Mae nods with a grin. I can tell she respects my decision. “Offer’s open.”
The call ends. I log off and lean back in my chair, still shocked at what just happened. As amazing as living on an island sounds, would I be happy working for someone else?
And then, I can’t ignore the joy I’m feeling at this moment—a taste of creating my own blueprint.
Two mouse clicks and I’m eye to eye with a blank document on my word processor. I stare at the blinking cursor and rest my fingers on the keys.
This isn’t because Mother hired Caroline in the first place or because I’m accepting the Blakemans’ offer. This is for me. Maybe love’s not enough, but now I know I am. What Caroline and I shared proves it even more.
It’s time I retire from the wine business. I begin typing, and each word feels like I’m winning a round of the Sapphic Olympics all over again.
I am writingto formally notify you of my resignation…
CHAPTER 31
CAROLINE
“There it is,”I say to myself when I locate the house. I appreciate that Kaydence was able to complete my request to find Basil’s address, given her busy schedule with two children now. Downtown rush hour traffic is picking up, so I grab the first available parking space two houses down and successfully maneuver my sedan parallel on the street. Once I turn off the ignition, I grip the wheel tightly, inhale a breath, and let it out slowly. The plan has to work. It might not make up for my deception in the first place, but at least I can finally tell Basil how I feel, even after several months apart. This could go one of two ways: fantastically, or horribly, miserably wrong. Hopefully she’s home. I’m all out of moves.
I think about everything that has led me to this moment, unable to deny the fact that something inside my heart zinged back to life when I fell for Basil. Perhaps I’ve always been good enough for love, I had just been giving the best parts of me to the wrong people.
Despite the temperature inside the car dropping, I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. I dig through my bag and remove the items I hope will redeem me a second chance. One more deep breath, and I exit my car.
I wrap my plaid scarf around my neck, steeling myself. I trek through the cold toward the tan building while I rehearse what I’m going to say for the hundredth time.
As I ascend the steps, my heart pounds in my throat and I hope that the woman I fell head over heels for can love me.This is different. Don’t think about the past,I remind myself and push thoughts of rejection far from my mind.
At the top, I bump into a heavy cardboard box with a shipping label plastered across one side. I carefully push it to the side with my boot. The lump in my throat grows with each second, my mind whirling with thousands of unspoken words. I go to knock on the door, but freeze the moment I see activity through the gap between the curtains. I blink.
I see Basil. It’s her—wait.
A cold disbelief washes over me, numbing all of my senses. She’s on the couch watching TV, arm draped around another woman—nowkissinganother woman. Her brunette hair is pinned up in the ponytail I remember.
My shoulders sink. My view is restricted, but what I’m witnessing is clear. Basil moved on.
Feet frozen in place, I watch as they kiss again. I hear familiar laughter—sounds that drive a knife deeper into my heart.
I knock anyway. Two hard taps.
What am I doing? I pull my hand away. What do I expect to happen next? Am I going to greet her girlfriend? I place the envelope on top of the box—bearing someone else’s name—on the door and accept defeat. Love’s not for me. I stumble backward, propelled by an overwhelming urge to leave Seattle and Basil’s and my future behind. The photo-booth strip falls from my hand onto the ground.
The thin layer of snow crunches underneath my boots, and each step releases a tear down my cheeks. What was I thinking, coming here? I refuse to look back. I don’t swivel around to check if anyone answered the door. It doesn’t matter. Basil has moved on.
Lynn’s words come to mind.At least you won’t have to wonder.There's no point in pondering ways to get her back either. She’s moved on. Maybe I should too.
Everything hurts like hell right now. My car feels like it’s twenty houses away, not two. When I finally reach my vehicle on the side of the street, I continue walking. I’m so heartbroken, the last thing I want to do is drive.
CHAPTER 32
BASIL
“I thoughtyou two agreed to help me pack?” I wipe the sweat forming on my temples. It might be winter outside, but it feels like the peak of summer inside the house. I’m wearing an old, weathered gray T-shirt and black yoga pants—-the only clothes that remain unpacked, ones that would otherwise never see the light of day. I’m not leaving this house unless it’s an emergency. Hand on my hip, I squint a glare toward my sister and Riley cuddling on the couch. “I swear you two act like a couple of love-drunk teenagers. Always hiding away or watching movies and groping each other.” Watching them reminds me of how Caroline and I acted. She brought out a playful side of me that hasn't emerged since our time on the island.
“Sorry.” Hazel pauses the TV and jumps to her feet. Her hair is getting long. It’s only a matter of time until she’ll get it cut short again. “I thought we were taking a break.”
My brow slants upward. “For two hours?” I love them both, but—no but,andthank god I’m moving out of this love shack.
I ask again. Nicer this time. “Oh, kind people.Wheneveryou’re free, I’d appreciate your assistance.” I’m not being sarcastic, but my tone indicates otherwise. After all, they did volunteer to help me pack since the movers canceled at the last minute due to inclement weather. Nearly every business in this city seems to shut down at the mere thought of snow.
