bakery. If I run far enough, maybe I’ll find someone that can replace Mary Anne’s lattes!”
Carter leaned over to Jack, trying, but failing to whisper. “Do you think it’s that time of the month?”
“Yes!” I shouted, “because it would have to be that time of the month for me to be so upset about lattes and babka, right? I couldn’t just be upset because they go together so well, but can’t seem to make it work.”
“Why do I get the feeling that we’re not talking about coffee?” Jack asked.
Carter sighed. “Because we’re not.”
I swiped at my nose, then wiped my hand against my clothes. God, I was a mess. I was having a meltdown in the middle of a bakery, comparing pastries to my life.
“I take it Robert didn’t hold up his end of the deal,” Carter said angrily.
I nodded. “He did, but I broke it off with him. We’re just too different.”
He huffed out a laugh, his thumbs hooked into his belt. “You know, for two people that have loved each other for over a decade, you really are the two stupidest people I’ve ever met.”
“I’d second that,” Jack nodded. “Broken up after just a few days of marriage.”
“That wasn’t a real marriage,” I croaked out.
“From where I stood, that was as real as it gets,” Carter said. “Trust me, I don’t want this thing with you and Robert to work. In fact, I would love it if he had done something truly stupid and pushed you away for good. But the truth is, there’s nothing that man wouldn’t do for you. So, different or not, you belong with him.”
I shook my head slightly. “But-“
“No, I don’t want to hear any more excuses. You live here, he lives in Chicago. He dresses like a pretentious prick and you’re down to earth. All that shit is just details. Are you really willing to walk away from a man that you’ve loved all your life because he lives in Chicago?”
“What am I supposed to do? Move to Chicago and be miserable?”
“It’s just a place. Home is where the heart is.”
“I can’t believe you just said that shit,” Jack muttered.
“It’s true. You’ll never be happy as long as you’re away from him. And as much as I’d love for you to move on, there’s not a single fucker out there that stands a chance with you as long as he’s in the picture. And he will always be in the picture. Don’t kid yourself on that.”
I stared at him as what he was saying sank in. Maybe I had been too rash. I remembered the look on Robert’s face when he took back the ring. The heartbreak on his face couldn’t be faked. In fact, nothing about our relationship since he came back into my life was fake. He had been urging me from the start to give him a real chance, and I always had one foot out the door, sure that it wouldn’t work between us. Was that what I had just done? Had I found a reason to push him away just so I didn’t have to take the risk?
I ran forward and pressed my lips to Carter’s, then pulled back and smiled. “Thank you.”
He shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, it’s what I do.”
“You’re a good man, Carter Roy.”
He smirked. “It’s Corduroy.”
I raced over to the office and grinned when I saw Eric leaning against his desk with an angry expression.
“I’m late, I know, but I can’t stay.”
“What? Anna, that makes no sense.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to go get your brother back.”
His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that I quit.”
“What?” he practically shouted. “You can’t just quit!”
“Watch me.”
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm and stopped me. “I’ll buy you donuts every day. I’ll even buy one of those fancy coffee makers for the office.”
“Eric, this has nothing to do with you. I love working here, but I have to get Robert back, and he’s in the city.”
“No, he’s not, Anna.”
“Yes, he is. That’s where he lives. I’m going to go get him back. I ran away from him once, but I won’t do it again.”
“Anna,” he said sadly. “I mean, he’s not there anymore. He called this morning and said that he was selling his apartment.”
My mouth dropped open. “What do you mean? Why would he do that?”
He sighed heavily. “Why do you think? Anna, he really loves you, and without you, he just…he’s moving on.”