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“Men can be unpredictably stupid sometimes, as portrayed by what both Richard and Parker did,” she shrugged. “Unfortunately, women are not excluded from that narrative. I have a few things to tell you. First, I wanted to ease your mind that Truly You is more than happy to keep the contract with Capital Media. I knew this would be the forefront thought in your mind. Parker has told me how much your job means to you, and I’ve observed it first-hand. This was a completely separate and personal issue, so I just wanted to let you know that.”
“Oh wow, thank you. I really appreciate it. I am so sorry that you had to witness that. I don’t know what got into Richard. He’s usually fairly levelheaded.”
“Can I talk to you, not as a client, but as a friend? More specifically, as Parker’s friend.”
“Be my guest. Please.”
“I know you’re not sleeping with Parker, but I know you’re not just friends like you claim to be.”
“He told you?”
“Yes and no. I assume that Parker told you we’ve been friends for the better part of two decades. I knew about you the day he met you. We talked that night to make sure we had everything ready to go, and Parker told me all about his new friend. When I arrived on Sunday, I got more details. It was a woman that he met at the gym. This new friend, according to him, was incredible. She was smart, gorgeous, funny, and a workaholic, just like him. Finally, someone that understood him.”
“He said that about me?” Her words warmed and broke my heart at the same time.
“He said a lot more, but I don’t think it’s my place to tell you what else he said. He can be a little too honest and…descriptive… sometimes.”
“Oh God…”
“Anyway, he had one of the most fun weekends of his life and couldn’t wait for me to meet her because he was sure I would love her. Then, he shook your hand rather uncomfortably, which is odd for the extrovert in him. Then, he adamantly refused to let me meet this friend with excuse after excuse. She was busy. She was out of town. She had grown a third head. I made that one up, but I really think he considered using it.”
“Some days, I felt like I was going to grow a third head for sure,” I laughed. She chuckled.
“I saw how he looked at you while you were presenting, but for a minute, I just thought he had a massive crush on you. I mean, you’re smart and beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have you. Then, he knew your muffin preference. Blake, he and I grab coffee together three times a week, every week, and he still doesn’t know how I take my coffee. But the nail in the coffin of my suspicion was the mug. I was there when he bought it for his ‘friend,’ and then you had it the day I came into your office. It was kind of easy to put everything together from then.”
“Oh, goodness…” I felt stupid for keeping the mug in the office. I should’ve known that he would be with Amelia when he wasn’t with me.
“So, I confronted him a few days ago about it, and he told me everything.”
“I do want you to know that neither of us knew we would be working together when we first met.”
“I know. He told me it was a shock. I know the man like the back of my hand, Blake. He looked at you differently. He was happy around you. He’s been the happiest I have seen him in a long time while we’ve been here.”
“Amelia, I appreciate everything you’re saying,” I sniffled. “But it doesn’t matter. You guys are leaving tomorrow, and I’ll be here. It’s over.”
“I know, but you deserve all the information before we board that plane.”
She stood up and hugged me.
I appreciated her words and the ‘information,’ but I had to accept the harsh reality. As much as I didn’t want him to, Parker was leaving in the morning. I repeated in my mind that this was never supposed to be permanent, just fun. No strings. No commitments.
It had been the most fun three months of my life, but that’s all it was. Three months of fun. He was going home to continue his own life. I would stay behind and try to salvage the pieces of my life after the bomb that fell on me.
Nathaniel was right. I got bold and reckless. I should have been more careful.
I aimlessly walked back to the apartment, watching the lights come on as the sun set behind the buildings. The apartment felt empty with most of the décor that Gabby took down, and it would soon be emptier once she was gone. She owned most of the furniture, so I had to start thinking about how to decorate. I considered downsizing since it would just be me.
I stepped into the shower and sat on the floor. My tears joined the water dripping down my face. I sobbed into my knees and repeatedly tried to catch my breath. The echo of the bathroom made it even harder to calm down. The warm water ran out, and I resigned myself to finish showering with cold water. I deserved this anyway.
At some point, Nathaniel and Gabby came back. I could hear their hushed voices in her room while they packed. They were trying to give me space, but movers were coming for Gabby’s stuff on Monday, and they hadn’t finished packing. But I also knew they were trying to keep an eye on me.
I put on a zip-up blanket over my underwear and watched TV on the couch. I would be lying if I said I was paying attention.
This whole time, I knew the end of the project would spell pain for me. But this was a kind of pain I wasn’t expecting. Heartbreak was not the only emotion taking residence in my heart today.
The pain of losing Parker was searing, making it feel like my chest was on fire. The thought of him not being there on Monday morning was devastating. I thought back to the waterfall and how I had also lied to him. Going back to a world he wasn’t in scared me. It terrified me more than anything else I had told him combined.
But amidst the pain, I felt Erik’s betrayal. He was a speak or act before you think person, and it had consequences for me. I should have expected people to find out eventually, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.
