pastries and Promises by Caitlin Ricci

Author:Caitlin Ricci [Ricci, Caitlin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Late that night, Eva was curled up on the couch catching up on a TV drama when her phone suddenly lit up with a new text notification. She glanced over to see a message from Liz. Hey, sorry to bug you so late. Is it okay if I swing by? I just realized I left some sweaters at your place.

Eva felt an immediate knot form in her stomach. She hadn't spoken to Liz in weeks and had been doing her best to move on. The last thing she wanted was her ex showing up out of the blue. But she also knew refusing to return Liz's belongings would just lead to unnecessary conflict. With a reluctant sigh, Eva typed out a reply. I guess so. Just to grab the sweaters quickly.

She hit send before she could overthink it and change her mind. Part of her hoped Liz would forget or not even bother coming over this late. But just twenty minutes later, a knock at the front door dashed those hopes. Taking a deep, bracing breath, Eva steeled her nerves and went to open it. Time to get this encounter over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Eva swung open the front door to find Liz standing there, looking just as pretty as ever. Her dark hair fell in glossy waves over her shoulders and she wore a flattering lavender sweater. Eva had to ignore the way her heart clenched. At least Liz hadn't brought her new girlfriend over. That would have been more than Eva could bear.

"Hey! Thanks for letting me come grab these," Liz said breezily, as if just stopping by her ex's place late at night was perfectly normal.

Eva simply nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady. She stepped aside silently to let Liz in.

"So how have you been?" Liz asked brightly while glancing around the apartment as if looking for changes since she left. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I've been fine," Eva replied tightly, not wanting to make small talk with the woman who had cheated on her and broken her heart only a few months before. "The sweaters are in the bedroom. I put them in a box in the closet."

She led the way down the hall, Liz following casually as if she still belonged here. Being in close proximity again after all this time felt like sensory overload for Eva. She was hyper aware of Liz's perfume, and her warmth.

Liz quickly gathered up her forgotten sweaters from the closet shelf where Eva had boxed them up. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between them.

"Well, I guess I'll get going and let you get back to your night..." Liz trailed off, turning toward Eva.

As Liz went to leave, she unexpectedly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Eva in a brief hug.

Eva's body went rigid, completely caught off guard. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Don't do that. Please."

Liz quickly released her, taking a step back. For a brief moment, Eva thought she saw a flash of sadness in her eyes.

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