34. River

34

RIVER

I stared at the cooling coffee in the mug in front of me. It didn’t taste the same anymore. Nothing did.

I used to crave my days off, but now my apartment felt too empty without Adam. I glanced at my phone again, but I knew if I went to work, Fir would follow through on his promise to change all the locks in the restaurant at his own cost.

But what the fuck could I do at home on my own? I didn’t feel like reading because I would want to talk to Adam about it. I didn’t feel like cooking because I couldn’t save the leftovers for him.

Was that the reason he’d left? Did he feel like he needed space from me?

He said it was to figure himself out, but what if I was the problem?

I stood and dropped the mug in the sink.

You just miss him. You promised you’d wait, so grow a fucking pair and go out there and get some fresh air.

It had been a month since Adam left. Four weeks, and we’d only seen each other when he met his parents for lunch at the restaurant once. I’d watched him from afar, too afraid to get any closer and end up begging him to come back.

Drew had been a true friend and had reassured me Adam seemed okay.

We’d exchanged text messages, and sometimes it was like nothing had happened, while other times, I could tell he was still working through stuff.

I couldn’t complain that I had no communication with him, but I needed more than words on a screen.

I’d promised to fight for him, but what had I done? I’d let him go, and I’d waited. I’d buried myself in work as if that could help fill the void where Adam should be.

A knock on the door, sharp and insistent, broke through my brooding thoughts. I hesitated before finally trudging toward the door. When I swung it open, Noah stood there, the familiar arch of his eyebrow conveying concern and impatience.

“You’re not wearing that,” he said.

I looked down at my T-shirt, jogging bottoms, and bare feet. “I’m definitely not naked, so yes, I am wearing this. What are you doing here?”

He pushed past me and down the hallway to my bedroom.

“Noah. What the fuck is going on?” I asked.

“You’re getting dressed. That’s what the fuck is going on. And then you’re coming with me.”

I groaned. “If this is some kind of intervention from you and Lex, you can drop it. It’s all good. Adam is coming back, and it’s all good.”

“Yeah, it’s all good. You said that twice.”

“Because it’s true.” He opened and closed drawers until he seemed to find something suitable. I wanted to laugh because he’d picked Adam’s favorite pair of jeans. I knew that because every time he wore them, he’d complain about the small tear on the knee, which stopped him from wearing them as part of a dressy-casual outfit.

Noah crossed his arms and stared at me.

When he wouldn’t budge, I dropped my jogging bottoms.

“What the fuck, dude? You’re naked,” he said, covering his eyes.

“You’re in my room demanding I get dressed. I’m getting dressed.”

After he made a comment about the size of my junk and how lucky his brother was, I locked myself in the bathroom across the hall and got dressed. Pervert.

I didn’t know what his deal was or what kind of intervention he, and probably Lex, had planned, but knowing the Spencer brothers, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“Where are we going?” I asked when I came out of the bathroom.

“Just trust me,” he replied with the same smile he had when scheming. I wanted to say if he was going to force Adam to see me, he needed to learn how to respect his brother’s wishes, but then again, I was also desperate to see Adam, so maybe I could go along for the ride.

When I slid into the passenger seat of his car, he handed me a black fabric blindfold.

“Are you serious?”

“It’s payback time for when you all made me renew my vows with Lior with flat hair after kidnapping me.”

“I didn't kidnap you. Drew and West did. Besides, your hair looked fine,” I countered, but the protest fell on deaf ears.

“Put it on.”

With a resigned sigh, I complied, darkness enveloping me as the soft fabric settled over my eyes. The absence of sight left me feeling vulnerable. But hey, at least it was a distraction from thinking about how much I missed Adam or how I wouldn’t put it past Noah to drop me in the middle of a field with a bottle of water and a note saying dinner was on him if I made it home.

“Here, these will keep you company,” Noah said, pressing a pair of earbuds into my palm. I fumbled to fit them into my ears, and as soon as they were snugly in place, music flooded through them.

Five songs played until the car finally came to a stop, pausing the playlist.

“We stopped?” I asked. “Can I take this blindfold off?”

“Yep, we’re here.” Noah’s voice held a measure of excitement that put me on edge. “You can take it off now.”

I reached up to remove the blindfold, ready to face whatever Noah, and probably Lex, had schemed up.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I took in the familiar building in front of us and then looked at Noah. “Seriously, Noah, you brought me to work on my day off. Thanks.”

He came out of the car and circled it before opening my passenger door. “Like you said, you’re not working today. Today, you’re the guest of honor.”

“I’m what?” He practically dragged me out of the car and toward the Lusitana.

Inside, the restaurant buzzed with energy. People were everywhere, the tables had been rearranged, and music, which sounded like a continuation of the playlist I’d been listening to in the car, played in the background.

I recognized a few of my favorite regulars, some friends, and standing by the bar, Adam’s parents’ smiles were like twin beacons cutting through the sea of faces.

Had I missed some sort of celebration on the calendar?

As if on cue, Noah suddenly left my side, the music halted, and the crowd parted, making their way around the decorated tables and leaving the middle hallway, which was usually filled with servers going in and out of the kitchen, empty.

