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“We’re moving you to Dallas,” Jolette said, a minute in to her unexpected visit.
Walker had held me all night after my emotional collapse before leaving to go work out this morning.
But I was feeling very…exposed at the moment. Like all of my work keeping my emotions under wraps the last two years had been destroyed.
“What?” I almost slapped myself because there was no way I’d heard her right.
“Marco and I have decided L.A. isn’t the place for you. You’ve been floundering here. One weekend in Dallas and you transformed. Look at the blush in your cheeks.” She gestured to me as if I was able to see myself. “It’s clear this is the right move.”
I opened my mouth to say…to say what?
It felt like kismet almost. Like the universe had taken the wish I was fighting against, and wouldn’t admit I wanted…and was somehow giving it to me.
"Why Dallas?" I murmured.
“Doesn’t your cousin have a house there? Isn’t that why they held the wedding there? And besides, it’s where you grew up. Besides L.A., it’s the closest thing to home you’ve ever known.”
I frowned, because she’d never cared about that before. A sly smile crept up on her lips.
“And isn’t that where that boy you’re seeing will be living?”
My heartbeat spiked. It was the first time she’d mentioned Walker to me since the weekend in Dallas. I’d been waiting for it every day. And here it was.
“That is where he’s living. But I—I just met him,” I told her.
She was telling me what I wanted to hear—or at least what I thought I wanted to hear…but she wasalmostbeing nice.
I didn’t have a single memory of Jolette being nice to me. Not even when I’d sang that first day and caught Marco’s eye. What the hell was going on?
“Well, regardless. Let’s think of Dallas as a fresh start. If you can turn it around there, who knows…maybe the conservatorship won’t be necessary anymore.”
I was dreaming. That had to be what was happening.
“I’m sorry—I still don’t understand. You’ve barely let me leave in two years. And now…now you’re just letting me go?” I whispered, very suspicious. Last time I’d thought she was beingreasonable, I’d ended up drugged with my entire life taken away.
What was the catch?
She sighed, and sat down on the couch, looking dare I say…tired?
“Nothing has gone to plan these past few years. And…you’ve won. You’ve quit life. You haven’t cared about anything…I’m just…done fighting with you,” Jolette said stiffly, her face blank as she stared at me.
It was happening. Hope was creeping into my chest, set to destroy me once again.
But fuck. I wanted it. I’d refused to admit it to Walker last night, but I did want it. The thought of actually escaping the suffocating grip of L.A…I hadn’t even let myself dream it.
“Do I have a choice?” I finally said, when other words failed me, even though I regretted them as soon as they came out of my mouth.
“Do you want a choice?”
She got up from the couch, letting that question stew in the air, and for the first time since this whole hell had started…I wasn’t sure.
Jolette left without another word, leaving me to stress over what had happened.
It only took a little bit for a small smile to finally tug at the corners of my lips.
I picked up the phone and called Walker.
“Hi, angel,” he said, his sexy voice hitting me all the way to my core.
