He Took His Childhood Friend to the World Cup, Leaving Me With Their Cat Chapter 08

He Took His Childhood Friend to the World Cup, Leaving Me With Their Cat Chapter 08

I went back to my parents’ place.

The Pacific Northwest rafy season welcomed me home.

My mom told me that rainy days were made for sleeping.

She said once you fell asleep, your brain could finally rest, and that no drama or relationship was worth

losing a good night’s sleep over.

I knew she was just worried I’d break down if I kept everything bottled up.

She usually hated the rain.

It ruined her schedule and made everything feel depressing.

Now, she only claimed to love it because she wanted me to match the storm and just cry it all out.

My parents knew how fiercely I had loved Barrett. It was the kind of love where I threw everything away for

him.

Over the past twelve years, there had been plenty of guys better than him trying to pursue me.

But I never looked at anyone else.

Now that it was over, anyone else would be drowning in tears and misery.

Yet, ever since I got back, I had been completely numb and calm.

They assumed I was just putting on a brave face so they wouldn’t worry.

I looked at my mom. “Maybe I cried too many tears over the last twelve years. That’s why I don’t have a single drop left now.”

“Honestly, I just feel relieved. I don’t have to deal with endless jealousy and rotting from the inside out over

r another woman anymore.”

“Twelve years. My entire youth feels like it was thrown down the drain.”

“But the person who walked out of that water isn’t the old Sloane anymore.”

My mom finally let out a sigh of relief.

To be fair, my parents had liked Barrett well enough at the start.

But as the years dragged on and he kept stalling until I turned thirty to even mention a marriage license, they grew bitter.

They only tolerated him because I loved him.

On my very first day back, they blocked every single one of Barrett’s contacts.

Maybe they had been waiting for this breakup all along.

They just finally got it.

On the ninth, the sky cleared up.

The post-rain sky was a brilliant, piercing blue.

I took a walk around the area and spotted a beautiful independent space in a great location.

I had saved up nearly four hundred thousand dollars from my years of working.

I had no desire to go back to corporate burnout or move back to a chaotic city.

I just wanted to stay in this small town and open a shop I actually cared about.

I pulled out a hundred thousand dollars to lease, renovate, and design a boutique bookstore and specialty

coffee shop.

Reading was free. I planned to make a living off the ambiance, high-end espresso, and pastries.

Once the shop opened, the pressure vanished. I stayed busy every day, and it felt incredibly fulfilling.

My parents were shocked by how fast I got back on my feet.

For marketing, I set up a social media account to share clips of the shop.

When I had downtime, I just read. Whenever I looked up, the view outside the window was stunning.

Life became peaceful and quiet, slowly smoothing over the scars of the last twelve years.

Then, Barrett showed up.

He looked like a completely different person, easily ten years older.

His hair was overgrown and messy, which was shocking since he used to be obsessed with getting a haircut every month.

He had a rough stubble, and his face had thinned out significantly.

I used to look at him and think he was the most handsome man alive, never getting tired of his face.

Now, looking at him, he was just average.

He stood right outside my door, waiting for me to finish my shift.

Before he even managed to speak, his eyes brimmed with tears.

Sloane, I missed you so much.”

He stepped toward me, reaching out for a hug.