Chapter 77

OLIVIA “Your chin used to be a little chubby back then, which made you look really cute,” Jake said, his tone light and nostalgic as he seemed eager to reminisce about the past. My scalp tingled as I saw Noah approaching us, a wave of anxiousness washing over me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had heard Jake. “Jake!” I said, my voice coming out a bit sharper than intended. I hurriedly interrupted him, trying to redirect the conversation. “I just bought a box of chocolate chip cookies—it’s for Taylor.” The truth is, I had bought the cookies for Hannah. There was a dessert shop next to Millie’s diner that she loved, and she always enjoyed their cookies. I sometimes bought them for her as a treat. But I needed to steer the conversation away from the topic Jake had brought up, and I didn’t have a better excuse at the moment, so I handed the cookies to Jake, hoping it would shift the topic. I will just buy the cookies for Hannah tomorrow. “Wow, thanks! Taylor’s going to love this,” Jake s