Caleb's POVIt's been two weeks since I kissed Victoria, and she's been radio silent. Two long, agonizing weeks. Not a single text, call, or email. I feel terrible for what I did, and I knew I probably ruined our friendship. But I hoped that after I apologized, she would forgive me and we would move past it.Days passed, and I tried to give her space. But every day that went by without hearing from her, I felt worse. I missed her, I missed our conversations, our jokes, our shared memories. I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid I had been, how I had risked everything for a moment of weakness.I tried to distract myself with work and other activities, but nothing seemed to help. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart would race, hoping it was Victoria. But it was never her.One day, I couldn't take it anymore. I drove to Sedona after work and went to the guest house, hoping she would be there.I found myself standing outside, staring up at her door. I had driven there without even thi
Victoria's POVIt was a lazy Saturday and my girls were with me. It was the perfect end to a busy week. I had so much work to do that week. The people at the coffee shop had already moved out and I had started renovations in the space. I met with a designer to nail down a theme. I have gotten suggestions from so many places.Aaron had even suggested that I make everything sultry with different shades of dark earth tones just so it would give my storefront a more sophisticated vibe but I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted. I didn’t want anyone to feel like they shouldn’t go into my store because they would not fit in.I wanted the exact opposite of that which is why I chose a springtime theme with brightly colored pastels. I wanted it to look whimsical and happy; like something out of a children’s book. I had met with Mrs. Pullman who had recently closed her bakery about buying her equipment. The meeting went relatively well except for how she kept ‘jokingly’ saying that I drove her
Caleb's POVIt took everything in me not to turn back and go to her. Tori looked so beautiful tonight. When I arrived at the party I spotted her talking to Melissa and my dad. She took my breath away. Everything about her outfit complimented her. “Aaron is a lucky man,” Eric said beside me, effectively startling me. I hadn’t heard him coming.“Don’t creep up on me dude.”“What? Is it too much for your old heart to handle?” “I’m only two years older than you dude. You need to calm down,” I said as I ruffled his hair. Gloria came up to where I was standing. She looked very pregnant but it suited her so well, she was practically glowing. “What are we talking about boys? Tori? Has she talked to you since you kissed her?” she asked. I turned to look at Eric who didn’t even bother trying to look guilty. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Don’t look at me. I told you I would tell her.”I sighed and said, “No, I haven’t talked to her and I don’t think I will.”“What? Why?" Eric asked.
Victoria's POVI could hardly contain my excitement as I unlocked the door to my brand-new bakery. The sign outside read "The Cookie Jar," and the interior was just as lively and whimsical as I had imagined. The walls were painted in pastel colors, and there were shelves filled with jars of cookies of all shapes and sizes. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble with anticipation.It had taken months of planning, but I had finally done it. I had opened my own bakery, something I had always dreamed of doing. And I couldn't wait to share it with my loved ones. As I unlocked the door to my new bakery, "The Cookie Jar," I felt a wave of excitement wash over me. It had been a long road to get to this point, but I had finally made it. I couldn't wait to share it with the world.I took a deep breath and stepped inside, taking in the sight of my cozy little shop. The tables were set with pretty tablecloths and fresh flowers, and the counters were sta
Caleb's POVI groaned in pain as I struggled to open my eyes. The room was dimly lit, and I could hear the constant beep of machines monitoring my vitals. Everything hurt, and my body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. Slowly, the memories of the day came flooding back to me, and I realized that I was in a hospital bed.I couldn’t believe that Aaron had actually beat me up. When I woke up that morning, I had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong but I ignored it. It. I was really excited about the day’s events. I Was already aware that Victoria was opening up her bakery since Eric had told me about it. I wasn’t expecting an invitation from her because we hadn’t spoken for two months since our last conversation nor had we seen each other. I wasn’t going home as much as I used to. Partly because my workload had increased drastically.I had taken on more shifts and more cases to fill my time. The main reason however was that I didn’t want to face Tori. I sti
Victoria's POVIt had been a week since the evening that turned my life upside down. The evening that Aaron beat Caleb up. I thought I had moved on from it all, but the truth is, I was still struggling to accept everything that happened. Alice and Sam were super supportive. I could tell that they were worried about me because they took turns checking on me at least once a day.Even mom had started the habit of dropping by my house to just ‘talk” until I called her out on it and promised that I would be fine to which she responded, “I am your mother. It’s my job to worry.”I couldn’t argue with her there. If I was complaining about people fussing over me, I couldn’t imagine how suffocated Caleb felt. His mom even flew in from England when she heard what happened. Lucky for me I had my job to go back to, unlike Caleb who was stuck on bed rest after his dad made him take a one-month leave for work.I tried to focus on my bakery. It was doing well, which was a silver lining in all of this
Caleb's POVI woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on my nightstand. I rubbed my eyes and checked the time - it was only 6:00 a.m. Who could be calling me this early? When I looked at the screen, I saw that it was my brother Eric. My heart skipped a beat. Was everything okay? He knew better than anyone how much I valued my sleep. "Hey Eric, what's up?" I answered groggily, my voice was still unbelievably hoarse."Caleb! You won't believe it - it's a girl!" Eric exclaimed."What's a girl?" I asked, still half-asleep."My baby! She's here! She was born just a few hours ago!" Eric said, his voice filled with excitement.I sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake."Oh my god, Eric! That's amazing! Is everything okay?""Yeah, she's healthy and perfect.”“And Gloria?” I asked.“She is doing great, too. She’s exhausted though so she is resting," Eric said, referring to his wife."I'm so happy for you, man," I said, feeling a huge grin spread across my face. "When can I come to see her?""As s
Victoria's POVAs I stood behind the counter of my bakery, The Cookie Jar, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over me. Today I was working at the register. I normally preferred to be at the back but once in a while, I wanted to be right up front where the action was. I wanted to interact with the people who supported my business. Some Christmas music was playing softly in the background setting the mood. There was a murmur in the air as people talked in low tones. I looked around at the customers, chatting with each other over coffee and pastries. There was a sense of community in the air, and I was so glad I was the one who curated it.My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door chime. I looked up to see a mother and her young daughter walk in, the little girl bouncing with excitement. I couldn't help but smile at their adorable matching outfits. They both had blonde hair and blue eyes and they were both dressed in pink identical coats and ha