Rosie

School had been boring and I just knew my social life was absolutely zero without Jude and Maya and I felt like I was back to being that invisible girl again, the one nobody noticed or cared about. Because of the new hockey season, the hockey players had been given a break from college activities to focus on the games and Jude wasn’t there to walk me to each of my classes anymore which made me feel like a loner all over again.

Well, I was a loner even with Jude but it felt so much worse now without him there, without seeing him between classes or having lunch together.

And Maya was taking a year break from college to focus on her café.

Although I had been visiting Jude at the arena whenever he was at practice which became the highlight of my days, bringing him protein shakes and watching him skate. Play and move across the ice like he was born to do it. I secretly took pictures of him because he looked so good out there with his messy hair and his face focused and intense and I couldn’t help myself.

He was mine and my man.

I’d met his best friend River who was lovely and playful and made me laugh despite his terrible jokes and easy smile, and other teammates who welcomed me warmly which surprised me because I’d expected them to be like the popular kids at my old school who ignored or mocked anyone who wasn’t part of their group.

But these guys actually smiled at me and waved whenever I came to watch and some even knew my name and asked how I was doing which made me feel less like an outsider and more like maybe I belonged somewhere for the first time in my life.

After finishing my routine of watching Jude practice with his teammates who were all talking excitedly about the game on Saturday against one of the leading hockey teams, discussing the new team’s win statistics and evaluating their game patterns and what strategies they should use and debating whether their defense was strong enough, I walked to the café feeling happy and light despite being tired from classes.

I knew he’d come later to pick me up whether on Baby with me pressed against his back holding tight or just walk me home with his hand in mine and his warmth beside me, and knowing that made everything feel better.

What a gentleman he was and how lucky I was to have someone like him who actually wanted to spend time with me and didn’t make me feel like I was a burden or an inconvenience.

I smiled while greeting the baker and Maya as I walked to the staffroom to change into my uniform and put on the café apron.

I resumed my work making coffee orders and serving customers their pastries and managing the register and everything felt normal and good and safe.

The door chimed signaling another customer and I was bent down behind the counter wiping my hands on a towel and getting ready to greet whoever it was with my usual smile when a familiar nasal voice that was etched so deeply in my head that I would never ever forget it in my entire life made me freeze completely where I stood.

“Well, look who’s here,” that voice said with that particular tone she used when she was about to destroy someone and my body involuntarily jolted like I’d been electrocuted and I felt my chest start heaving, panic flooding through my entire system making my hands shake and my vision blur.

No. No no no, that couldn’t be her, that couldn’t be possible.

This had to be a nightmare, had to be my mind playing cruel tricks on me because there was absolutely no way she was actually here in this town, in this café.

What was she doing here? How did she even find me? Did she track me down? Did someone tell her where I was?

I raised my head slowly came face to face with my perfect twin sister, Sophia standing right there at my counter looking exactly the same as she did months ago—perfectly styled hair and expensive clothes and that cruel smile I remembered too well—and I felt my hands start trembling immediately, violently, beads of sweat rolling down my back while my stomach twisted so painfully.

I clutched my side tighter trying to hold myself together and smiled awkwardly. “Welcome to Moonrise Café,” I said and I was so grateful my voice didn’t stutter even though everything inside me was screaming and panicking.

“Did you seriously run away from everything to become a café worker?” Sophia asked while looking around the café with obvious disgust on her face before her eyes landed back on me and she tsked. “So pathetic. This is what you’re doing with your life now?”

She eyed me up and down with such disgust that it made me feel small and worthless all over again like I was back there in that bathroom stall hiding from everyone.

I bit down on my inner cheek hard enough that I tasted copper because I wouldn’t allow her to get to me. I’d left that past behind and I was building a new life here.

“What do you want, ma’am?” I asked again, trying to keep my voice steady.

Sophia scoffed and her upper lip curled in a snarl, maybe because she wasn’t getting the reaction from me she wanted, she wasn’t seeing me break down and cry. She looked around the café at all the other customers with that malicious glint in her eyes that I remembered so well.

“Do these people here know about the video?” she asked loudly enough that a few heads turned to look at us and my heart stopped completely. “Should I tell them? Should I show them what kind of person is serving their coffee?”

I blinked repeatedly trying desperately not to panic, trying not to let her see exactly how much that threat absolutely terrified me

“If you don’t have anything to order then I’d like you to leave so that I can attend to other customers,” I said and my voice came out firmer than I expected.

She stared at me like she couldn’t believe I was talking back to her before looking down at her nails dismissively. Was she hoping to see that weak girl crying on the bathroom floor, sitting in her own vomit while she mocked and taunted me? I might not have completely grown past what happened but at least I was happier here than I ever was at Silverwestern and I didn’t need someone showing up to make me relive those bad memories.

“What?!” Sophia released a shocked shrill sound that made people turn their heads to look at us and I could feel my chest thumping with fear that Sophia would start shouting about the video and everyone would know and I’d have to run away again and—

Maya walked out from the back room carrying freshly baked bread and she looked from Sophia to me and her face immediately hardened into something fierce and protective. She quickly set down the loaves and strode over to stand in front of me in a protective stance.

“Get out,” Maya said coldly with her arms crossed over her chest as she wrinkled her nose in disgust at Sophia.

“Excuse me? What?” Sophia said, he couldn’t believe someone was talking to her that way.

“Do you have an ear problem or are you just stupid?” Maya asked. “I said get out. Quietly. Before I physically throw you out myself and trust me, I absolutely will.”

“Is this how you treat your customers?” Sophia demanded, looking around like she expected someone to defend her. “I want to see the owner.”

Maya smirked and it was so cold it sent chills down even my spine, then she turned and faced Sophia directly. “The last time I checked, this café was mine. So get the hell out of my store and don’t pollute it with your stinking breath, ugly face, and beta I’ve energy.”

If smoke could literally come out of someone’s ears and head I definitely would have seen it coming from Sophia’s at that moment. She huffed and glared hard at me with pure hatred in her eyes then stomped toward the door. “You’ll both pay for this,” she spat before slamming out of the café.

As soon as she was gone my legs buckled underneath me and I fell hard on my ass behind the counter and I didn’t know I hadn’t been breathing freely earlier because it was like she’d sucked all the air out of the café and now I was gasping desperately, breathing hungrily trying to fill my lungs again while my vision swam with black spots.

Maya immediately ran to me and touched me gently, her face filled with worry. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

No words would come out of my mouth no matter how hard I tried, my throat was too tight and my chest was too constricted and all I could do was shake violently in her arms while she held me and rubbed my back soothingly.

Because a series of unanswered questions was eating me up inside, consuming my thoughts and making my chest tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe at all.

And the worst question of all, the one that made my stomach drop so hard I felt nauseous—was Josh with her? Was he here too? Was he somewhere in this town right now?