Stella comes barreling toward the table as quickly as her high heels allow. When she reaches us she asks, "Where is Lucy?" I glance to Fischer and then reply, "I thought she was with you."

"She was, she ditched me in the bathroom," she says as she scans the restaurant. 

"Why?" 

"Because some bitch Keeley wrote her and told her all this fucked up shit you said about her, Dalton," Stella seethes. "She has her phone and purse. She may have left. Or maybe she's having a fucking panic attack outside." I bolt out of my chair, and Stella and I weave around tables to get back to the front. I have a bit of a lead on her so I am the first to burst outside. I scan the parking lot but don't see Lucy. 

"Did you valet?" Stella asks and I nod. "So she is obviously not at the car." 

"I'll call her," I mutter and then bark at Siri to call Lucy Halloway. She doesn't answer so Stella gives it a try. She shakes her head at me and then texts her. 

"What did Keeley say to Lucy," I ask and Stella's glare has me taking a step back. 

"That you said she has low self-esteem, you'd never be interested in her, all this bullshit," Stella answers and I drop my head back in annoyance. "What the fuck, Jack? Did you actually tell Keeley that?"

I shrug, "Probably. I told Keeley whatever she needed to hear so she'd stop nagging at me about Lucy." 

"She also told Lucy to go get checked for STDs!" The angry blonde snaps and my eyes go wide. 

"Are you fucking serious? That's like, slander. Fucking libel," I spit out, enraged that Keeley would have the audacity to say such a thing. 

"What did you and Keeley talk about today?" She asks and then Fischer is suddenly spilling out of the front door. 

"All good? Do I need to get the check?" He asks with his hands up. 

"Yeah, Lucy is gone," I tell him and he glances to Stella to confirm. 

"I'll go close out," he tells us and Stella gives him a smile in appreciation. She then glares at me and says, "Lucy knows Keeley texted you today. You should be more mindful of where you leave your watch." Her eyes flick to my wrist and Lucy's weird demeanor in the kitchen all adds up now. 

"Fuck!" I snap out and Stella's fists now rest on her hips. People wandering into the restaurant are glancing in our direction but I don't care that they are getting a show. 

"Yeah Jack, what did you two discuss today?" I look at her but don't immediately answer. How do I tell her what Keeley said without making things worse? I shift my weight and then reply, "Keeley basically told me I was a shitbag. Needed closure or some bullshit."  

"Let me see the texts, Jack." She demands and I hesitate. I don't know if I want Stella to read what Keeley wrote. But it would be so much worse to deny her because she'll then assume I am hiding shit. I get why Lucy bolted, all of my instincts are telling me to. 

I unlock my phone, bring up the chain and then drop my phone into Stella's outstretched hand. She's silent as she scrolls through the exchange and then her big blue eyes find mine. 

"Lucy can't read that." 

"Which part?" 

"That end bit. She will fucking spiral if she reads what Keeley wrote you about Taylor's party." 

"Even I was shocked that she'd say that."

"No Jack, if she reads the kind of sex you had with her and then Keeley tells her to go get an STD check, Lucy will fly the fuck off the handle. I don't care what you do behind closed doors, but I know Lucy will care."

"I get checked annually Stella if you must know." 

"It's not that Jack. It's Lucy realizing the kind of sex you are having that will freak her out."

"I feel like you're telling me to lie to Lucy."

"No, I think you should tell her about this whole thread, but delete that last bit."

"So lie?! I don't know what the fuck to do. I feel like this is exactly why Keeley did this. To start drama and drive a wedge between us. That last text was over the top. She's mad at me and being vindictive. I may have been a shitbag to her, but Lucy isn't just some chick ya know?" 

"I asked you what your intentions with Lucy were the last time I saw you, Jack. I'm gonna ask you again."

I feel that same emotion that I felt after Maggie fucked with me at Mag's. This sudden heavy weight on my chest as my throat constricts. I think I might cry. I might fucking cry in the parking lot of the Catstway in front of Stella Jackson. She sees it too and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

"I fucking love her, Stella. I am doing everything I can to not fuck this up and she's still running away from me. I may have fucked up in the past. I am a shitty man sometimes, but I would never intentionally hurt Lucy." My hand is in a fist as I use it to wipe a tear off my cheek. I think my emotions startled Stella because her anger has been replaced with concern. 

"Don't give up on her, Jack."

