“I know I said I’d give you time to think about it, but I’m done waiting. Before you say anything, listen to what I have to offer. LA is still happening, and I need you. I am willing to admit that letting you go was a mistake. I didn’t get to where I am without being willing to accept my failures, fix them, and move forward.”
“Okay, but—”
“I want you to head up the LA division. You would have to relocate, but this opportunity isn’t one that will ever come around again. It also comes with a raise and a partnership in the firm. You’re at the top of your game, the perfect person to shoulder this responsibility, so please don’t waste either of our precious time by telling me no or that you need time to think. Just say yes and I’ll have my lawyers get started on the paperwork.” A long pause followed. “Emma, say yes,” Nina repeated.
“Yes,” I finally whispered and flopped backward onto the couch with the phone to my ear and the bottle of champagne still gripped in my fist.
“Perfect. Talk soon!” The call ended.
Two weeks ago, I never would have considered going back to work at the firm, but with my life crumbling around me, I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice. I had to accept that, after decades of exhausting perfection, I’d finally failed at something: my relationship with Dan and the town’s residents who’d trusted me with mygrandparents’ farm. I had to mentally prepare myself to return to a life I hated, but one I at least knew how to navigate. Plus, once I knew that the town’s residents were safe, I could relocate to LA and start fresh where no one knew me.
I sniffled and wiped my nose on my robe before feeling myself drift off to sleep on the couch again. I dreamed that I heard the front door creaking open. I called Dan’s name, and everything faded to black.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Iyawned and stretched. Then I was startled by the fact that I could stretch. My eyes jerked open, and I was surprised to find myself in my bed. I was also dressed in clean pajamas. My head was ringing, and it felt like there was a tiny person in my skull trying to kick their way out wearing steel-toed boots. Going back to sleep was tempting, but I was way too curious to discover the identity of the hygiene fairy that must have visited me today—or was it yesterday? I had no idea how long I’d been asleep. Also, my phone was missing.
There was a pitcher of water and two Advil on my bedside table. So I popped the pills and downed a glass of water before I stumbled downstairs.
The unmistakable sound of laughter emanated from the first floor as I approached the stairs. The closer I got, the more familiar the voices sounded, and I couldn’t stop myself from bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen.
The sight that greeted me knocked the breath out of my lungs and I had to lean against the doorframe to support my weight as I stared in disbelief.
“There she is!” Becks turned to face me.
“Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty! And no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Maxima Clarke is on a farm,” Max said, making the kitchen erupt in laughter.
“How?” was all I could say.
“I called them,” Erica said. “I thought you could use some backup—or hell, I could.” She turned away from the counter, holding a steaming mug of coffee, and set it down on the table in front of an empty chair.
“Well, get your ass in here and sit down,” Max called. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
“What are you all doing here?” I asked after I took my first sip of coffee and the shock of seeing my three best friends all together in my kitchen wore off.
“Did you think I wasn’t gonna come after you called me crying last week?”
“But…” I stammered, still confused.
“I came over yesterday to check on you and found you passed out on the couch wearing the same pajamas you’d had on the last time I saw you, so I called them.”
“Did you brush my teeth?” I asked.
“Guilty,” she conceded.
“Now that’s a friend,” Max quipped and brought her mug to her lips, making me chuckle.
“Once I got you into bed, I used your face to open your phoneand call Maxima and Rebecca and told them that you needed them.”
“I did. I do.” I nodded and felt tears stinging my eyes. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about you and Teddy,” Rebecca said and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “I assumed you were taking a break, but how long has it been this bad?”
“Well, he’s never been this bad, but our relationship has been in trouble for a while.” I gave her a guilty smile. “I guess I kept it from you because you just seemed so invested in our relationship. I didn’t want to disappoint you… any of you.” I looked around the table. “I just felt so much pressure to be perfect.”
“Em, we were best friends before you met Teddy, and we’ll always be best friends.”
“We are five years deep. You’re never getting rid of me,” Max added. “And I never liked Teddy’s ass anyway.”
