“Jenna, it’s so nice to see you back in Misty. It’s good to see an old friend.” Jane Smith, a red-headed woman I had gone to school with, throws herself into my arms. She smells of cinnamon, like Christmas. When she pulls back, she gives me a bright smile. Her bright orange lipstick is quite distracting.

Jane was a popular, straight A scholar, who fell pregnant two years before graduation and quit school soon after to work side by side with her mother at The Shake, the only milkshake bar in Misty.

“Thanks, Jane. It’s great to be back.” I throw a quick glance at Heather, who’s looking away to hide a grin. She knows that Jane and I had never been friends. In fact, Jane used to be the leader of the little gang that bullied me in school, calling me the ugly duckling. It was no surprise that when she left, the bullying stopped. But the past is the past and we were both kids at the time.

“We hear New York is treating you well,” someone calls out from one of the pink and white tables. “How wonderful that one of us is going to be a billionaire.”

More people chime in at how thrilled they are for me. People have been congratulating me all day. Although I appreciate their well-wishes, they keep mentioning Winston’s billions, making me feel like a gold digger.

I have to say it’s been a while since I saw Misty this excited. Gary from the magazine stand even thanked me for bringing him more business than he’s had in years. Apparently all magazines with me and Winston gracing the cover are flying off the shelves.

“Come on.” Heather takes my arm and pulls me to a table in a far corner, next to a large, dusty, fake plant that looks incredibly real. The only reason I know it’s fake is because a few years ago I pinched it and it didn’t break or bleed.

Heather leans in. “I had to get you away before they begged you for money.”

We both burst out laughing, and when Jane comes to serve us, we give her our orders. In the past, she used to serve her favorite customers first. Sometimes she made us wait for a full thirty minutes before she came to our table. Other times we left before she even got to us. Now it seems we have been upgraded to VIPs.

“Ladies, I’ll wrap in an extra dash of cream in both your shakes.” Her smile is so big her makeup cracks at the corners of her eyes.

“That’s awfully kind of you, Jane,” Heather says, her voice carrying a faint sarcastic tone. “Thanks.”

“Anything for you guys.” She walks away, hips swaying from side to side inside her tight miniskirt.

“I can’t believe how much she’s changed,” I say, folding my pink napkin in half.

“Yes.” Heather lowers her voice. “She used to be a complete bitch to you. She’s lucky we still come here.”

“We couldn’t stay away from The Shake if we tried.” I can’t even count how many hours me and Heather used to spend inside our rooms promising each other that we would not set foot in The Shake again. Those promises always died with a glance through The Shake’s windows at the happy customers sipping away on their creamy dreams.

“You’re right about that.” Heather removes the napkin from my hand and weaves her fingers through mine. “You always fold napkins when you’re nervous. What’s going on? I brought you here to celebrate your engagement, but you don’t look like someone who just got engaged to a billionaire.”

“It’s not about the money, Heather.” I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m not marrying him for money. It’s not my money, it’s his.”

“I know, love. I’m joking, and you are reacting to everything. What’s going on?” Her hazel eyes bore through me, searching for answers. “And don’t you dare lie to me, Jenna Elizabeth.”

I slide my hand out of her grip and rub my temples to ward off a headache that has been plaguing me since I woke up this morning. “I don’t really know. You’re right that I should be excited.”

“And you’re not?”

“I think I am but—”

“You’re not,” she repeats.

“I really am,” I almost shout. “Of course I am. I am excited.”

“Stop lying. I know you better than anyone.”

In spite of myself I laugh. “I know that for a fact.”

“Well”—Heather’s face grows serious—“what is it? What aren’t you telling me, little sis?”

If there’s anyone I should feel safe voicing my deepest concerns to, it’s my sister. It was hard not being able to talk to her about Winston for six whole months. “I have no idea what’s wrong with me. Everything is perfect.” I rub my chin. “Well, almost.”

Heather waits for me to continue. She knows there’s more coming.

I let out a deep sigh. “Since we got engaged, Winston seems more controlling.”

What Heather doesn’t know is that I’ve barely slept all night, thinking about my last few conversations with Winston.

“What gave you that impre—” Heather breaks off when Jane shows up with our milkshakes.

“Thanks,” I say when she places my Cocotella in front of me, my favorite coconut and Nutella mix ever. I take a long sip, enjoying the thick, sweet liquid coating my tongue. It’s pure comfort in a glass.

“You were saying...” Heather raises an eyebrow, her thumb and forefinger positioning her straw at her lips.

I take another drink and push my glass to the side. “As I mentioned to you yesterday, before we came here, he took me to the Maldives to celebrate our engagement. It was amazing at first. Then something happened. It might be silly to you.”

“If it’s not silly to you, it’s not silly to me.” Heather dabs her lips with her napkin.

“Thanks.” I sigh with contentment.

The sounds of music, laughter, and the ding of the cash register make me feel so at home.

Why have I ever felt the need to escape to New York? I have everything I need right here—my family, my friends, my milkshake, and peace. In New York I always felt like I had to be on the go all the damn time. I could never really relax.

“Jenna?” Heather’s voice cuts through my thoughts, jolting me. “You’re far away.”

“He threw my romance novel away.”

Heather’s eyes widen. “No. Haven’t you told him how holy your books are to you?”

Laughter spills from my lips. My heart feels lighter to the point I’m wondering if I’m overreacting. “No, he certainly didn’t know.”

Heather shifts her chair closer to the table. “Did he throw it away on purpose or—”

“Yep. He called it trash and said no woman of his reads that stuff.”

Heather leans back, arms folded. “To be honest, that would piss me off as well.”

“That makes me feel so much better. I kind of wondered if I was overreacting. I’m not, right?”

“Not at all. Why does he think he has to dictate to you what kinds of books you should read? People read romance novels all the time.”

“That’s not all.” I take a long sip of my milkshake. “Heather, he also didn’t want me to stay a few more days with you guys. He wanted us to leave the day after we arrived.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, sweetie, but those are alarm bells right there.” She blows out a breath. “Are you sure you’re ready to marry him? I’m not saying you should break up, but maybe you need time to actually date for a while before you tie the knot.” She lowers her voice to another level. “You said yourself last night that most of your time in the last six months was spent between the sheets.”

“Yeah. There’s a lot I need to think about.” I bite into my lower lip as her words sink into my mind. After what happened in the past few hours, my anxiety has returned full force. But the thought of voicing my concerns to Winston makes my stomach twist with anxiety.

I’m relieved when Heather drops the topic of my relationship and we talk about other things while finishing our drinks.

During our drive back to Mom and Dad’s I’m deep in my thoughts. Heather doesn’t disturb me, giving me the time to think things through. She drops me off at the door and draws me into a big hug.

“Follow your heart, sis. If you think he’s the one, marry the man. If you have doubts, slow things down a notch.” She tightens her arms around me. “I love you. Say hi to Mom and Dad. Tell them I won’t make it to dinner tonight, maybe tomorrow.”

I watch her drive off before I disappear into the house to spend a quiet day with my parents, trying hard not to notice the piles of magazines all around the house because most of them tell the story of my engagement.

After dinner, I go to bed early. I’m surprised when I fall asleep immediately, exhausted from all the thoughts that had tortured my mind all day. I still haven’t come to a decision.

At midnight, the doorbell rings. I’m the one who goes to the door, confused that someone would visit so late.

My heart stutters when I find Winston standing on the doorstep, a bouquet of white roses in his hands. “I had to come back.” He leans in for a kiss. “I missed you too much.”