Page 147 of Holding You
“How’s Susie doing?”
I sigh and then turn, leaning onto the counter. “She’s nottalking to me. I know she can hear me, because she does the things I ask of her, but she is mad. Rightfully so. Max, too.”
Shay rubs my arm.
“It’s going to work out eventually.”
She forces a smile.
“I know that’s the last thing you want to hear, but it’s true. I can’t tell you when it will happen, but if you two are truly meant to be together, which I think you are, you’ll find a way back to each other.”
I don’t reply, because what am I supposed to say? I know I could change all this by not leaving and giving up my company.
I just don’t know if I can do it.
We eat, and the mood is down. The kids don’t even play. They just sit at the table with the rest of us.
My gaze drifts to the empty spot next to Max, whom Luca picked up on his way here.
Ruby isn’t here.
Still, once the dishes are done and everyone is preparing to say their goodbyes, I turn to her brothers and say the obvious. “She’s not coming, is she?”
They exchange a few looks, and then Miles shakes his head.
“I’m sorry, Dec, she’s not.”
I nod slowly and then look out over the yard.
This is her life. Her friends. Her family.
And I'm the reason she isn’t here.
I’m not going to say it might be for the best that I’m leaving, because nothing is best if it doesn’t include Ruby, but I …
I’m doing this to myself. The simple answer is to just sayfuck it. Fuck the company I built and the people who work there and lose it all so I can be with Ruby.
But it’s not that simple.
“She’s …” Hudson starts but never finishes.
“Hurt, but it’s weird,” Miles says, clearly having no problemwith his words. “She thinks you’re doing the right thing. And I don’t get it.”
“Neither do I,” Luca says. “The right thing is you staying in Lovers with her and figuring this shit out with your company while you’re here.”
“If that were an option for me, I would take it.”
“You own the company, make it an option,” Luca suggests, as if it were that simple.
I look at him and sigh. His shoulders drop.
“I know. I know.”
Paul comes over and hugs me goodbye and then wraps Susie in a bear hug, swaying her back and forth. Then the rest of the Ashers take their turn, followed by Quinn, Sadie, and Shay.
“See you at the wedding,” I tell Hudson and Sadie, and then I hug Shay. “Congratulations, Shay, you’re going to be a wonderful mom.”
“Thank you.”
