a/n: Finished quicker than I thought i would. This was just a little more world-building I guess. We will start getting into the more fun stuff in the next couple of chapters. Again, let me know your thoughts!
Warnings: none I don’t think.
Chapter 3: The View From Here
Azzi was just starting to feel a little settled. After four days, she had done quite a lot with her time. Well she still didn't have a job. And her search for an apartment was still in the works. She also hadn't gone grocery shopping like she said she would. So really all she had been doing the last couple of days was exploring the town. Nothing wrong with that.
In the mornings, she would wake up early and go for a run. Piersons Park had quickly become her favorite. It sat right along the water, and the view gave her something pleasant to focus on when she was gasping for air. There was always something going on, too. She enjoyed seeing families strolling along the walkway, dogs dragging their owners toward the grass, runners weaving through the crowds. It felt lively without being overwhelming.
Yesterday, she'd tried a different park a right down the road from the inn. Azzi probably wouldn't be going back to that one.
It had gotten crowded halfway through her run, and she nearly barreled into a kid who darted across the path chasing a soccer ball. Somehow, she'd managed to stop herself and sidestep out of the way before disaster struck, but she'd decided it was safer for everyone involved if she found somewhere else to exercise.
When she'd gotten back, she'd told Paige about.
She was in the middle of fixing her booking spreadsheet, but had to take a break to laugh at the absurdity.
The memory made Azzi smile. She liked making Paige laugh.
Usually after her run she would stop at a new cafe or breakfast spot. Her need for caffeine was very strong in the mornings. Azzi's favorite spot had become Muddy Water Coffee Cafe. Not necessarily because of the coffee, which was good, but because of the woman who worked there. Her name was Eilene.
They'd bonded over their mutual love of cottage cheese, a topic Azzi hadn't realized could sustain a twenty-minute conversation until Eilene proved otherwise.
Eilene reminded her of Helen, an elderly woman who'd lived down the hall from her back in her city apartment.
The first time they'd met, Helen had been squinting at her apartment door, missing the lock by several inches. Azzi had helped her get inside and assumed that would be the end of it.
Before long, Azzi was checking in on her every morning. Some days it was helping with groceries. Other days it was finding misplaced reading glasses that had somehow ended up in the refrigerator. Eventually Helen gave her a spare key. Azzi would stop by before work to make sure she'd taken her medication and eaten breakfast.
"You're bossier than my daughter," Helen had grumbled once.
"Your daughter lives in Florida."
She missed Helen. Luckily, Eilene kept her memory alive.
Usually when she would get back from her outings, Azzi would spend a few hours on her laptop, alternating between job listings and rental websites. The job search was looking pretty bleak. Housing was slightly more promising. She'd found three places that seemed worth checking out, but the earliest showing wasn't until Saturday. Until then, she'd just keep looking. Whenever staring at a screen became too frustrating, she would take a break and wander around the inn's property.
She'd already finished two books since arriving. After racing through Fingersmith, she'd spent nearly twenty minutes telling Paige all of her thoughts about it. In return, Paige had recommended another book, which Azzi had finished almost as quickly.
She had a lot of free time on her hands.
A couple of days ago, she'd gone down to the lobby to browse the bookshelves again and found Paige scrubbing a stain out of one of the couches. They'd talked for a few minutes before Paige noticed a second stain on the rug and disappeared into the storage closet in search of the good carpet cleaner.
That seemed to be how most of their conversations went. Every conversation ended just as it was getting interesting. Still, it had only been a few days. Azzi was sure there would be plenty of opportunities to get to know Paige better.
Azzi decided that today she wanted to walk around town and see if there were any good stores. She'd been so focused on the food that she hadn't paid much attention to anything else.The first place she wanted to stop at was a bookstore. Even though she'd probably keep borrowing books from Paige's collection, she still wanted to check out the vibe.
She continued down the street, passing the fire station. One of the trucks had been pulled out front, and a small crowd had gathered around it. A few firefighters were helping kids climb into the driver's seat. The children looked thrilled, their faces lighting up as they gripped the steering wheel.
A few storefronts farther down, she noticed an empty building with a FOR SALE sign in the window. Her gaze lingered on it. She hadn't lived in town long, but if someone asked her what businesses could bring in more tourists, she already had a handful of ideas.
As she imagined what might fit best there, she felt her phone buzz in her back pocket.
She pulled it out. The second she saw the name on the screen, her steps slowed. Her heart skipped. The cheerful noise of the street seemed to fade into the background as she stared at her phone.