"I think she's giving up on me. She just left without asking me anything. I was going to tell her about Keeley after dinner. I just didn't want drama hovering over us." I try to suppress another sob and I am shocked with how upset I am right now. 

"Lucy doesn't handle confrontation well." We hear Fischer behind us and he is startled to see me crying. 

"What the fuck did I miss? Jack are you okay?" 

"His heart just grew two sizes I think. He's feeling things." Stella jokes, but Fischer is still eyeing me with concern. I have only ever cried in front of Fischer when my Grandpa died and when I broke my wrist skateboarding in high school. 

"Yeah, I am just frustrated," I tell him but he doesn't look convinced. 

"Where is Lucy?" 

"That's the million-dollar question," I answer. 

"Me and you are here, Maggie is mad at her, I doubt she'd seek out any of her school friends. Maybe she just went back to your house?" Stella suggests.

"I honestly don't know where Lucy's safe haven is," I admit and Fischer goes to hand the valet our tickets. Stella snaps her eyes over to me and then says, "Oh my god, I do!" She reaches into her clutch to find her phone and her thumbs fly over the keyboard. 

"The closest Cheesecake Factory is ten minutes from here, let's go."

"What? The Cheesecake Factory?"

"It's where she would go every time Blake or her mom fat-shamed her for eating sugar or dairy," Stella explains and this is new information to me, although I don't know why Lucy wouldn't tell me that the Cheesecake Factory is her guilty pleasure. Her sister did mention cheesecake at dinner last night. "Bread baskets, cheesecake, Long Island iced teas. It has all the fuck you's right in one place." The valet brings my Jeep around first and Stella tells Fischer to follow us. 

"I'm not positive she'll be here, but it's close and she'll be alone." 

"Do you think we should leave her be then? Let her think for a bit?" Stella shakes her head as she yanks her seatbelt over her. 

"No, this is the big gesture. You're going after her, telling her your love her."

"I'm stopping her from getting on the plane," I mutter and Stella whips her head over to me. 

"Lucy told me she didn't give you that letter." 

"She didn't," I say as I zip into traffic. "Lauren did."

"Oh goodness, I forgot you just spent last night with the devil." 

"She and Lucy need to have an honest conversation." 

"I don't think they stop insulting each other long enough to actually say anything meaningful," Stella mutters and she points to the street up ahead, "Go left." 

"I think Lucy should take Marcus's money. I think she should quit all the bullshit and focus on LucyBakes. You guys are so close to launching, I hope she'll just take the leap." 

"I think with you and me and Marcus's money, she'll be encouraged enough to finally pursue it full time." 

"That cooking show sounds awesome, Stel. I hope it works out." 

"He owes me a massive favor, so I think it's going to. Can Lucy trust you if she's gone for six weeks?" 

"Yes. Despite what Keeley thinks, I am trustworthy." 

"You were just crying in a parking lot. I think I believe you." 

"We never have to discuss that again."

"If you marry Lucy, I am putting that in my toast. I first knew Jack loved Lucy when he cried over her in the Castaway parking lot." That gets me to laugh and my chest finally untightens. 

"What do you think Fischer's speech would be?" I ask and she glances at me as she ponders the question and then says, "I first knew Jack loved Lucy when he stopped banging the hot blonde with the boobies."

"And then shortly after, we'd be attending Fischer's funeral because Lucy would kill him," I joke and Stella lets out her signature melodic laugh. I then ask, "I should be asking you what your intentions with my best friend are." 

"Full disclosure," she says and she directs me down another road, "I don't know. I like my single life too much to think about adding someone permanent to it ya know?"

"I think Fish likes your independence," I tell her and she nods before pointing to the shopping center ahead of us. 

"Lucy needs a partner who will coddle her a bit. Reassure her, smother her in love and dote on her. I need the exact opposite. I need space. Freedom to go and do as I please."

"Man, you sound just like Fischer. He wants monogamy but he doesn't want to lose any of his freedoms. He won't deal with someone telling him no. Especially when it comes to lake time."

"I'd be fine with that because then that would mean he's not in my hair."  

"Maybe we both just found our soulmates then," I tell her as I pull into the parking lot. We waste no time hopping out of the car and this time, I don't jog too far ahead of her. I hold the door open for her as she says, "Check the bar." 

We dart to the left and spread out to see if we can find her.