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“Mrs. Krass, I’m so sorry about that,” I mumbled, barely out of breath.
She chuckled. “No worries at all. What coast are you at? I thought a storm was rolling in this afternoon.”
I leaned down to look out the window. “I’m at Depoe Bay with my friend mapping out his wedding site. What’s the pleasure of this phone call, Mrs. Krass?”
“Well.” Even through the phone I could hear a smile. “I’ve heard some amazing news, and I had to make this phone call myself.”
“Some news?”
“Jackson and Rye dropped all charges. Your name is clear again, and so is your reputation.”
“Right, I heard that they arrested the right man, but I haven’t filed for appeal, not sure if I was going to move forward with that.” I spoke softly, making sure no one else was around me.
“Appeal or no appeal, the charges against you have been dropped so,” her voice trailed off as she took a deep breath before she spoke again. “I’d like to formally offer you the position of head of our accounting department. I’d like to see you back in the office soon so we can work through a contract and paperwork. What do you say, Mr. Nolan? We’d love to have you on board.”
And with that, my mind went blank.
With my hands in my jeans pockets, I made my way back to Milo and Madeline, who now stood alone on the coast. The hotel owner had left, leaving Milo with a paper showing the setup.
“Hey look.” He waved the paper in my face, the wind blowing it around more than he attended. “We have a plan.”
“I don’t know why she gave us this.” Madeline took the paper from him and folded it up. “She assured us her staff would set everything up, and the only thing we had to worry about was take down.”
“Where did you take off to?” Milo asked, watching while Madeline folded the paper up as tiny as she could.
“I just got the craziest phone call. . .” I smiled.
Chapter Thirty-Six
-Ophelia-
Iwas home.
I had been gone for months, and New York was still the same. My apartment had been waiting, taken care of by my neighbor, and thankfully, she had managed to keep all my plants alive. It felt warm and perfect, as if I’d never left. There was even an empty wine glass by my desk. Picking up the dirty glass, I glanced at the view. The afternoon sun was hitting the glass windows of the skyscrapers, lighting up the city.
I loved this view.
I loved this city.
A slight sound came from my bag as I passed into the kitchen. Reaching in to grab my phone, my heart lit up when I saw Clay’s name. I was worried he wouldn’t respond. I was terrified that he had decided I wasn’t worth the chance, and that when I got back in a few days, it would be ten years all over again. But when I read the message, my heart fluttered, and my anxiety on the subject slowly faded.
I’ll be waiting. Always.
Always.
I locked my phone, setting it down so the clear case hit the sun. The fact he’d be waiting calmed a nerve but sparked so many others.
Trying to occupy my mind, I rinsed the glass, filling it with soap to watch the bubbles form. Swirling the water before dumping it out, I let out a long, tired breath.
The entire five-hour flight, my mind was hyper-focused on what I’d just left in Portland. Madeline drove me to the airport, her lips shut tightly the entire time. I could tell she wanted to know what was going through my mind, but how could I tell her when I didn't even know what was going on? Then she dropped me off, got out of the car, and gave me a hug, whispering that she would be ready to listen when I was ready to talk. She squeezed me one more time and then climbed back in.
The moment I got through security, I texted Clay and then waited. . . and waited. . . and waited for a response for anything that would come through, but—nothing.
Until now.
I wish we could erase the past ten years—right before you turned and walked away.
Always.
