✧

I told Hazel I would take her out for dinner so that I can get a better understanding of her vision. I've spent a lot of time with Luca and not enough time with the person who actually owns the cafe.

It is her family business after all and I don't want to do any wrong to the cafe. I want her input on everything, including what colour she wants the walls and what decorations she wants to hang.

That isn't any of my business, I'm here to help with increasing their profits.

I took Hazel down to the local hardware store and we got samples of paint that she likes. I noticed that they don't own a car so they can't transport materials as easily as they wish. I told her that I'd help with all of the heavy stuff, if I want to see the cafe transform then I might have to be a taxi service for a little bit but I'm not complaining.

"Did you like those samples?" She asks as she begins eating her starter.

I hum in response. "I liked the light olive green, I think it would go well with cream."

Her smile increases. "I want it to look natural and vibrant at the same time. I thought with all the plants I wish to buy, the colours will morph into one another and it'll make the space look bigger and brighter."

"I like that idea," I agree. "And furniture?"

She lowers her fork. "Oh, I've wanted new furniture for the best part of three years. Ours are so outdated and some of the material is cracking. But funky chairs these days are so damn expensive and I really like the vintage style ones."

"Have you looked in charity shops? I bet they do those sorts of funky, retro chairs at car boot sales too."

"Mmm," she pauses for a moment. "No I haven't. But that is a good suggestion. Thank you, I'll definitely get into it. I want to try and save as much money as possible without the place looking tacky."

I wave off her words. "It can't look tacky, it's already classy and unique but I agree, it just needs a bit of a touch up."

Hazel stares back at me with a smile, the wrinkles around her eyes creasing gently. "I'm so grateful for what you've done for us," she says, beginning to eat again. "I'm sleeping better now that I can pay the mortgage this month without worrying about not being able to pay the electric bill."

The thought of Luca and Hazel going without doesn't sit well with me at all. They put so much time and effort into their business and for them to go home and not be able to heat their own house? It really makes me feel like I need to do more.

"Well, I've been talking to Luca about strategic ways of bringing in more income to the cafe," I tell her.

She exhales a sigh of relief. "Well I'm glad you're discussing that all with him because I know he's far better at all that stuff than I am. My boy has ideas, he's just afraid to voice them."

I crease my brows at her words. "Why?"

"We've never had the money to try new things and I guess he doesn't want to take a chance on something if it doesn't pay off," she explains. "He takes a lot of things out on himself. Like when the coffee machine broke, he blamed himself. He needs more rest and more downtime, so I had to tell him to stay home today and sleep. He will drive himself insane."

I've seen the darkness of his circles around his eyes and the way he reacts to things slower, including almost knocking a bunch of tools on his feet. Hazel is right, he needs more rest and I can tell he's a stubborn person.

"Sometimes I think he'd be happier or more relaxed if he had a partner, you know?"

My eyes peel up from my plate to Hazel's eyes. I nod slowly, waiting for her to continue.

"All of his friends have partners and I see that he struggles. He's always wanted to find love, a bit of a hopeless romantic but I don't know what happened over the last few months. He just doesn't seem like himself, like someone has sucked that soul right out of him and he's just a shell." Her eyes glass over as she pushes herself back into her chair and releases a low breath. "I'm sorry, I'm such an oversharer but I'm worried about him."

I take the final bite of my food before placing my knife and fork together on the plate. "I know you said he's been working a lot, he's tired. But hopefully doing up the cafe and changing it around might be a different distraction than just working. He always seems so happy."

Hazel's smile slumps at my words. "That's the thing, I think he puts on a front. He doesn't like people seeing him struggle and I wish he'd just talk to me, tell me the truth about how he's feeling. I get that he doesn't want to upset me with the business, so he says nothing and it hurts me to see him like this."

"Well, hopefully when the cafe gets back on its feet. There will be enough profits to hire a new barista and give Luca time off that he needs. It might not help right away but it could be a start?" I suggest.

She's nodding before I finish my sentence. "We had to get rid of two baristas recently because we didn't have enough to pay them. Sometimes Demi pops in when I really need her, I can always rely on her. But I know I need to give Luca a break and hire someone to help him. I wish I could help him but without my job, God knows where we'd be."

"I'll try my best to make sure that he's okay," I say as the waiter comes by to take our plates. "I know I don't know him very well but we'll be spending a lot of time with each other, I might be able to gauge how he's feeling."

Hazel's eyes light up. "That would be great, not like we're spying on him. Just checking that everything is okay and if there is anything we can do to help."

I nod slowly. "Is he up to anything tonight?"

"Resting hopefully," she looks up at the ceiling as if she's praying. "He might have gone out with his friends, either way he needs both."

"He's a good kid," I comment.

