Page 25 of The Holiday Makeover

“Well, if I don’t end up with Tate, Coco will be beyond ticked off. She’s already working some voodoo on me, leaving hidden messages in the wall.”

Lily’s face paled as she crossed herself. She’s not even Catholic. “Are you serious?”

“Lily, she’s not doing it in real time.” At least I was 98 percent sure she wasn’t. I launched into the whole wallpaper-stripping saga and the beautiful message Coco had left behind but was briefly interrupted when a server dropped a tray of peppermint hot chocolate behind us, which felt about right for my life at the moment.

Lily’s eyes widened at the mess and the server as he scrambled to clean it up. “Maybe that was Coco.”

I rolled my eyes. “She took her hot chocolate way too seriously. No way would she waste it or humiliate a server.”

Lily bit her lip, unsure, but eventually came back to herself—and her Tate-hating ways.

“And so Tate saw the quote and said he loved you but didn’t say you were his home?” she spat.

“Yeah,” I sighed, eyeing the almost-finished second slice of pie and feeling a little queasy now.

“What. A. Douche.”

I couldn’t exactly disagree.

“Coco wouldn’t want that for you,” she whispered, her eyes darting around as if to make sure my grandma didn’t hear her.

“No, she wouldn’t. But in her letter she said she believes in Tate and we need each other.”

In dramatic fashion, I laid my head on the table, already so tired. And it had only been one full day of us together. Sharing a house with the person you loved more than anything, all while knowing in your heart that it just wasn’t meant to be, was emotionally draining.

Lily patted my head like the good friend she was.

“Do you think that? Do you need him?”

I thought for a moment. “I used to think needing someone was a negative thing, but then I thought about my grandparents. They needed each other—not in a helpless way, but in that you are my safe haven, my home way. I think needing the right someone is a beautiful part of being human. It allows us to be vulnerable but also strong. Does that make sense?”

“I get it. I mostly think about Shay that way. You know, until he tells me he didn’t hear the twins crying in the middle of the night and he can’t help it that he’s such a heavy sleeper.”

“He’s still using that one, huh?” I said lightheartedly.

“Yes,” she grumbled before softening. “Is that how you still see Tate? Your safe haven?”

“I would be a fool to think that. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I was thinking about moving back here.”

“You are?” Lily squealed.

I raised my head and grinned. “I am. Honestly, being home—as hard as it’s been—has made me realize the real reason I stayed in Nashville was because I thought it kept the door open for Tate to come back.” I hated to admit it, but it was true.

Lily did the kind thing and said nothing.

“I know. It was ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong—I love Nashville. But I travel all over doing interior design work for clients. Why not make Aspen Lake my home base?”

Lily clapped her hands together. “You don’t know how happy this would make me.”

A tight, unexpected pressure climbed up my throat. “Me too,” I managed to choke out, the words scraping past the lump forming there. My chest pinched, and for a split second I had to press my palm flat against the table to steady myself.

Because I knew exactly what this meant. I’d just slammed the door on Tate.

Lily placed a hand over mine. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, but it was a shaky, traitorous nod. My throat burned, and I had to clamp my lips together to keep a sob from escaping. If I opened my mouth, even a little, I knew I’d unravel right there between the peppermint hot chocolate carnage and the remnants of my pie.

But beneath the rising tide of emotion, something calming beat beneath it all. I knew this was the right thing.