Though he'd put up a pretty good fight, Harry finally conceded and agreed to take her bed.She tossed her pillow on the couch and snuggled down under her favorite blanket.In the back of her mind, she heard Molly's voice and the wisdom she'd shared in a recent phone conversation.
We're having fun.I'm trying to play it cool.
She and Jay would be together in a few days, with one of her most favorite cities at their feet.Then what?It was no secret that his presence in London was temporary and that he would return to California full time at some point.Silver Screen was quickly becoming a runaway train.His brand was gaining global appeal and dozens of companies were desperate to combine forces and grab a slice of his success.But his life resided on the West Coast.Her life was now firmly rooted in the UK.Suddenly, the words she'd spoken so definitively over a year ago echoed loudly inside her head…
I don't want a relationship that exists between airports.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
JAY
Jay walked with brisk steps though the lobby.The woman behind the main desk welcomed him with an enormous smile of recognition.Jay remembered her too, and her caring nature during the short time he was an in-patient resident.
“Mr.Avery!So happy to see you,” she said.
“Hi, Faith.It’s great to see you too.”
“Dr.Larson told me you’d be stopping by today.You can head straight back to his office.They’re waiting for you.”
An alarm buzzed and the large automatic doors to the right of her desk opened.Jay gave a nod and continued on.The door to Dr.Larson’s office was wide open, and two men inside chatted quietly.Jay stopped at the threshold and knocked on the doorframe.
“Gentlemen, apologies for my tardiness,” Jay said.
Dr.Larson stood and met him at the door, his hand outstretched.
“Jay!It’s so good to see you.And you’re right on time.We’ve only been talking for a few minutes.”
Jay stepped inside the office and approached the other man, carefully inspecting his wheelchair.It was sleek, shiny, and looked like something created by Harley-Davidson.
Jay extended his hand with a genuine smile.“It’s good to meet you, Calvin.”
“Please—everyone calls me Cally.”The man gripped his hand, firm and confident.
Jay swallowed, feeling the weight of what he knew he’d soon hear.Details of the night of his crash.The same night as Hope’s.A night he’d worked hard to compartmentalize.
“I wasn’t sure I could do this,” Calvin admitted, voice breaking.“Not face-to-face.Not after everything.”
“You don’t have to be sure,” Jay said softly, keeping his own voice steady.“We’re both here now.That’s what matters.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
JAY
California sunshine flooded Jay’s vision when he walked out the main doors of Sienna Place, the treatment center he credited with helping him reclaim his life.He crossed the parking lot to his SUV, stopping to pop the rear hatch.With care, he maneuvered the large canvas in place.He still hadn’t seen it in person—at Calvin’s request.He respected Jay and wanted him to have a private moment to view it.So, it remained hidden beneath layers of thick, brown paper on the table between them, undisturbed, during their hour-plus talk in Dr.Larson’s office.
Settled in behind the wheel, Jay closed his eyes, his head falling back against the headrest.For several minutes he sat very still, digesting everything that had transpired.He hadn’t known what to expect and had run through a number of scenarios on the drive out to the center.But thanks to Dr.Larson, what could have been a tense and emotionally draining situation ended up being nothing short of amazing.A monumental lesson in fate.He sighed, overcome with peace—a peace which confirmed that taking the next step with Claire was one hundred percent the right choice.
He wriggled his cell phone from his pocket.Rob made him promise to call with the highlights as soon as the meeting concluded.Jay never even heard the call ring, meaning Rob must have been sitting with his phone in hand.
"Abby and I are dying over here.I’ve got you on speaker,” Rob answered.
“Hey, Jay,” Abby said.
“Hi, Abby,” Jay said.
“Tell us everything,” Rob insisted.
"Well, we met with Dr.Larson.I wasn’t sure what to expect.I mean, his name carries a lot of weight in this town.But there was nothing pretentious or flashy about him.Except his wheelchair.He has a pretty kickass-looking wheelchair.Anyway, I just let him talk.About the accident.About his guilt.About his recovery and his new partnership with Dr.Larson and the center.
