“No, not so bad. I’m actually strangely glad this whole thing happened.”

  Leland spares me a glance before returning his eyes to the road. “What, tonight or…?”

  “Tonight, and the reunion in general. It feels like I’ve come full circle in a way. Like we have. Even though we were in each other’s orbits for a few years in high school, we were only friends for a short time before you graduated and moved away. We both moved back here around the same time, and now we’re back in each other’s lives.”

  “Full circle.” He nods in understanding. “I like that.”

  “It feels like closure too in a few ways. When I came back to school at the beginning of senior year, I left that group and didn’t look back. Most of them didn’t even notice, and I stayed friendly with Sylvie, although Nelle was always kind of snarky about me leaving. She’d mutter under her breath whenever we passed each other in the halls, and if she saw me with Hollie or my new friends, she’d make comments about how I’d moved on because I thought I was too good for her.”

  “She really hasn’t changed that much, has she?” Leland says quietly.

  “No, but I have, which is another way it feels like both full circle and closure. That whole year, I wasn’t myself, just like I wasn’t my true self the last few years. As much as I dreaded the reunion and knew I didn’t have to go, it was a catalyst of sorts. I was embarrassed about the path my life was on, and it made me think about what I really want in life. Now I’m finally going after it.”

  And as soon as Leland and I reach our destination, wherever it is, I’m going to go after one more thing I want: him.

  “I’m glad I get to be part of your full circle, Stella.” Before I can respond, he says, “Felicity texted me when I went to ask Sylvie about taking that picture. Apparently there’s some emergency at the store that she needs my help with. I’d put her off until tomorrow, but she seemed pretty frazzled. Do you mind if we stop there and then we can go for dinner somewhere? Doesn’t seem right for this night to end so early. Plus it really would be a shame for you to only get to wear that amazing outfit for an hour or two.”

  I stop myself from telling him I’d go anywhere with him, although I don’t bother trying to fight the giddy grin that overtakes my face. I remember what Leland said to Nelle about taking me out because I look phenomenal. Phenomenal! That’s not a word I ever thought anyone would associate with me, but I love it.

  “I’m yours for the whole evening,” I tell him.

  Leland keeps his eyes on the road, but I don’t miss the small smile that plays around the corners of his mouth.

  Attending the reunion may have felt like closure, but I hope this night will also be one of new beginnings.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  We leave Cravings with a tray of takeout cups of hot chocolate. Felicity texted Leland when we arrived and asked us to pick up drinks on our way to FandomTown. The Village is packed tonight and, when I spot a giant evergreen lit with what looks like a million twinkly lights, I’m reminded that tonight was the official tree lighting ceremony. The Village has slowly been transforming into Christmas mode, but with the lighting of the main tree, the holiday season has truly begun.

  The warm fuzzies I’ve been feeling since we were in the car fade slightly when Leland says, “Well, we pulled it off, Stella. Are you ready for life to go back to normal now?”

  This is what I was afraid of: that once the reunion was over, our scheme would come to a natural conclusion. When we agreed to pretend to date, there was no way I could have known I’d develop such strong and fast feelings for Leland. He’s slotted into my life as if he’s always been here, and now I can’t imagine not hanging out with him, getting random texts from him, and having picnics with him. Those are all things that would likely continue since we’ll be coworkers and will obviously remain friends, but can I ever go back to ‘normal’ knowing what his hand feels like in mine? Or the way his warm breath feels against my face right before he kisses me? Will those nervous, excited butterflies I get at the very thought of him stick around as a reminder of what could have been?

  I’m terrified of Leland rejecting me. It would be a blow to my heart and, I can’t lie, my ego as well. I was thrown straight back to my teen years tonight when Nelle made that comment about me snagging a guy like Leland. In high school, I never would have allowed myself to imagine a guy like him could want me. I certainly wasn’t the only one who considered Leland ‘out of my league’. There were other people like that over the years before I got married; people I crushed on who seemed unattainable for whatever reason.

