Page 71 of Unpredictable
Happy 34th birthday.I hope you know how much I love you. I hope you always remember just how happy you make me.
Regardless of whatthe future holds, I’ll always be cheering you on. Loving you. Be happy, Jules. That’s my greatest wish for you.
Love,
Ryan
By the timeI’d finished reading it a second time, I was sobbing. It was a rush of emotion—happiness, sadness, gratitude, relief. It felt as if he were speaking to me from wherever he was, watching over me. Giving me his blessing.
Alexis joined me on the floor, hugging me as she read the letter over my shoulder.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “That’s got to be some sort of sign, right?”
I nodded, convinced it was. All this time, I’d hoped for closure. And it had been there all along, waiting to be revealed until I was ready. I swiped away my tears, a smile forming on my face.
The doorbell rang just before the door opened.
“Hello,” Lauren called, her voice echoing in the empty entryway.
“Guys? Everything okay?” Harper asked.
I shook my head, fingertips pressed to my lips.
“Alexis? Juliana? What’s going on?” Lauren dropped her purse on the counter, along with two bottles of champagne.
I was grateful when Alexis answered for me. “We found a letter from Ryan.”
Harper gasped, her eyes immediately wet with unshed tears. “Seriously?”
I nodded.
“What does it say?” Lauren asked, and I passed it to her to read aloud.
When she was done, silence settled over the room, blanketing the house with the gravity of this moment.
“It’s totally a sign, right?” Harper asked, echoing Alexis’s earlier sentiment.
“It certainly feels like one,” I said.
“And how does reading it make you feel—better or worse?”
I stared at the floor. “A bit of both, I guess. But on the whole—” I straightened “—better.”
“Good. Let’s talk about it while we drink champagne and eat expensive cheese,” Lauren said, offering a hand to help me up.
We headed outside. The new owners had wanted to keep the patio furniture, and I had no use for it, so it was staying at the house. We took a seat around the fountain; the sound of water rushing over rocks was soothing. It was definitely something I missed at Harrison’s house. Otherwise, I’d found the adjustment to living at his place surprisingly easy. It was closer to my office, larger, and my backyard—nice as it was—couldn’t compare to his large treed lot with a pool.
“Crap,” Harper said as Lauren popped the cork on the champagne. “I totally forgot glasses.”
I laughed. “It’s fine. We’ll just drink from the bottle.”
“You first,” Lauren said, holding it out to me.
“Okay.” I laughed, accepting it.
I was about to take a sip when she said, “Wait. We have to make a toast.”
“Oh. Right.” I lowered the bottle. “But I’ll be drinking to it alone.” I pouted.
