Chapter 1

For three years, Caleb Vance and I were the two most mismatched people at Hometown Beans.

We fought every single day, couldn't stand the sight of each other — even Frank, our boss, just assumed it was a matter of time before we tore the place apart.

But I never expected that after one of our fights, an accident would cost me my memory.

And I definitely never expected to wake up to find the man I hated most in the world, his eyes red, telling the doctor:

"I'm her boyfriend. We've been together for three years."

Except I remember perfectly well that we were never together.

So when I decided to fake amnesia, I had no idea I was about to uncover a secret that would upend three years of bad blood between us.

And it all started the day Frank announced he'd be handing Hometown Beans over to one of us.

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"Your big innovation is turning a classic latte into a pink unicorn latte?"

Caleb Vance stood in front of me, dripping with sarcasm.

I slammed the coffee cup back onto the counter.

"At least somebody actually buys mine. Unlike some people who cling to their outdated recipes and act like they invented coffee."

I wiped down a cup, a few strands of hair escaping my messy bun and sticking to my cheek. I brushed them aside, then noticed the coffee stains on my jeans.

"Damn it."

It had been a brutal day, and my coffee-bean T-shirt was soaked through with sweat.

Caleb glanced at my outfit, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe you should clean yourself up before you talk about running a coffee shop."

I shot him a glare. "At least I don't strut around playing the expert."

Caleb started to answer, then glanced toward the back office. "Frank wants to see us."

I frowned. "Both of us?"

"He says he's got something important to announce."

A knot tightened in my stomach.

Three years ago, Caleb and I had shown up at the same time to interview for a single opening at Hometown Beans, right after college. Frank had only planned to hire one of us — but we'd spent the entire interview at each other's throats.

In the end, he hired us both.

Looking back, that might've been the worst decision I ever made.

Because in three years, we'd racked up more fights than the shop had sold lattes.

I set down my cup and followed him into the office.

Frank sat behind his desk, looking more serious than usual. "Sit down, kids."

We each took a seat, keeping as much distance between us as possible.

Frank cleared his throat. "You've probably noticed I'm slowing down. The doctor's telling me it's time to think about retirement."

My heart jumped into my throat.

Hometown Beans was everything to me. I'd worked here for three years, knew every regular by name, knew every inch of this place.

Frank looked between the two of us. "So I've decided to hand the shop over to one of you."

"I want it." The words came out before I could stop them, and once they were out, I felt my ears burn with embarrassment.

Caleb turned his head to look at me, then spoke up. "Frank, I want it too. I know the craft — the traditional side of coffee — and I've got my own plan for how to grow this place."

"So do I," I cut in. "And I've been here for three years. I know what this shop actually needs better than anyone."

Caleb frowned. "Are you sure you're not just trying to prove you're better than me?"

I let out a cold laugh. "At least I'm not clinging to the past because I'm afraid of change."

Frank raised a hand. "Enough."

He studied both of us. "I'll give you a week. Each of you puts together a business plan — how you'd run this shop. At the end, I'll decide who gets it."

I gritted my teeth. "I'll prove it to you."

Caleb looked at me. "So will I."

The second we left the office, we ended up in the back kitchen, and the anger we'd been suppressing boiled right back over.

"You're still the same arrogant person you've always been." I spun around to face him. "Always convinced you're smarter than everyone else. Just like high school. Perfect Caleb Vance."

His face darkened. "At least I don't hold my principles to climb the track on someone else's money."

I froze. The old memories from college came flooding back. The way James Flynn had treated me. And the way Caleb had suddenly gone cold.

"What did you say?" My voice was shaking. "You don't know me at all. You have no idea what I've done to get where I am."

Caleb looked at me, something like pain flickering behind his eyes. "I used to think the girl I knew was gone for good."

His voice dropped. "The girl who used to tell me her secrets. The girl who'd bring me hot chocolate when I had nightmares..."

He stopped.

My chest tightened.

Of course I remembered those things. I remembered how good Caleb had been to me back then. It was only later that everything changed.

"That girl doesn't exist anymore." I stared at him, cold. "Because you're the one who killed her."

Then I turned and ran out the back of the kitchen.

I shoved through the café door and straight out into the rain.

I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I had to get away — away from the place that made my heart ache, away from the boy who had once been my entire world.

And then—

A deafening crack from behind me.

I turned. The vintage brass sign above the café door was swinging violently.

The next second, its bracket snapped.

I tried to dive out of the way, but the wet pavement betrayed me. My foot slipped, and I went down.

Bang.

The heavy brass sign struck my head, and the world went black.

"Sophie!"

Caleb's voice came from somewhere far away, carrying a panic I'd never heard from him before.