CARA's POV
The café’s tiny terrace smelled like espresso, sea salt, and early summer. Jenny was already there when I arrived, her sunglasses pushed up into her curls and a lipstick-stained mug in her hands. She grinned when she saw me, scooting her chair slightly so I could sit with my back to the wind.
“Your cheeks look less ghostly,” she said. “That’s either sleep or foundation. Either way, I approve.”
I gave her a tired smile and sat down. “Foundation. The sleep still hasn’t caught up.”
We ordered — two oat lattes, one almond croissant split down the middle — and once the waitress disappeared, Jenny leaned forward, elbows on the wrought-iron table.
“You look like you’ve got a secret. Spill it.”
I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. “Wesley invited me to Barbados.”
Jenny blinked. “Wait — like, with him?”
I nodded slowly. “Apparently there’s some… situation unfolding there. His family. Some business things. He wants me away from the city while it’s happening.”
Jenny’s brows shot up.
