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“I’m sure,” I say, a sob breaking through my throat.
Her voice and tone changes quickly at the sound of my tears.
“I’ll tell my supervisor I have an emergency. I’ll be there in ten minutes, Juju Bean. Don’t move. Stay right where you are. I’m coming, baby.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Two Months Later
Juliet
“Is that the last of it?” my mom’s new boyfriend Felix asks, carrying out the last suitcase from the penthouse.
He’s a single father who has a son at the same center as Jerrin. He's a nice guy who owns a string of rock-climbing gyms around Washington and does well for himself. And the best part… he treats my mom like she walks on water. It’s time she found love again, and I’ve never seen her happier.
“Yep, that’s the last of it,” I say, taking a last look at the place.
He nods and heads out the door with my brother right behind him, carrying my laptop bag. The Occupational Therapist who works with Jerrin daily has made so much amazing progress with him. Jerrin’s even come to a couple of home games with me which he wouldn’t have been able to do before because of his anxiety around large crowds and noise. It’s still a work in progress but I can already see him taking the tools they’re giving him and applying them in real world situations.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tessa asks.
“It’s time. He’s not coming back, and I shouldn’t have held on this long,” I say, handing my penthouse key to her.
She said she’ll coordinate with James to get the key to him when he comes by to take over the penthouse.
Since she lives with Lake in the penthouse across the hall, she’s been coming over with wine and movies or dinner ever since Ryker left.
We’ve become close, and not having her right next door will be a bummer but I’m at the Hawkeyes stadium at least twice a month. And Shawnie and I get regular invites to coffee dates at Serendipity’s Coffee Shop.
Besides, I can’t live here anymore with the memories of the life I almost had. It’s too painful.
I see him everywhere between these four walls and the muscle memory of his kiss is still so vivid.
His cell phone never started working again, though I called a dozen times or more over the space of a week, until finally it was too pitiful to continue trying.
My landlord already rented out my old place but with the money I don’t have to pay for Jerrin’s lease since Ryker paid ahead, I rented a two-bedroom in the same building with double the square footage. I also hired an assistant to help Shawnie and I, and gave Shawnie a big fat raise, which she deserves with how much she’s taken on.
I wanted to ask the center to send the funds back but my mom convinced me not to.
“He put you through enough, Juliet. Take this advantage and get ahead with your business. Who cares if it makes him sleep better at night? It helps us sleep better too, doesn’t it?”
As if I know what sleeping at night feels like anymore. But I won’t tell her about the sleepless nights where I reach out for him hoping this all is just a nightmare. It’s bad enough that I haven’t taken off his ring. Every time I try to, I replay him begging me to never take it off in the bathroom of his childhood home in Vancouver… and I stupidly promised that I wouldn’t.
I guess I’m the only one that keeps my word.
So, I did what she suggested and left the money on Jerrin’s account. However, I still don’t understand what his motivation is for paying the lease on my brother’s apartment, for my mother’s classes for her OTA program, or for paying the penthouse lease for me to stay in. But whatever it is, I hope he’s done.
I pull out my phone and call James’s office for what will be the last time.
“James Potter and associates,” his assistant answers.
“James Potter please, this is Juliet Di Costa.”
“Of course, Ms. Di Costa, one moment.”
I hear the hold music as she transfers me.
“Juliet.” I hear James’s booming voice. Have you changed your mind about the penthouse? Why don’t you just hold onto the key, just in case? Maybe you could use it as an office space for your growing business,” he says, trying to sway me before I even get a word in edgewise.