I don't really know why the word kid fell from my lips when I know that he's a full grown adult but I feel a lot older than him. That's because I am. Ten whole years.

Hazel snorts. "Kid. Yeah, my kid. He's twenty-three and is more mature than myself."

I smile at her words. "He's got good work etiquette, might overdo it but he's got the foundations of a great business man. I've met plenty of people who don't have the passion or drive but Luca? He could do half of it with his eyes closed."

"He's really fond of you, you know?"

My heart flickers. "Fond of me?" I repeat.

Her eyes crease as she nods. "Yes," she smiles. "Excuse me for oversharing again, I know for a fact Luca would skin me alive if he knew what I was saying to you. But even though I feel Luca hasn't been the same recently, I feel like this new project with you has sparked something in him again."

"Well I'll be pleased to be working with him," I say as I lean back in my chair. "He said that he has no skill in decorating and DIY but I can show him the ropes."

"You'll be spending a lot of time together soon," she nods. "We agreed to shutting the shop for a few days, maybe a week so that we can start the decorating. I wish I could be there but I need to keep my other job alive."

I nod and trace the outside of my water glass with my finger. "I understand," I tell her. "I'm happy to help with whatever. I always like a challenge."

For the rest of the dinner we move on from the business side of things and I listen as Hazel tells me about the history of the shop and how her parents opened up Chessman's up in the North of England and slowly they brought their way down South.

Now I know I can't let them down. Not when I've promised them to get it back on its feet.

After dinner I pay for the meal, Hazel grabs onto my arm and flashes me a grateful look. "Thank you so much for this, Declan," she smiles. "You have no idea how much you've made my week. It's been a long time since I went out for dinner, so thank you."

"It was a pleasure, Hazel," I bow my head. "Would you like a lift home?"

She shakes her head. "Oh, I can't put you to that trouble."

"No trouble at all," I say as I stand from the chair and wait for her to walk ahead. "Actually, did you get round to signing those forms? I need to collect them for my accountant."

Hazel's eyes light up. "Oh yes, I can grab those for you."

I guide us to my car and I drive off to their house. I listen to Hazel talk as she brings up memories of when Luca was younger and how he used to attempt to help around the cafe but his grandparents were concerned that he'd never chase his dreams.

"I worry that I haven't given him a good life," she sighs and glances out the window. "That he should have been going off to University, or living in Australia. He never got to do any of that because of the business."

We pull up to a red light and I clear my throat. "Did Luca have any dreams or aspirations when he was younger?"

"At one point he wanted to be an actor," her lip curls and I tilt my head in surprise. "He's always been a bit of a drama queen, and has great animated expressions sometimes. He wanted to go to this performing arts school but we couldn't afford it, I feel guilty about it every day."

"But Luca seems happy now," I comment. "The cafe is his life, I doubt he'd want to be away from it."

Hazel's eyes fall sad when she looks at me. "Because it's all he's ever known. I don't want to tie him down for the rest of his life."

The light turns green and I pull away. "Well, when the cafe starts thriving and you can hire new employees, it might give Luca a chance to fly the nest. If he doesn't, then you know his heart lies with the business."

"I want him to do things for himself, not for anyone else."

My head nods slowly. "It seems he cares a lot about everyone else more than himself."

"That's Luca all over," she breathes out quickly. "And I don't know how I can get him to realise that he matters too, how he feels matters."

I pull up outside Hazel and Luca's house and let her words sink in. Maybe I don't know Luca well after all, I've known him truly for a couple of weeks. I've asked the odd question here and there but maybe it's time to try and dig deep.

Hazel is right, he needs to realise that he matters too. This is his life.

"Come in," Hazel pops the door. "The documents are inside and I need to find them. Thank you for the lift. I do apologise for talking so much and spilling so much."

I shake my head. "No worries, and it's fine. Sometimes we need to get these things out."

My fingers reach for my keys and I turn off the engine and climb out of my car, following Hazel towards the front door. I glance up at their house and notice that the upstairs light is on. Luca must be home and that doesn't look like sleeping.

✧

Read the rest of the book, bonus chapters and the first 29 chapters of the third book in the series over on Patreon and Ream!

www.reamstories.com/savannaroseauthor
www.patreon.com/dreammcatcher

Link is also in my bio!

Author's Note

Hazel really spilling all the tea about Luca🫢😅

What did you guys think of this chapter?👉🏼

Declan is definitely going to be the one who brings Luca out of this insecure shell he's currently in. I don't doubt it❤️

Don't forget to vote and comment! it makes my day ✨

Love Savanna x

Insta: savannaroseauthor
Patreon: dreammcatcher
Ream: savannaroseauthor
Tik Tok: SavannaWritess