For a moment, she simply stood there on the sidewalk, frozen.
Her thoughts followed in quick succession- Why is he calling? Did Mom say something? Is something wrong? Is he mad?
Each question piling onto the next until she could feel her chest tightening. She hadent spoken to him since she broke up with him. She had told him she needed space and that not talking would probably be best. She said she would reach out when she was ready. That was almost 3 weeks at this point, and she still didnt know what to tell him. A memory crossing her mind as her thoughts spiraled:
"What else do you need? Did you want that soup yet?" Jason asked, brushing a few stray curls from Azzi's face.
Azzi mumbled a weak no and burrowed deeper into the couch.
The blanket slipped, exposing her feet. She let out a small whine as she tried to adjust it.
Immediately, Jason stood. He grabbed another blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her legs, carefully tucking the edges around her.
"There we go. All better."
He smiled, satisfied, before taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
Leaning forward, he nudged the tissue box closer to the edge of the coffee table so she could reach it without getting up.
"You want company?" he asked quietly.
Azzi kept her eyes closed.
"Mmm." She shifted beneath the blankets. "I just want sleep."
Her stuffed-up voice made her sound younger somehow.
"Okay." Jason nodded. "I'll be in the bedroom if you need me."
Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before disappearing down the hall.
The apartment fell quiet.
At the time, Azzi hadn't been able to explain why the silence felt disappointing.
Jason had done everything right.
But as she lay there listening to the bedroom door click shut, she remembered wishing he had stayed.
Azzi remembers feeling like a horrible girlfriend that day. She'd had a cold for three days and wasn't getting any better. Her manager told her to take a day or two off mostly because they didn't want anyone else catching it.
She spent the day miserable. Her nose was stuffed, her eyes watering every few minutes. Every time she swallowed, there was a painful lump in her throat. Even getting up to go to the bathroom left her muscles weak and unsteady.
Jason decided to take a half day. He stopped at the drugstore on the way back, came home with medicine and tissues, and made her soup and tea. He started cleaning the apartment too, wiping down surfaces and sanitizing everything she had touched.
There for her in sickness and in health, like you're supposed to be.
And Azzi hated how little she cared.
Not about him, but about having him there.
The thought made something twist in her chest every time it surfaced, like guilt with nowhere to go. She couldn't stop it from eating at her anyway.
A loud car horn cut through her thoughts, jolting her back into herself.
Her breath caught. It came out uneven, shallow.
Okay. Find something green. Her eyes locked onto a shop sign across the street.
Find an object. A trash can by the curb.
Smell something. Sweet pastry dough drifted from a bakery a few storefronts down.
She inhaled slowly. Then again. The air steadied in her lungs.
It was one of the grounding exercises her therapist had taught her. She'd only started seeing her recently, but the sessions had already helped. Left unchecked, her thoughts had a way of spiraling, small uncertainties snowballing into something far worse before she had any real proof of anything at all.
She kept walking, trying to focus on what was around her instead of what was in her head. At the next intersection, she crossed to the other side of the street. As she came up onto the sidewalk, she noticed a storefront display outside a small jewelry shop. A sign above it read, “Ringing up another great decision,” with a little chalk drawing of a ring beside it.
Cute. She hadn’t bought anything nice for herself in a long time. Most of what she owned was cheap, pieces ordered online late at night, or things her friends had lent her and she’d never quite returned.
When she steps inside the store, there was a heater in the front that warmed her from the slight nip outside. She sees a few people scattered around the store, so she makes her way to the counter off to her left where it was empty.
Azzi turned toward the voice and spotted a woman around her age walking her way from the back of the shop. She had an easy smile and long loc twists pulled into a ponytail.
“If you need help finding anything, just let me know.” She slipped behind the counter as she spoke.
“I think I would've remembered a pretty face like yours,” she added with a grin. “Are you visiting?”
“Actually, I'm new in town. I've only been here a few days. Still trying to get acquainted.”
“Oh, well, welcome. We're happy to have you.” She laughed. “My name's KK. I own the place, so if you've got any questions, I'm the person to ask.”
She gestured around the store.
“I'll be around. Just wave me down if you need anything.”
With one last reassuring smile, she headed off to help another customer.
Azzi wandered toward another display case. There were a few pieces she immediately loved, but one glance at the price tags was enough to keep her moving.
Then she spotted a necklace.
A delicate diamond cross hung from a thin silver chain. It looked a lot like the one she'd noticed Paige wearing the other day.
Azzi picked up the tag and winced.
