‘Can we go out sometime?’ I figure I have nothing else to lose by asking her.
Her mouth gapes open in stunned silence.
‘Just as friends…for now. I just want to hang out with you again…reacquaint myself with you. Mix the old and familiar with the shiny and new.’
Giving me a soft, shy smile, she tilts her head to the side. ‘Sometime,’ she affirms, biting her lower lip. Slapping her palms to her thighs, she moves to ascend. ‘Right. I’m off to see your dad. He’s designing my new home.’ Her giddy expression tells me she’s over the moon that she gets to work with Dad, but a pang of dejection pokes at my chest. It was supposed to be me designing our home.
I don’t let her see my sad puppy eyes. Instead, I force a smile, prop my hand on her lower back, and walk her to my dad’s office. ‘I’ll be around after if you change your mind.’ She nods, giving me one last grin before ducking into Dad’s space.
Sooner or later, she will be mine again. And when she is, I’ll redesign our home. The home we were always meant to share and build together. The same one I etched all those years ago. A place where the rest of our future will play out and be nurtured.
Chapter 21
Given Up
Amity
‘Are you sure you want rose gold accents?’ Uncle Jacob asks, scrunching up his nose. ‘It’s very…girly.’ I glare at him. ‘Feminine?’ he corrects, plastering a cheesy smile across his lips.
‘I know it might go out of style, but I can just change them when I’m bored,’ I shrug at his insistence that the taps in the kitchen will look tacky. ‘I want something more romantic and luxurious. My place back in the states is so…white. I’m scared to even touch the kitchen.’
‘And you’re sure you want a black tub?’
‘Again, white gives me nightmares.’
‘You know black is just as hard to clean, right?’
He’s been working with the interior design team to bring my vision to life, but it seems our tastes differ vastly.
‘Uncle Jacob. I love you, but stop. We’ve been in here an hour,’ I whinge, lulling my head from side to side. ‘Can I go? It’s perfect. Good job.’ I give him a thumbs up. He’s not amused. I know he’s a perfectionist, but we’re pretty much splitting hairs here.
‘Young lady, don’t be sassy.’
‘I trust you. It’s exactly what I envisioned, and if it’s not, I’ll just give you free reign to change it.’
‘You’re killing me.’
‘But you still love me, right?’
‘Like my very own.’ He leans back on his chair, stretching his arms above his head. ‘You’re free to go.’
‘Oh, goody.’ Clapping my hands together and gathering my bag, I decide I’ll stop by and see Ella on the way out…maybe see what Lincoln is up to and if dinner is still on the cards. ‘I’m going to grab a cup of tea and hang out with Ella for a while.’ At the mention of his marketing staff member, his head snaps to attention.
‘She’s working. Don’t distract and dazzle her.’
‘I really like her. She makes me happy.’
‘She has that effect on people,’ he mutters, drawing something on his pad.
‘Bye.’ There’s a lilt to my voice I haven’t used or heard in a while. I feel like I’m closing this long and despondent chapter. Finally.
I walk past Lincoln’s office but he’s busy on the phone. When I crane my neck in Billie’s direction, she’s nowhere to be seen. No loss there. I whiz to the marketing department and spot the bubbly blonde from a mile away. Luckily, the fanfare of me seems to have worn off, and everyone is going about their afternoon.
‘Hey, chicka. Want to grab a tea?’ I tap her on the shoulder, causing her to yelp and jump. The papers she’s holding go flying everywhere like confetti.
‘Who? Me? You want to get tea with me?’ She points to her chest and looks over both her shoulders before spinning around to see if I’m talking about anyone else.
An infectious giggle escapes. This woman is hilarious.