This time, there were no servers. No bells ringing in the kitchen.

Adam stood at the other end, holding on to a chair beside him.

My heart thrummed against my ribcage, its rhythm loud in my ears. My palms grew moist, and I discreetly wiped them on my jeans.

Adam’s blue eyes found mine across the distance, and I saw his chest expand as he took a deep breath.

He stood on the chair, taking me back to the last time he’d done the same thing.

It felt like the whole room held its breath as Adam’s voice trembled through the restaurant.

“Life,” he began, “is a series of moments where you must decide whether to hold on or let go.” In a room full of faces, his gaze never left me.

“Sometimes,” Adam continued, his voice gaining strength, “you find parts of yourself in places you never thought to look. And sometimes, you’re lucky enough to explore those newfound places with someone who makes you feel safe.”

The crowd listened, enraptured by his words, unaware of what they meant.

“These past months have been a journey,” he continued, “one where I’ve learned about bravery. About the courage it takes to face the truth that some things are beyond repair. But the hardest battles,” he insisted, “are the ones that matter most.”

A murmur of agreement passed through the onlookers, but for me, there was only Adam and the words spoken just for me.

“I found feelings within me, vibrant and undeniable. Feelings I navigated with the one person who has always been my compass, my confidant, my best friend.” He stepped down from the chair and took a few steps forward.

I swallowed and pressed my hands against my sides because they shook so much.

“River,” he said, and hearing my name on his lips in such a tender manner sent shivers down my spine, “you’ve been safeguarding a piece of me—a piece I didn’t even realize I’d given away. Somehow, without intent or expectation, you had my heart all this time. Maybe even before I knew it was beating for you.”

I took a slow step forward, afraid to break our connection.

“Keep it,” he said, “Keep my heart because without you close, every breath feels borrowed, every moment half-lived.”

“Adam…” I whispered, but I didn’t think it came out at all.

“I needed to step back, to figure out if I sought you because you were there or if it was because it was always meant to be you. You deserve someone who loves you wholeheartedly and undoubtedly. I’ve listened to all our songs and reread all our books. I have nothing left. No more doubts that what I feel for you is real and everlasting.”

The crowd erupted in soft applause. Adam Spencer, with his piercing blue eyes and heart laid bare, had chosen to stand before everyone we knew and declare his love.

I navigated the sea of faces, each step carrying me closer to him. Standing before him, I could see the subtle tremor in his hands, the vulnerability only I’d been privileged to see. In one fluid motion, I lifted him, and he wrapped his legs instinctively around my waist.

Crowd or no crowd, I needed him. Our lips met in a kiss that was the culmination of every moment that had led us here. It was messy and filled with emotion.

“And this is why there’s a fucking third-act breakup in romance novels,” he said when I finally let him come up for air. The crowd around us be damned. They could look away.

I laughed. “I missed you so fucking much, Adam.”

His eyes held mine with an intensity that left no room for doubt. “God, I’ve missed you too. And it case it wasn’t clear in my amazing speech, I love you.”

“Your amazing speech, huh?” I chuckled. He slid down to his feet, which released my hands, allowing me to cradle his face and run my thumbs over his lower lip. “I love you too, baby.”

Our bubble burst when we were surrounded by Adam’s brothers, their partners, and then their parents and grandmother.

“We’re so happy for you both,” Carla said, pulling me in for a hug. “You know, I always wondered if you two would ever be together, but I just thought I’d gotten it wrong. It seems my mother instincts were right.”

“You could have given me the heads-up, Mom,” Adam said.

“You have to figure these things out for yourself, honey.”

Adam stared back at me. “I was a little slow on the uptake, but I intend on making up for lost time.”

The next twenty minutes felt like three hundred weeks that we spent receiving congratulations from people, hearing how cute we looked together, and smiling through all the wedding questions.

Every time I glanced at Adam, I could tell he was getting tired of it.

His hand never left mine, so at the earliest opportunity, I pulled him toward the kitchen. I used an excuse I didn’t buy myself, so I didn’t expect our friends to buy it, but they didn’t say anything.

“This is a great party and all, but I am familiar with the quality of the food, and there’s no one in that crowd I’m dying to get naked with. Do we have to stay?” I pulled Adam closer and buried my face in his neck, sucking lightly on his skin. Enough to rile him up but not leave a mark.

He glanced around at the gathered crowd. Shaking his head, a playful smirk danced on his lips. “They’ll manage without us. Come on, let’s go out through the back door,” he urged, his grin the very definition of joy as he tugged me toward the door.

We made an almost clean escape before bumping into Fir.

“Dammit,” he said. “Just lost twenty bucks.”

“What?”

“There was a bet going around the staff. I said you’d last an hour. Drew bet on twenty minutes. Chef said you’d last two hours, but I think it’s because he thinks no one can resist his food.”

I laughed. “Sorry about that. I’ll make it up to you with an extra day off.”

“No need, boss. Go be happy with your man.”

I looked at Adam. “That’s the plan.”