  I’m not that person anymore, though. I’m stronger now. Braver. More willing to take a leap, knowing that as much as failure may hurt in the moment and may even continue to sting for a while, I’m strong enough to survive it. And here’s a wonderful thought: What if I don’t have to feel that hurt at all? Going after what I want has worked out well for me lately, so what if this is no different? I’ll never know unless I try.

  “What exactly is normal?” I ask. “My whole life has been turned upside down in the last few months, and yours has too.”

  “You’re right. That actually leads to what I wanted to talk to you about…” He trails off, reaching inside his coat pocket to pull out his buzzing phone. “Sorry. Can you just give me a minute?”

  “Of course, go ahead.”

  He shoots me a distracted smile as he paces away from me, his eyes trained on his phone. His fingers fly across the screen, his expression unreadable. A minute later, he returns to me, tucking the phone back in his pocket.

  “Sorry about that,” he says as we continue walking.

  “No problem. You were saying?”

  “Oh, yeah, right. Can we talk about it later? I shouldn’t have even said anything. This is definitely a conversation that’ll take longer than the two minutes we have before we reach the store.”

  “Sure, no problem,” I say faintly. If Leland is going to tell me he thinks it’s time we end our charade, I should enjoy my last few minutes of our time together as a faux couple before things turn potentially awkward. As if reading my thoughts, Leland takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine.

  We go around to the back entrance of the store and Leland knocks on the door. “Even though the Village is safe and has its own security, I suggested we keep this door locked at all times, just to be safe,” he explains. When Felicity doesn’t answer, he digs around in his pockets and pulls out his key. “She must be busy with something.”

  Inside, the store is dark. The only light comes from the tiny spaces between the brown paper covering the front windows.

  I jump when Leland takes my hand again. “Maybe she went out to run an errand. Should you call her?”

  The lights come on suddenly, followed by a shouted chorus of, “Surprise!”

  I jump again and this time it’s accompanied by a scream. When my eyes adjust to the light and I see a room full of people in front of me, I double over laughing. I’m vaguely aware of Leland’s hand settling on the small of my back as people crowd around me, and I’m pulled into a group hug with my three best friends.

  “I’d say that was a successful surprise,” Evie says, kissing my cheek.

  “Considering you just shaved a year or more off my life, I’d have to agree.” I swipe at my watering eyes. The next few minutes are a flurry of hugs, kisses, and birthday wishes. My brother and parents are here, along with Felicity, Fergus, Willow and her fiancé Jasper, Evie’s parents, Leland’s mom, and—

  Sylvie steps in front of me. “I heard this was the place to be tonight.”

  I let out a delighted laugh. “You’re here? How are you here? How did you arrive before us?”

  “Leland mentioned the surprise party when he came to ask about that photo he took,” she explains. “He said I should come if I could get away from the reunion on time. I didn’t plan to stay there long anyway, so I slipped out when everyone was gathered around Andy.”

  “Sylvie is the real reason we detoured into Cravings for drinks,” Leland says. “We had a head start on her, so she needed a few extra minutes to make it here.”

  My face hurts from smiling and laughing so much, and I can feel another wave of tears starting. I pull Sylvie into a hug, telling her how glad I am she’s here. In my periphery, I see Hollie approaching; Sylvie must see her too because she promises to catch up with me later before she goes to talk to Felicity.

  Hollie hands me a glass of champagne, tapping her own flute against mine with a musical clink. Evie and Louisa aren’t far behind, and we all clink glasses. I take a sip, and the bubbles that fill my mouth rival the fizzy feeling in my stomach and chest.

  “I don’t even know what to say,” I tell them. “This is the best surprise. I can’t believe you all did this.”

  “It was Leland’s idea,” Evie says. “We helped him plan and execute it.”

  My eyes swing to Leland, who’s watching me with a soft smile. “What if I’d wanted to stay longer at the reunion?”

