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Eighteen
Aubrey had angry-cleaned her apartment so many times, a speck of dust wouldn’t dare settle onto a surface without her express permission.
She’d scheduled a visit with her doctor this afternoon. To her credit, Dr. Mitchell had apologized for any consequential turmoil that had come as a result of Aubrey’s treatment plan. She’d explained her reasoning, which had involved another patient having a massive lapse and requiring further hospitalization after well-meaning family members and friends told her everything about her past.
Aubrey didn’t wholly agree with her doctor’s choices, but she understood why her parents had tried to protect her. They’d been frightened and worried. Involving Vic had gone too far, though, and she hadn’t quite forgiven them for it yet.
The bottom line was that Aubrey’s memory was back. Dr. Mitchell assured Aubrey that she could continue living her life as she had before her fall, as long as she introduced each piece gradually. She’d informed her well-meaning doctor that the Vic piece would not be introduced again.
She drove—herself, thank you very much—to lunch for a Reuben sandwich with french fries. She’d called her principal on the way to ask how soon she could return to work. Thankfully the answer was “Monday,” and her principal assured her she’d be welcomed back with open arms. It was the good news she’d needed to hear.
She was excited to return to her classroom and to the students she’d missed so much. She was also looking forward to having a schedule she created herself, without parameters.
At an outdoor table at the restaurant, she was scribbling her work schedule into her pocket calendar when a familiar voice said her name. She looked up to find Chelsea Grandin, wearing slim-fitting jeans, a flannel and a pair of dark sunglasses, standing over her.
“Chelsea. Hi.” She resisted tacking on How odd to see you here.
“May I?” The other woman’s smile was friendly as she gestured to the empty chair.
“Sure.” Just when Aubrey had convinced herself running into Vic’s oldest sister was a coincidence, Chelsea laid waste to that idea.
“You’re a hard woman to find.” She pushed her sunglasses into her dark hair and ordered an iced tea from the waiter. “It’s a hot one today. I figured you were either at home or with your parents, but you weren’t at your apartment when I stopped by, and a phone call confirmed you weren’t speaking to your mom and dad any longer.”
Aubrey’s heart crushed as she pictured her mother disclosing that fact. Even so, she managed, “That’s hardly any of your business, Chelsea.”
“I know. I’m meddling.” She waved a hand. “I was ready to give up, but then I saw your red hair gleaming from this very patio.”
The waiter approached and asked if they were ready to order. Aubrey ordered her Reuben, and Chelsea ordered the same.
“Why are you searching for me? Did you want to congratulate me on my wise decision to never speak to your brother again?”
Chelsea’s features softened. “No. The opposite.”
The hurt in her expression reminded Aubrey of the day Vic had come over and said the most beautiful words he’d ever said to her. Words that, unfortunately, had come too late. Words she’d tried to convince herself meant nothing. Words that had taken hold of a tiny part of her, but she refused to give them access to the rest of her.
“He’s different from the boy you remember, Aubrey.”
Voice hard, Aubrey replied, “I remember everything.”
“Yes, but you broke up with a different guy than you’ve been dating. Vic is...” His sister lifted her hand and dropped it on the table. “My God, he used to be my nemesis. He has been a burr in my ass for as long as I can remember. Cocky. Headstrong. Entitled. I never knew what you saw in him back then. You were, and still are, a strong woman with your own ideas. From where I was standing, it seemed like he was trying to cram you into his mold.”
Aubrey agreed with every word of that, so she sat straighter, feeling seen for the first time.
“But when you came back—” Chelsea’s wide smile reappeared. “He was different with you. He was different with me. With Layla. With everyone. You unlocked a part of his heart no one could reach. A part that never would have been accessible if you didn’t break up with him in the first place. Don’t you see, Aubrey? Even if you never take him back, he’s better for having had you in his life. That change will last forever.”
Aubrey wasn’t sure what to do with that information.
“I hear he gave you a ring.”
“He left it on my kitchen counter.” She’d stashed it in her dresser drawer. “I intend on returning it. If you want to follow me back to my apartment, I can give it to you and—”
“No way.” Chelsea held up both hands. “I don’t blame you for being upset with him. You feel betrayed. And probably overwhelmed. But if you think back on the days you spent with Vic recently, and the feelings you’ve had for him for years, you might realize you still love him. If that’s the case, then, well, you two might have a shot at making this work.”
“Did he tell you about the house?” Aubrey asked, anxious to move this conversation along and not dwell on the L word Chelsea had brought up.
“What house?”
Aubrey detailed the neighborhood they used to drive through when they’d been teenagers, dreaming of the house they’d move into when they were married. Then she dropped the bombshell. “He bought it. For us. He’s kept it up for ten years.”
