Page 109 of The Challenge

“Do you need my help?”

“No. You need to get back to work. You’ve taken enough time off this week for me.”

“Well, you know I’m the boss, right? I can take more time if you need me.”

“Thank you, but I’ll be okay.”

I hesitated. “Do you have any idea how long you’re staying?”

Chloe looked into my eyes. “I guess that depends.”

Was she trying to tell me it depended on me? Was she waiting for me to ask her to stay? I wanted that more than anything, but I had to be sure it was what she really wanted. I didn’t want her to stay out of obligation to me or Effie. I wanted Chloe to want to be here more than she wanted anything else. But how was it fair for me to expect her to give up the life she’d built over the past decade in Chicago? This needed to be her decision.

“I think you need to go back to Chicago,” I told her.

Her eyes widened.

“Hear me out,” I continued. “I’m not saying that because I want you to leave. It’s just the opposite. I want you to stay very badly. But you have a job there, right? I don’t know how important it is to you. But I don’t need to tell you that in order to be here, you’d have to leave everything you’ve built there. I would never ask you to do that. I’m a firm believer that you have to let something go in order to know if it will come back to you. You’re going through too much right now to make a sound decision about anything.” I took her hand. “But if you go back to your life there, and all you can think about is being back here with us…maybe that means something, you know?”

Something seemed to click behind her eyes. “While I’d hoped you’d be asking me to stay, not leave, I understand what you’re saying. And you’re right. It’s not like I can avoid going back anyway. All of my stuff is there.”

“Well, I have a truck. All I’d need is a phone call to drive across country and bring the rest of your shit back here, Chloe.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Including me and my emotional baggage?”

“Fuck yes.”

“You’d really do that?”

“Are you kidding? Effie would love a road trip.”

“Okay…” Her breath trembled. “So hypothetically, if I went back to Chicago, and I was miserable and wanted to move back here…where the hell would I work?”

“I know a power plant.” I winked.

She laughed. “What would I do there?”

“We had an up year. We have the funds. I’d create a position for you. We’d figure something out.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It doesn’t have to be hard.” I squeezed her hand. “But maybe we shouldn’t be making big life decisions on this particular day. It’s been difficult enough.”

“Except for the waffles.” She brought my hand to her mouth and kissed my knuckles. “The waffles were the best part of today.”

“Waffles always have a way of making things better, don’t they?”

The phone rang. It was Drew’s number, so I assumed it was Effie calling to say goodnight.

“Hey, baby,” I answered.

“Not Effie,” Drew said.

“Hey, Drew. Everything okay?”

“Effie’s fine, but…” he hesitated.

“But what?” I stiffened.