She would not be this person.

With all the effort she could muster, she rolled over and felt around for her purse on the floor. When she found it, she dug inside and pulled out her phone.

Screw this crying-alone bullshit. She called the people in her life she could actually count on.

Liv answered on the third ring with a groggy “Hello?”

She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice after all the crying. “I need brunch.”

“Kincaid?” Liv asked, sounding more awake. “It’s barely seven. And it’s not Sunday.”

“An emergency brunch. I—” She choked on a sob. Dammit.

“Are you crying? Shit. What’s going on? Where are you?” Liv’s voice was sharp now, concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m in the apartment above the bookstore.” She sniffed. “Ash and I… He left.”

“Give me thirty minutes,” Liv said over the sound of rustling sheets. “I’ll call Bec and Taryn.”

A wave of relief went through Kincaid. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Liv said, her tone tender. “We’ve got you, girlie. We’ve always got you.”

Kincaid closed her eyes, quiet tears tracking down her face. “That’s all I need.”

And it was. If life was trying to teach her a lesson, that was it. She ended the call and inhaled a deep breath, letting it fill her with resolve. She grabbed the bedsheet and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Enough. She’d survived far worse. She would get through this.

So she’d been lied to. So she’d been hurt. So she’d fallen in love and, for one brief moment, thought she would finally get her own love story and the romantic fairy tale.

But she didn’t need that manufactured dream anymore.

She already had a family. She had her friends. Three strong, amazing, wonderful women who loved her and always, always had her back.

That was enough. That was everything.

Kincaid Breslin was not going to lose it over a guy.

She would get her happy ending—all on her own.

Twenty-Six

Liv pushed a stack of boxes into a corner of the kitchen, making sure they weren’t going to topple over, and then stretched her arms above her head. Her back popped in three places and she groaned, the physical exhaustion complete.

She, Kincaid, and the guys had spent the entire day carrying boxes out of the moving truck and into the farmhouse. Finn, Wes, and Shaw had handled the furniture, and Liv and Kincaid had focused on the boxes. Taryn and Rebecca had been under strict orders not to lift anything, so they’d taken on other tasks—unpacking a few of the boxes, cleaning windows, and keeping everyone hydrated. They all looked as if they’d been through a long day at the gym.

“Is that the last of them?” Taryn asked as she loaded dishes into the kitchen cabinets.

“Yes, thank God,” Liv said and went to the sink to rinse her hands. “The guys headed out. Shaw said to give him a call before bed and not to lift anything heavy.”