He ordered a sandwich and iced tea at the counter and went back to one of the empty booths to wait. Apparently, the waitress would bring his food to him. He was fine with that since his legs hurt like hell. He might be in shape, but his brothers worked freaking hard. It probably hadn’t helped that he’d been up most of the night fucking Maya while being fucked by Border. Between that and spending the entire morning bent over his worktable, his body wasn’t too happy with him at the moment.
Jake rested his head against the back of the booth and was just about to close his eyes when movement in his periphery caught his attention. He froze, blinking.
“Holly?” he asked, his voice a little rough. Hell. He hadn’t seen her since she’d dumped him, and while he’d felt like shit afterward, he’d been so focused on the new part of his life, he hadn’t set his mind on her much since Border had come back. That made him feel like a heel and a horrible boyfriend. No wonder she’d dumped his ass.
Holly sat at a booth cattycorner to him so they pretty much faced one another with not a lot of room separating them. She gave him a small smile and played with the edge of her plate.
“Hey, Jake.” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize you came to Hannah’s Eatery.”
Jake looked around for the name of the place he’d come to and shrugged. “I’ve never been here before, but it’s closer to the Gallagher site than Taboo.” He sighed and got out of the booth, knowing he needed to not be an ass about seeing her. Sure, Denver was a huge city, but he’d met Holly at Taboo because it had been her favorite café. If she were here now, it was either because, like him, she was closer to this place, or she was avoiding the place she’d liked more.
“It’s good to see you, Jake,” she said, and hell if she didn’t sound honest about it.
He sank into the bench opposite her after he gestured and she nodded. “You, too, Holly.” He paused, feeling a bit awkward. “Were you working around here?”
Holly snorted and shook her head. “No, Jake. I work at the same place I always have. But since it’s a Saturday, I figured I’d venture out for food and leave my little cave of lesson plans and grading.”
He knew she loved her job, even if she made fun of it sometimes. After all, he did the same with his. “Why aren’t you at Taboo, then?” He knew he was being an ass, but he needed to make sure she knew that she wasn’t banished from her favorite places because they weren’t together anymore.
She gave him a look that said she questioned his mental abilities but didn’t say as much. “Jake, seriously? That’s your place. It’s attached to Maya’s place. It’s okay that I needed to find a new café to eat in on Saturday afternoons.”
The waitress came at that moment and slammed down his plate and tea before stomping away. He met Holly’s eyes.
“Holly?”
“What, Jake?” Holly asked, exasperation in her tone. He wasn’t used to the sound of it in her sweet voice. “You look happy, you know that? You look amazingly happy, and I know it’s Maya and Border.” She smiled. “Yeah, I know about that, and I say it’s about time with Maya. As for Border? I only just met him, but I felt the connection between the two of you. I want you happy, Jake, and you are. Or, at least you’re on the right path this time. I wasn’t for you, and I know that. It’s okay, Jake. I’ll find my happy.”
Jake reached out and gripped her hand. She stiffened a bit before relaxing. “I want you to find your happy, too. I’m sorry I wasn’t it.”
She shook her head and removed your hand. “Don’t be sorry that we’re not meant to be. That look in your eyes right now? The one that says you’re falling in love or already have with two people who make you you? That’s the look you never had with me, and I’m glad we never got too far down a path we couldn’t back away from without breaking each other.”
“Holly,” he whispered.
“I’ll be okay, Jake.” She paused. “Or maybe I am okay now, I don’t know. But you don’t have to worry about me. I promise.”
“I’m always going to worry about you, Holly. We were friends, remember?”
Holly smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. She always had one of those smiles. It was why he’d asked her out in the first place.
“Be happy, Jake.” And with that, she slid out of the booth and reached to squeeze his shoulder. “And finish your lunch. You’re looking a bit peaked.”
He laughed then and stood up to bring her into his arms. He tucked her close, knowing that he’d hurt her because she’d seen something in him he hadn’t been able to hide. She might be the strongest person he knew, but she was still as fragile as can be.
She patted his back and moved away. “Be happy, Jake,” she repeated.
“I will.” He paused. “And come back to Taboo, Holly. Don’t change everything because of what we were, or rather because of what we weren’t.”
She studied his face. “I just might.”
Jake watched her walk away and sighed, suddenly not that hungry anymore. He just wanted to go home and see his people, see the ones that Holly thought made him happy. He let out a breath and walked toward the door, leaving his uneaten sandwich alone in the booth. What a weird day.
When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he was a little afraid to look at it to see whom it could be, considering the odd day already. The fact that it was a text from Maya made him smile.