Pretty was one thing. Affording it was another.
She was still turning the necklace over in her mind when she heard someone speak from her right.
“"Wow. Some people really just hand out their number and disappear, huh?" with a loud huff. Azzi snapped her head to the right back straightening, but when she saw who spoke her body relaxed.
“Oh my gosh” azzi laughed. “You just scared the shit out of me” She said huffing out a quick laugh.
“Shit. I meant to text you."
Azzi winced. "I completely forgot.
“No worries” Nika shrugged, “I assumed you would be preoccupied getting all settled in. How’s that going by the way?”
“Good,” Azzi nodded. “Well, as good as it could be. I still have random things lying around, but I feel settled. So that's good.”
“Well if you want we could grab dinner? Unless you have other plans…” she drifted off
“I would love to.” Azzi gleamed.
“Great. Tonight? 7? Where are you staying?
"The Willow House, on Central. You know it?"
"Nothing." Before Azzi could follow up, Nika continued.
"We can meet at The Tapp? Have you been there yet?”
“No, actually, but that was on my list of places to try. Sounds good.”
“Perfect, just text me if anything comes up.” Nika turns toward the display case to look at some of the jewelry.
“Are you planning on getting anything?” Nika says inspecting a ring close to the end.
“I don't know,” Azzi hummed, still staring at the necklace. “I probably shouldn't spend too much on something. I don't wear jewelry all that often. But this is all so pretty.”
“Is that Ms. Nik Nik?” she hears the owner yell from across the aisle. She walks out from around the case to give her a big hug.
“How was your date on Saturday? You never texted with an update” She said smacking Nikas arm playfully.
“Ugh” Nika rolled her eyes. “I dont even want to talk about that disaster. Are we still up for drinks on Saturday?”
“Obviously.” Kk snorted, looking between Nika and Azzi, sensing familiarity. “Do yall know each other?”
"Yeah. We met her on her first day. I gave her my number and never heard from her again." Nika pressed a hand to her chest. "I feel like a one-night stand." Nika glanced over with puppy dog eyes, causing Azzi to chuckle.
"You should come out with us on Saturday." KK proposed.
"Yeah," Nika agreed. "We've got a little group. We drink, complain about work, make questionable decisions."
"Oh, I don't want to intrude—"
"You're not intruding!" Nika exclaimed. "We'd love to have you."
"Please come," KK added. "I think I've heard enough about Nika's dating life to last me a lifetime."
Nika scoffed. "Excuse me? I've had to listen to your terrible one-night-stand story for three weeks. I need fresh material."
The two of them turned back to Azzi expectantly.
Azzi laughed. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess I don't really have a choice."
"Perfect." KK clapped her hands together. "I'll text you the details."
She pointed at Nika. "And don't ghost her again."
Before Azzi could defend herself, KK was already walking back toward the register. Nika watched her go and shook her head.
"She can be a lot." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "But she means well." Azzi laughed.
"Perfect." Nika nodded. "The Tapp at seven. It's right around the corner from your place."
With one last grin, Nika turned and headed toward the door.
Azzi watched her go, smiling despite herself.
When she got back to the Inn, Azzi came through the front door.
Although it made more sense, there had been a few times she’d taken a detour through the lobby, just in case Paige happened to be there.
The phone behind the desk was ringing as she stepped inside.
Paige was pacing in front of the counter, her cell pressed to her ear and a stack of papers clutched in her other hand.
She hesitated, unsure whether offering help would actually help or just make things worse, then started toward the counter anyway.
On one of her turns, Paige spotted her and gave a tight-lipped smile.
Azzi began to back off, but Paige ended the call with a frustrated groan, and Azzi paused mid-step.
She circled around the counter.
“Hey,” she said tentatively.
Paige looked up. A small smile flickered across her face softer than before.
“Hey. Sorry, I’m just dealing with some bullshit right now,” she said. Her New York accent came through sharper than usual.
“Anything I can do to help?”
Paige exhaled hard, tipping her head back for a second before meeting Azzi’s eyes again.
“Nah. I just. Some guy came in saying he had a reservation. I checked everything. There’s nothing in the system.”
She turned back to the computer.
“I had to turn him away ‘cause we’re fully booked. I feel bad, but I’m also pissed.”
Azzi watched her closely.
Her breathing was starting to change, shorter, tighter.
Paige glanced over again, tension in her face.
