Two months had passed since Lara Jean cut ties with Peter. The holidays had come and gone with little commotion. She had put her heart into planning and coordinating a perfect holiday party for Footsteps, the nonprofit she worked for. Her cookies, initially intended as a limited release at Buttercream Dream, turned out to be a resounding success. They flew off the shelves so quickly that Sugar, the bakery's owner, asked Lara Jean to curate more cookie releases for the upcoming month.
Sugar gushed, "Who knew the missing piece to my puzzle was Lara Jean's cookies?!"
Lara Jean had spent Christmas with her family and come back to celebrate New Year's with Landon. He had booked a hotel with an incredible view of the fireworks for their special night. In these few weeks, she had been getting closer to Landon, allowing herself to explore this relationship more deeply. It wasn't hard to admit that Landon seemed almost perfect. He was funny, charming, and never left her on read for long.
Despite her growing feelings for Landon, Lara Jean couldn't fully invest herself in the relationship. At times, when he tried to get closer, she found herself pulling away internally, unconsciously building a wall she hadn't realized had started forming.
Peter, on the other hand, hadn't reached out to Lara Jean. He had given her space, and it had been radio silence since their last encounter. Margo reassured Lara Jean that this was a positive thing. It was part of the healing process. But Lara Jean was learning that healing didn't feel as good as she had hoped. She thought that by cutting Peter out of her life, she would stop thinking about him, but the reality was quite the opposite. He was constantly on her mind, and she had no outlet to understand his side of the story. She was blocked from his social media, and even her fake profile couldn't find him; he had privatized his accounts.
Kitty, during one of their sisterly calls, commented, "I get him blocking you. You're crazy. But why did he have to block me too?"
Lara Jean chuckled at her sister's humor, and it was the first genuine laugh she had in a while. "Yeah, well, I guess he wanted to make sure I didn't use you as a spy to keep tabs on him."
Kitty's voice softened, "Lara Jean, I know this is tough, but you did what you needed to do. It's a fresh start for you, and it's okay to feel the way you do."
Margot chimed in, "That's very mature of you, Kitty. I agree."
"Thanks, guys. I know," Lara Jean sighed. "I just wish it wasn't so messy. It's like trying to put together a puzzle with missing pieces, and I can't help but wonder if those missing pieces were my fault."
Margot's tone became more serious, "Listen, Lara Jean, we all make mistakes, but you can't blame yourself for everything that happened with Peter. People change, circumstances change. You both made choices, and it didn't work out."
Lara Jean nodded and softly repeated to herself, "It just didn't work out."
Her life continued to take shape, with Lara Jean growing closer to Landon with each passing day. They shared more about their lives, dreams, and fears, and Landon's patience and understanding created a safe space for Lara Jean to heal. They went on more dates, exploring new restaurants, enjoying hikes, and even visiting local museums.
One day, Landon surprised her with a visit to a quaint little bookstore, which thrilled Lara Jean, as she had always been an avid reader. They spent hours there, picking out books for each other and sharing stories about their favorite reads.
When they exited the bookstore, Landon handed her a beautifully wrapped book. "I thought you might like this one," he said with a warm smile.
Lara Jean asked, "When did you even have time to buy this?" Her smile never left her face as she unwrapped the book and found a special edition copy of a classic novel she had mentioned wanting to read. She was touched by his thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Landon. This is perfect."
He grinned and said, "I'm really glad you like it."
They continued to enjoy their day, wandering through the city streets, talking, laughing, and savoring each other's company.
As the evening drew near, Landon walked Lara Jean back to her apartment. They stood outside her door, and Lara Jean looked into his eyes. "Landon, I want to be honest with you. I've been struggling with my feelings and my past, but I'm willing to give us a real chance. Thank you for being so patient with me."
Landon's smile was reassuring. "Lara Jean, you have no idea how much that means to hear you say that. I want you to know, I'll always be patient with you. I'm not going anywhere."
With that, they shared a sweet and promising goodnight kiss, leaving Lara Jean with a warm feeling in her heart.
The days blended together as Lara Jean's life settled into a comfortable routine. She split her time between her job at the non-profit, spending time with Landon, and pursuing her passion for baking at Buttercream Dream. Lara Jean was even working on a new cookie recipe for Valentine's Day.
One Saturday afternoon, Sugar called her over to the counter with an eager smile on her face. "Lara Jean, I've got some exciting news!"
Lara Jean raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's up, Sugar?"
Sugar leaned closer and whispered, "You know all those cookie creations you've been working on? Well, they've caught the eye of a local food magazine editor. They want to feature your cookies in their Valentine's Day issue!"
Lara Jean's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious? That's incredible!"
Sugar nodded. "Yep, they're coming to the bakery next week to interview you and take photos of your cookies. This could be a game-changer, Lara Jean. We've been growing steadily, but this kind of exposure could be the boost we need to expand even more."
"Oh my god. I've got to perfect my recipe asap." Her mind started racing.
"Yes you do!" Sugar chuckled. "But that's not all I wanted to talk about. Like I said, we've been growing steadily, and I think I want to start looking into a new location."
"Wow, Sugar that would be amazing."
"Yes! But to even get the ball rolling is going to take so much time and effort. I'm going to be stretched so thin."
Lara Jean nodded enthusiastically, "Let me know how I can help."
"I'm so glad you said that because I want to bring you on full time. You know this place almost better than me sometimes, and I want to promote you to manager."
"Are you serious?"
"So serious, Lara Jean. You have done so much to make this place great, and I trust you. Now, I know you have another job, and it's a lot. Don't give me an answer yet, just give it some thought, okay?" Sugar gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Lara Jean gave a small smile and nodded. She was thrilled, but the excitement was tinged with a sense of responsibility. She had a steady job at the nonprofit, but her true passion had always been baking. This opportunity was a dream come true, but it would also mean leaving her job at Footsteps. She had a tough decision to make.
In Peter's world, he had thrown himself into work, partly to keep his mind off Lara Jean and partly because he genuinely enjoyed working with the students. He was quickly garnering a reputation at the school as "Mr. K," the cool counselor, which made him happy, but he was determined to stay professional while creating a safe space for the kids. He had even started his lacrosse team, and after-school try-outs had garnered a lot of interest.
School was only five days a week, and while it kept him busy, his weekends felt empty, allowing his mind to wander to thoughts of Lara Jean. To avoid this, Peter had also taken up volunteering at a local animal shelter on the weekends, finding comfort in the companionship of dogs.
"All I know is," his roommate Jeremy said one day after listening to Peter animatedly talk about the dogs at the shelter, "if you come home with a dog, I am not cleaning up shit."
Even as he was finally starting to feel settled and like he had a purpose in his own life, it was hard to ignore the void that Lara Jean's absence had created. He had done all the right things, deleted her number, blocked her on social media, distanced himself from her family. Still, he couldn't shake her.
One evening, as he sat in his empty living room, he reflected. He missed her terribly, and he needed to find a way back into her life. Peter wanted to make amends, but he also understood that he had hurt Lara Jean deeply. He didn't know how he would do it, but he was determined. After a few more moments of thought, he shot up from the couch to grab his coat, although he didn't have it all figured out; at his core, he knew Lara Jean. The fastest way to her heart was a letter, and for that, he needed some good stationary.