  He gives me a sardonic look as he reaches to grip my fingers loosely in his, swinging our hands back and forth. “Guess I know you well enough to know that never would have happened.”

  Leland certainly does know me well, even after such a short amount of time. I don’t have a chance to say anything more before I’m swept away by Felicity, who wants to show me something, followed by my parents, who are eager to hear about my new job. This continues—me being passed from group to group, handed glasses of champagne and plates of finger food—until my head is spinning in the best possible way.

  I have no idea how much time passes before I manage to break away for a moment on my own. I stand at the back of the store, surveying the sight in front of me: my friends and family, the fairy lights strung across the half-stocked shelves, the table with drinks and food. The room is filled with the sound of chatter and laughter, and music plays quietly in the background from a set of wireless speakers.

  A flash of blue catches my eye a second before Evie’s dad approaches me. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing Charles Hathaway in nothing but suits over the last few years, but tonight he’s wearing dark slacks and a copper-colored cashmere sweater.

  “I kept hoping I’d have a chance to catch the almost birthday girl alone,” he says, hugging me tightly.

  I close my eyes and breathe in his familiar cologne. Charles was like a second father to me growing up; even though our contact these last few years has been limited to holidays, Evie’s yearly birthday party, and the occasional dinner party, I’ve always known he would be there for me if I needed anything, just like my own dad.

  When Charles releases me, he reaches into the pocket of his trousers and produces an envelope.

  “I can’t accept whatever that is,” I tell him, keeping my hands tucked close to my sides. Knowing him, there’ll be a check in that envelope, and it’ll be way too generous.

  “You can and you will,” he says matter-of-factly, lifting my hand in one of his and placing the envelope flat on my palm. “I gave an envelope like this to Evelyn last month, and Hollie and Louisa will each receive one on their birthdays next month. One for each of my girls on their thirty-fifth birthdays.”

  I thought I was all cried out for the night, but my eyes fill with tears once again. Charles smiles, gently closing my fingers around the envelope as I murmur my thanks.

  “I’d like to thank you for putting Eleanor back in contact with Lana Levesque. They’ve spoken nearly every day recently, and they’re planning a weekend trip with your mother to do some Christmas shopping soon. Eleanor told me how lonely Lana has been since her husband passed. Hearing that was a reminder to me how precious and short life is, and how lucky I am to have a wife and family who love me. I’m in the process of cutting back my hours at work so I can spend more time enjoying life.”

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that, Charlie. I know Evie will be thrilled too.”

  He nods. “I’ve taken life too seriously for too long, and it’s time to have some fun. Do you remember that trip we all took to Québec City when you, Evie, and Wesley were teens?”

  I do a cringe-laugh combo as memories flood my mind. “How could I forget?” It rained the entire time, half of us ended up with the world’s worst case of food poisoning, and my mom slipped outside our hotel and sprained her ankle.

  Charles chuckles along with me. “Well, I was thinking maybe it’s time for a do-over. Time to create some new family memories since it’s been so long. Hollie and Louisa could come along this time, and maybe your new beau would like to join us?”

  I’m touched beyond words at the offer. I want to tell him Leland isn’t really my beau, but he looks so hopeful. So much like his old self, the one I thought was long gone, buried under a pile of file folders, schedules, and fancy suits. “That sounds amazing. I’m going to hold you to it.”

  “I’ll have Eleanor plan a dinner party for the whole group and we’ll hammer out the details,” he says. “You know Eleanor will take any excuse to host a party.”

  “And shop for a new vacation wardrobe.”

  We both laugh as we embrace once more. I tuck the envelope from Charles into my pocket as he walks away. Within seconds, Wesley appears at my side, looping his arm around my shoulders and squeezing me tight to his side as he looks at everyone gathered in the store. “All good, Little Star?”

  “All good. Great, in fact. This night has been incredible. You’ll never guess what Charlie Hathaway and I were just talking about.” I give Wesley a quick run-down of my conversation with Evie’s dad.