“What if this isn’t just him?” she said quickly. “What if this is happening to other people too? What if I’ve got people showing up and I’m turning them away and no one wants to stay here anymore because we can’t even hold reservations—”
Azzi stepped forward and gently took her forearm.
“Breathe with me for a second.”
Paige’s words were already breaking apart as she tried to keep going, her breaths uneven.
“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
Azzi’s hand moved slowly along her arm, grounding her.
“It’s just one person right now. It could be a glitch. A fluke. You don’t know yet.”
Paige nodded, trying to follow her breathing.
“Do you have a booking website? Somewhere people usually book through?”
“Yeah,” Paige managed. She took another breath. “We have something set up. I was just leaving a voicemail for the company we work with. Trying to get it sorted.”
“You will,” Azzi said softly, giving her a small, steady smile.
“Thanks,” Paige murmured.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Just staring at each other. Azzi still gently running her hand along her forearm.
Then someone clearing their throat rang in their ears.
They both turned. A man stood at the counter with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
Azzi looked down and realized her hand was still resting on Paige’s arm. Paige noticed at the same time. Slowly, Azzi let go and stepped back.
“I’ll—uh—I’ll see you around,” she said quickly. Then, softer: “It’ll be okay.”
She turned and walked down the hallway.
Behind her, Paige’s voice and the guest’s started to blur together as she reached the end of the hall.
At 6:45, Azzi was making her way to the pub. It was right around the corner from the inn, so she decided to walk.
She’d broken out her “nice” jeans, which just meant the only pair that actually fit her properly. Straight-leg with a few rips down the thighs, they hugged her just the right way. Not that she needed the validation, but it gave her a little extra pep in her step.
She wore a maroon long-sleeve top that dipped slightly low in the back, layered under a cropped leather jacket. Black booties finished the outfit. A bit of mascara, some lip tint, and her curls left down after a fresh wash so they could fall naturally around her face.
She felt good. Hot, even.
More than that, she felt… light.
It had been a long time since she’d gone out just to see a friend. In the city, nights like this were rare, either she was working late, or she was at home with Jason, too tired to do much of anything in between. Plans didn’t really exist outside of obligation. This was just for fun.
It only took her three minutes to walk there.
She’d texted Nika that she was early and would grab a table. Nika replied that she was running a few minutes late but would be there soon.
Inside, the pub was about half full, warm light spilling out from behind the bar, the low hum of conversation blending with music in the background.
Azzi gave her name to the host, who led her toward the back of the bar, away from the louder crowd.
She settled into her seat and picked up the menu, skimming it quickly, not wanting to overthink it.
Azzi looked up as the waiter approached with a polite smile.
“Are you waiting on someone?” he asked, glancing at the second menu and the extra place setting.
“Yeah. I’m meeting a friend—she should be here any minute.”
“No worries. Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?”
“You got it. I’ll be right back.”
He gave a small nod and disappeared.
Azzi settled back in her seat and let her eyes wander across the bar.
Framed photos lined the walls, black-and-white shots of the pub through the decades. A sports game played on the TV in the corner; a few people were locked in, barely blinking.
She wasn’t really into sports, but if she had to pick, she’d go with basketball.
The waiter returned with her water, setting it down with practiced ease before moving on.
Azzi reached for her phone and hesitated.
She hadn’t really touched it all day except to text Nika.
The call from earlier still sat there in her mind, untouched. She’d been avoiding it like the screen itself might somehow call him back if she looked at it too long.
She set the phone down instead.
A voice called her name from the front.
Nika appeared, weaving through the crowd with a wave.
“Hey,” she said, leaning in for a quick side hug before dropping into the chair across from her.
“Sorry, I’m late. I swear I have the memory of a goldfish. I put my wallet on the counter so I wouldn’t forget it, and then apparently my brain decided to relocate it under my bag, no idea how that happened, but it took me like twenty mi—”
She cut herself off, glancing past Azzi.
The waiter had returned again.
“How are you ladies doing tonight?”
“Good. Starving,” Nika said, shrugging off her coat and hanging it on the chair.
“I’ll take a rum and Coke.”
“Um… do you have any Surfsides?”
Nika snorted. “Don’t get crazy now.”
“Yeah, we’ve got those,” the waiter said with a grin. “I’ll be right back.”
Once he left, Nika leaned in slightly.
“So. How was your day? Did you end up getting anything from the store?”
“No,” Azzi said, shaking her head. “I’m trying not to spend money. I should probably get a job first”
“Yeah, there just aren’t many options around here.”
Nika shook her head in agreement.
“What were you doing before?”
