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The next morning, the sky was still gray, but the rain had stopped—leaving the sidewalks slick and the air thick with that damp, post-storm stillness. Ava stood behind the counter of Sweet Haven, pretending to focus on folding pastry boxes. But her thoughts kept drifting to Ethan… and Celeste.
She hadn't told him what happened.
Not yet.
The bell above the door jingled. Her heart leapt—part hope, part dread. It was Ethan.
He looked tired. Hands shoved in his coat pockets, hair wind-tousled. His usual bright eyes seemed clouded with confusion.
"Hey," he said softly.
Ava offered a faint smile. "Hey."
"I didn't sleep much," he admitted, stepping closer. "Been thinking about you. About… yesterday. You okay?"
Ava looked away. "We need to talk."
The words hung in the air like fog.
They sat in the corner booth—usually her favorite spot in the bakery—but today it felt too small, too exposed.
"I had a visitor yesterday," Ava said, her hands curled tightly around a mug of tea. "Celeste came by."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "She what?"
"She said your relationship with me could jeopardize your work. That your reviews might lose credibility. That your book could suffer because of me."
Ethan leaned back, clearly caught off guard. "She had no right—"
"She was calm," Ava interrupted, her voice tight. "Polite, even. But it was clear what she wanted."
Ethan stared at her. "And you believed her?"
Ava hesitated. "I don't know what to believe. All I know is that I've worked too hard to build this place. And I don't want to be the reason you lose something you've worked hard for, too."
Ethan leaned forward, his voice low. "Ava, I decide what matters to me. Not Celeste. Not the reviews. You."
Her eyes shimmered. "But what if this—us—is a distraction?"
"It's not a distraction," he said. "It's the first thing in a long time that's felt real."
Silence.
Then Ava said, "So what do we do?"
Ethan sighed. "I'll talk to Celeste. Set boundaries. This isn't her decision to make."
"I'm scared, Ethan." Her voice cracked. "Scared this is all too fragile. That one bad decision will ruin everything."
He reached across the table, gently wrapping his hand around hers. "Then let's make the decision together. No more guessing. No more silence."
A pause passed between them, a quiet pact forming in the weight of it.
Just then, the bakery door opened again.
This time, it wasn't Celeste.
It was a reporter from the local paper. Young, eager, holding a camera and a notebook.
"Hi," she said brightly. "I'm here for the feature on Sweet Haven and the woman behind the magic. I think you know who sent me."
Ava blinked. "Who?"
The reporter smiled. "Ethan Davis. Said your story deserved to be told."
Ava turned to Ethan, stunned. He shrugged, a half-smile forming. "Told you I was good with words."
Something inside her cracked open. Not from fear—but relief. Trust.
Maybe this wasn't about choosing between love and ambition.
Maybe it was about learning they could exist together.
And for the first time in days, Ava didn't feel like she was walking on eggshells.
She felt seen.
And just maybe… safe.
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