  “Count me in,” Wesley says. “I still have nightmares about that vacation. A do-over with all of us all these years later should be good for a laugh. And having Leland along would make it even more fun.” He says this last part with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

  I scoff. “Come on, Wes. We’re just friends.”

  Wesley loosens his hold on me so he can study my face. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

  “Get what?”

  “You two may be calling this whole thing fake, but there’s nothing fake about it, not really. You see each other nearly every day, right? Talk to each other all the time? It’s not like this is some elaborate scheme where you were trying to fool a bunch of people. Most of us were in on it, remember? And apparently, we can see what you haven’t let yourself see.”

  “Which is?” From the corner of my eye, I spot someone approaching us. I realize it’s my mom a second before Evie swoops in and redirects her. I’ll have to remember to thank her later.

  “Leland is smitten with you, Stella,” Wesley says. “He genuinely cares about you. As a friend, sure, but it’s more than that.”

  I glance around the store, taking a minute to ponder my brother’s words. My gaze lands on Leland and Felicity near the food table. As if sensing my attention, Leland looks in my direction, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when our eyes meet. He lifts his glass in salute, and I do the same.

  “Is this you giving your blessing, big brother?” I ask Wesley, my eyes still locked with Leland’s across the room.

  He laughs quietly, retaking his position beside me and giving me a squeeze. “Not that you need it, but absolutely, without question. Leland’s a good guy. You deserve that, and he’d be damn lucky to have someone as wonderful as you.”

  Despite how badly I want to go talk to Leland, I need to be in this moment and savor it. I’m surrounded by all the people I love most in the world; I couldn’t have imagined a night like this a few years ago. I probably would have even convinced myself I didn’t deserve it.

  I allow Wes to lead me back into the small crowd of people. He presses a kiss to the top of my head before wandering off in the direction of the food table. I mingle with my loved ones, that wonderful ache coming back into my cheeks from smiling and laughing non-stop.

  I have no idea how much time has passed when the overhead lights flicker on and off. Someone starts singing the birthday song, and everyone else joins in. Louisa gently turns me toward the back of the store, where Willow is carrying a large cake and Evie is walking beside her, carrying a giant cupcake lit with what appears to be as many candles as they could cram on its surface. Hollie joins me on my other side, and Leland stands a few feet away, recording the moment on his phone.

  Tears mix with my laughter as Evie and Willow approach, the song coming to a crescendo as they stop in front of me. Evie’s eyes are glistening as she holds out the cupcake. “Make a wish, Stella.”

  I take a deep breath and hold it at the top, closing my eyes and wishing to always be this happy and loved. I blow out the candles, laughing as everyone cheers and applauds. As I’m dragged away to cut into the bigger cake, Willow explains how my friends gave her carte blanche to create a cake for me, so she made, and I quote, “A sparkly unicorn cake without the unicorn”. That seems like an apt description for the glittering, rainbow-colored masterpiece. Between the cake and all the fuss being made over me, I feel like a kid again, and I don’t mind one bit.

  After we all stuff ourselves with cake, the party starts to wind down. My friends are the last to leave; Evie says she’ll see me at home, and Hollie and Louisa tell me they’ll see me for my birthday breakfast on Saturday. After that, it’s just Felicity, Leland, and me left in the store.

  “What a party,” I say, wishing there was somewhere for me to flop down. Thank god I wore flats tonight, or I likely would have ended up barefoot at some point. “I guess we should get the cleanup started?”

  Felicity and Leland exchange a look, and she gives a small nod to her brother. “I’ve got cleanup duty covered, so you two can head out,” she says. “Willow told me she and Jasper are going to come back to help and then walk me to my car. She just needed to check something at the café first.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask.

  “Positive. Get out of here. Go enjoy the rest of your night.”

  After exchanging a long hug with Felicity, I duck into the office to pick up my cake. Willow made the small cake that Evie was carrying with the candles just for me to take home and enjoy. I really do have the best friends.