Luca Chessman has been longing for love his entire life. The only problem is-he can't seem to find a guy that likes him the same way.
With his family cafe, Chessman's, struggling to keep afloat and no help from the bank, he's slowly accepting the d...
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At the end of the week, we somehow managed to finish off the renovation of the cafe.
After the fresh flooring was laid and Declan installed new counters, we hung plants from the ceiling and had art pieces delivered. We spent an entire day shifting around the pictures to hang on the walls, along with organising the new chairs and tables.
It's been one hell of a week but somehow we got there.
Declan even forked out and got us new coffee machines because our old ones had definitely seen better days.
"You were right," I tell Declan as we carry boxes full of rubbish out the back door and into the skip. "You are good with your hands."
He flashes me a smirk before exhaling a quick laugh. "Practice," he grumbles before dropping the box, his eye falling into a wink. "Practice makes perfect."
My heart does a somersault and I release a hesitant laugh after him. "Don't think I'll ever get to your standard, I could barely paint the walls."
"I beg to differ," he says confidently.
We stare back at each other for a few moments before we enter the cafe again. This time I take a moment to truly analyse it, with no rubbish and boxes in the way. I clutch my hands together as they begin to tremble.
It's beautiful. Beyond beautiful, truly stunning.
I suck in a breath and smooth a hand over the new counter tops and flick my eyes across the painted walls, the art adding to the pop of colour. Even the plants, it creates a new element now that they're showcased on shelves that are attached to the walls and clipped to the ceiling.
A part of me never thought a day like this would come.
Our entire lives have changed. All because of this man.
I know Declan is standing behind me, he doesn't say anything. He allows me to have this moment as I take my time to digest the beauty we have made together.
A lump forms in my throat and I cannot believe we own this cafe. It's ours. Mum is going to be so ecstatic and shocked, she's going to be sobbing her damn eyes out. Hell, I'm about to break into tears myself because suddenly I'm feeling very emotional and overwhelmed.
This is ours. Ours. We own this.
My eyes close for a brief second and a tear rolls down my cheek. A tear of happiness and relief. I sniffle quietly and turn around to Declan who is already looking at me. I attempt to clear my throat.
"Thank you," I whisper to him. "I'm so incredibly grateful for you, for what you've done for us. You have no idea. You've literally changed our lives and I will never be able to repay you for your kindness."
My own words have me choking up because saying them makes this feel a thousand times more real. I don't even care if I'm getting hysterical in front of him, I physically cannot keep it inside anymore.
