Chapter 2 Ghosts in the Bookstore

The reading nook looks smaller than she remembers. Or maybe Joan has just grown too much to fit in old spaces like she used to.

She settles into the cushioned armchair with her hands wrapped around the warm ceramic mug Nathan handed her. The chamomile tea soothes her nerves, but her heart remains unsettled, thudding quietly against her ribs.

Across from her, Nathan leans back against a worn oak table, sipping his cup. For a while, neither of them says a word. It's not uncomfortable-just loaded with the weight of years.

Joan breaks the silence first. "So... this place is yours now?"

He nods. "Inherited it after my uncle passed. I kept the shop open. It felt right."

"It suits you," she says, glancing around. "Books. Stories. The quiet."

A half-smile curves his lips. "You always said I'd be a librarian or a fortune teller."

"I still think you might secretly be both."

They laugh softly, and for a fleeting moment, it feels like they're kids again, hiding from the rain under an oak tree.

But that illusion shatters when the bell above the front door chimes.

Nathan's body stiffens.

Footsteps. Then a voice, unmistakably familiar. "Nathan?"

Joan freezes.

That voice.

She stands, stepping into the main room just in time to see Jules-her college roommate, her best friend-approach Nathan and wrap him in a tentative hug.

"Jules?" Joan blurts out, her eyes darting between the two of them.

Jules pulls back, startled. "Joan! I didn't know you were back."

Nathan clears his throat. "You two know each other?"

Jules nods slowly. "Yeah. Joan and I were inseparable in college. And... well... Nathan and I met here a few months ago."

Joan's stomach knots. "Met?" Her voice is tight.

Jules fidgets. "Yeah. I was in town for a writing retreat. Came into the shop... we talked."

Nathan won't meet her eyes.

Something isn't adding up. Not just a casual run-in. There's a strange tension hanging between them-unsaid things, unfinished moments.

Joan forces a smile. "Small world."

But inside, her thoughts spiral.

Of all the people in Windmere... of all the chances...

Had her best friend fallen for the boy who left her behind?

And more importantly... had he let her?