𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 does not believe in second chances. Not with people. Not with love. Not even with herself. Since her husband's death, she has drowned her feelings in wine and work. Same drink, same restaurant, same routine. Until one day she notices a younger woman and hires her on a whim, telling herself it is nothing more than company. 𝐍𝐨𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 does not have time to fall for someone. She is too busy holding down her job, keeping her sick mother afloat, and trying to hold on to her new girlfriend who makes life seem worth it. When she is offered the chance to become a private chef for double the pay, she takes it, telling herself it is just work. Just friendship. Nothing more. It is about how some things leave, yes. But some things stay, even when you're sure they shouldn't.

Mia McCarthy is the class clown - always making people laugh, but secretly harboring a crush on her best friend's twin sister, Charlotte Vanderhorn. Charlotte is everything Mia thinks she's not: confident, popular, and way out of her league. As Mia's senior year unfolds, balancing friendships, school, and her role in the student newspaper, she begins to question if her feelings for Charlotte might not be so one-sided after all