“PR. Big company in the city. Not exactly a booming industry here,” she said with a small shrug.
“Yeah… this is definitely not the place for major career pivots,” Nika said.
“I mean," She paused, thinking of the right thing to say. "Not that it’s a bad decision,” Nika added quickly.
“No, I get it,” Azzi said softly. “Having a job is the least of my worries, honestly.”
She let out a small laugh that didn’t fully land.
Thankfully, the waiter returned with their drinks, neatly placing them down and interrupting the shift in energy.
They ordered food, Azzi got a club sandwich with fries, Nika a burger.
Once he left, Nika leaned back in her chair with a grin.
“What?” Azzi asked immediately.
“I think our waiter might be into you.” Nila said wiggling her eyebrows.
Azzi laughed. “What? No way.”
“Oh, girl. He was looking at you like a puppy waiting for attention.”
“No, he wasn’t,” Azzi said, shaking her head. “Not interested.”
“Are you single?” Nika asked, taking a sip.
“Yeah. Recently, actually.”
With a deep sigh Azzi replied, “Where do I begin”
Nika’s expression softened.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”
“No,” Azzi said quickly. “It’s okay. I just… not really sure what it was. It just didn't feel right. I couldn’t do it.”
She took a sip of her drink to steady herself.
“I’m sorry. That’s a bummer,” Nika said gently. “How long were you together?”
“8 years. We met sophomore year of college. Been together ever since.”
“Damn.” Nika blows out a breath. “Were you guys talking about marriage or something?
“Yeah,” Azzi said after a beat. “He talked about it more than I did. He liked planning it. He’d show me ring ideas sometimes and ask what I thought.”
“Did you ever tell him how you felt?” Nika asked carefully.
Azzi stared at her glass.
“Not really,” she admitted. “I didn’t know what I wanted. I still don’t. It just… didn’t feel right. Like I was waiting for a sign.”
“And did you get one?” Nika asked, half-joking.
A small smirk tugged at her mouth.
Azzi leaned back slightly.
The rest of the night was great.
After dinner, they’d had a few more drinks, maybe more than a few, until they ended up in the middle of the bar singing Before He Cheats.
When Nika called an Uber, they made their way to the bathroom before heading outside to wait. Azzi made sure Nika got in safely before starting her walk back to the inn.
She was a little buzzed. Light, warm, unsteady in a way she couldn’t remember feeling in a long time. She didn’t really drink like this anymore. There had never been time for it with her job, her routine, Jason. Everything always had structure, limits, reasons. Even drinking had felt… contained. As she crossed the backyard toward her room, a thought drifted in without warning.
I haven’t seen Paige in a while.
Before she could overthink it, she was already moving toward the main building.
The lobby was empty when she arrived. The desk unmanned. The lights low, softened by a few scattered lamps.
She should’ve turned around then. Instead, she lingered. From somewhere down the hallway, she heard muffled voices. She hesitated, but the voices pulled her in before she could decide not to. She followed them slowly down the hall, stopping just before the corner.
Two figures stood close together in the dim light.
At first, she couldn’t make out much, just movement, hushed voices, the kind of tension that didn’t belong in a public space. Then one of them shifted. And Azzi saw her.
Even in the low light, there was no mistaking her.
The other woman stood close enough that their foreheads were nearly touching. Paige's head was tipped slightly downward, listening. Whatever had been said drew a soft smile from her, one Azzi had never seen before.
Something sharp twisted in Azzi's chest.
The other woman reached for Paige's hand. The gesture was casual, familiar. Too familiar.
Paige didn't pull away. If anything, she leaned closer.
The space between them disappeared so naturally it made Azzi feel like she'd stumbled into something she wasn't supposed to see.
Heat crawled up the back of her neck.
Before she could understand why, she stepped backward. Her gaze dropped to the floor as she turned away and headed back down the hall.
The buzz in her body had started to fade, leaving something softer behind, more awareness. Every step made her more conscious of her own thoughts again, like they were slowly catching up to her.
She kept replaying what she saw. Not in full detail. Not clearly. Just fragments that wouldn’t stay still long enough to make sense. Paige’s face. The closeness. The way she tilted her head leaning closer.
Azzi swallowed and looked down at her shoes as she mentally kept telling herself to move forward.
She reached the room slowly, letting the door shut softly behind her. Azzi stood there for a second longer than she needed too, as if waiting for something to reset inside her.
She pushed herself off the door, and headed toward the bedroom.
But even as she did, she already knew she wasn’t going to stop thinking about it.
