Chapter 1: Return to Brookfield
2 years.
It’s been two years since the proposal. It's been two years since I graduated and earned my degree. And three years since my three-year relationship, technically, ended.
Ever since I’ve found out what Jace did with Teagan, my outlook on love has been bleak. Not only did I stop believing in it, but I stopped searching. The happy ending that I once had planned with Jace was nothing but a bunch of lies.
Love was overrated, and something I just wasn’t meant for.
What hadn’t changed was my love of Brookfield. The sky was clear, the streets were filled with trees, and their vibrant green leaves swayed in the light breeze. There was a faint smell of burnt coffee in the air from the cafe, which somehow made everyone nostalgic.
And of course, there was the same neon sign flickering across the way: Millie’s diner.
It didn’t matter what hour it was; Millie’s was the heart of this town, from the retro booths, checkered floors, and the smell of frying bacon and milkshake syrup that never quite left your clothes. Every teenager in Brookfield had spent a part of their life there—flirting, crying, scheming.
Even now, after years of being away, I could see it perfectly. Our friend group crammed in one of the booths, laughing too loudly, Landon stealing fries off my plate, Sophie rolling her eyes while Chase and Jade argue over the music choice.
Despite the size, Brookfield held too much of who I used to be.
It was strange being back after 2 years of traveling around the country for my job. It’s opened up so many doors for me, allowing me to experience new towns and meet new faces. But nothing could ever feel like home the way Brookfield did. It’s where I met my lifetime friends. One of which I was going to see right now.
Rolling down the street, my heart clenched as I pulled into the driveway of Landon’s mom's. My parents were out of town, and I didn’t want to stay in their house alone. Since Landon’s mom was constantly away, he invited me to stay with him at least until my parents came back home.
I grabbed my laptop from my passenger seat before walking up to the door. Since we were all adulting after college, Landon had been away too.
He was in the middle of getting promoted at this outdoor recreation company. After a couple of years of taking business trips, he was finally making the jump to manager.
I was genuinely excited for him. However, I wasn’t excited about what happened to his face.
As soon as he opened the door, my face scrunched. “What the fuck, Landon?!”
Everything was perfect. His black waves, which I was used to being overgrown. His height, 6’2 and ever towering. Even his muscle mass was great. He seemed to be less bulky, leaning out in a way that gave him more definition. All those things I wouldn’t change.
What I would was the bit of facial hair on his chin and lip that I’ve never known Landon to have. It was jarring, unclean.
Landon looked confused, leaning against the door frame. “It’s been a year since I last saw you in person, and this is how you greet me?”
“Uh, yeah! What the hell is this?” I pointed to his face.
“What’s what?”
“That!” My finger tip touched his mustache. It was only a little stubble, but enough to freak me out.
Landon smirked, licking his lips. “Oh, stop. I just haven’t shaved in a minute.”
“Well, do it. Now!” I ordered.
“What? No, I’m not doing that.”
“Why not?”
“Wha—why not? It’s my face!” He yelled with laughter.
“That I have to look at.” I playfully grinned.
For a minute, we both stared at each other. Landon was casually leaning on the frame of the door. I held my laptop, my eyes darted from those gorgeous chocolate eyes to the nightmare of facial hair taunting me.
It’s been two years for a lot of things, but one I couldn’t forget was the day Chase proposed: the kiss and the unspoken decision to bury it under friendship and distance. We've done a good job pretending nothing had changed. A few texts and quick check-ins when we were both in town.
But standing here now felt like every buried thing had quietly resurfaced.
He broke the silence first. “Are you gonna come in? The neighbors around here are nosy.”
I snorted, pushing him aside to step through. “Thanks for letting me stay, by the way.” I turned on my heels to look at him. “I hate being alone in my house.”
Landon closed the door behind him, shrugging. “It’s not a big deal.”
“No, but still. It’s nice being around a familiar face.” I smiled. “Minus the forest you decided to invite to the party, my god.”
Landon chuckled. “I’ll shave it… eventually.”
We walked to the living room, me plopping down on his mom's comfy couch. “Any particular reason you’re keeping it?”
Then, Landon got nervous. The kind that makes everyone in the room anxious with you. His hand rubbed the back of his neck, hesitation deep within his eyes.
“Yeah, about that,” he exhaled. “I wanted to tell you before you heard from anyone else.”
I froze. “That never means anything good.”
“I’ve been casually seeing someone,” he slipped out. “She likes the whole facial hair thing, so.”
The words hit harder than I needed them to. “Oh?”
“Her name’s Tessa. We met through a client.”
“That’s nice.” It came out quickly.
Landon studied me for a moment. “It’s not serious. I didn’t want it to seem like some big secret.”
“I’m glad you’re seeing someone,” I managed. “You deserve it.”
He smiled faintly. “You sound like you’re gonna pat me on the head.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
That made him laugh, the easy, warm sound I missed. For a second, it almost felt normal again. But underneath, something stung.
Landon looked at his watch. “Sophie’s hosting a gathering thing tonight. She says attendance is mandatory for all bridal party members.”
“Yep, I’m already on it,” I said, groaning.
“I gotta go meet Tessa in a minute, but figured we could ride over to Sophie’s together.”
My lips pressed together tightly. “I’ll make sure I’m ready.”
“Cool,” he agreed, heading to the door.
“Hey, Landon,” I called before he left.
He turned back, one hand on the knob.
“Tell Tessa I said hi.”
He raised a brow. “You really want me to do that?”
“Absolutely not.”
He grinned. “See you later.”
When the door clicked shut, I tossed my head back, feeling like a moron. Tell Tessa I said hi. What kind of idiot says such a thing?
I stared up at the ceiling, trying not to think about her. It was easier said than done.
Tessa.
It sounded light. Easy. The kind of name that didn’t carry baggage.
And maybe that’s what got me most. Landon had always been drawn to complicated people. But now, perhaps he was ready to try something simpler.
I ran a hand through my curls and glanced toward the window, where the late sunlight spilled across the street. Brookfield might’ve been small, but that didn’t make its memories any easier to live beside.
