Page 115 of Memories By the Shore
I take one more painful look around his house before leaving.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Now
Avery
Islam my back into the door, mirroring my confusion over a week ago when I accepted Dave’s proposal. I never thought I’d be coming back from Coconut Grove feeling more unsure than I was when I left. I went to move on from Jasper, and I stupidly let him get into my head.He got into my soul.
My eyes scan the entirety of my dark penthouse. It looks like no one lives here. Everything is clean. The place lacks color, personality. There are no earthy tones like the crystal blue water of the ocean or the buttermilk sand dotted with small green plants and seaweed.
This is the life I’ve created. This life fits me more than one with him.
I shake it off, swipe a tear from my cheek, and peel myself off the wood.
“Finally, you’re home. We were getting worried.” I hear a recognizable woman’s voice in the background. Startled, I jump back, tripping on my suitcase.
“Relax, babe, it’s just me,” Lina says, emerging from my guest bedroom.
“You scared the shit out of me.” Clutching my pounding heart, I’m relieved it’s just my best friend. “What are you doing here?”
She shuffles down the stairs in an oversized T-shirt and pin-striped shorts. “Didn’t you get the building notification on your phone?”
I shake my head. “No.”
Lina walks past me and into my kitchen. She removes a handle of bourbon and two glasses from the cupboard. “Or on your door cam?”
“No.”
She cocks a brow and pours a shot of whiskey in each glass. “Didn’t your security system alert you that your alarm was turned off?”
I roll my eyes, sighing. “Maybe. I haven’t been in a good mental space since I left Coconut Grove this afternoon.”
“I figured,” she quips, handing me a drink. “That’s why I’m here.”
I stare at the amber liquid, knowing I’m about to feel much better temporarily. “Cheers to my fucked-up life.”
Lina purses her lips together, humoring me. “Life is what you make it. This is your story.”
We both take small sips, then walk to my couch. “Jasper signed the papers.”
Her eyes widen. “He did?”
“Yeah.” I nod, my chest tightening.
“The girls and I tried to give you space, but it was almostimpossible,” she complains.
I chuckle. “I bet it was, but I appreciated it.”
“So, spill. What happened? How are you feeling now?”
I pause, unable to answer. “I don’t know. It all happened so fast.”
“How did you feel being back there again?” she asks.
I sigh. “A million emotions. It’s strange how it was just a small sliver of time in the grand scheme of my entire life, but it had a bigger impact than any other time before and after.”
“I understand.” She smiles weakly. “So, was the sex not enough to make you question everything, though?” she asks, grabbing the glass with her whole hand, like a warm coffee mug. “It literally took you two less than forty-eight hours to jump back in bed together.”
