Sterling’s warm voice wraps around my cracked heart, and I nod, fighting back tears.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Forgive me, Halliday. I didn’t mean to?—”
“It’s okay. I like talking about her. Don’t apologize for making me think of her.”
Or for calling me Hallie, like it’s a sign from Jenny.
“She loved love stories. We would curl up and watch romance films together. She’d pick the most unlikely pairs, hoping they’d get together, even if she already knew they weren’t the ones supposed to get the happy ending.
“Honestly, the whole of New York makes me think of her. She wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty. See her crown.”
I look into Sterling’s eyes. I’m the one who’s supposed to be helping him. Not the other way around.
“So the next date?” I sniff, forcing my voice to brighten.
His gaze never falters. Almost like he sees the most broken parts of me, and they only make him want him to look more.
He nods, his tone soft. “The next date.”
“It’s trickier than I anticipated.” I place my bottle of juice on the counter and wander toward the window.
“So you’ll be there the whole month?”
“I… No, I don’t think so. He’s more closed off than I anticipated, but it’ll be fine,” I tell Sophie as I lift the frame.
Jenny’s bright smile shines back at me.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll be back in plenty of time to prepare for being the coolest Auntie that ever walked the earth.”
“You better.” Sophie sighs. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
“I bet your parents are missing you as well.”
“They are.” I place the frame down, facing the window. “Mum calls at least once a day... So does Rory.”
“Rory?”
“Yeah.” I bite my lower lip at Sophie’s exasperated huff.
“Halliday, you need to get it through to him that he needs to leave you alone. This is getting ridiculous. It’s been years. I told you, just give me the word and I’ll have a restraining order like that.”
She snaps her fingers down the phone. She has no idea how tempting her suggestion would be if it weren’t for my knowledge of what Rory might do in retaliation.
“Mm, remind me again…. This baby daddy of yours… Didn’t you have one against him?”
Sophie curses good-naturedly as I steer our conversation away from Rory.
I knew Drew Harper, the man who chased her for years, was special. I could tell by the energy she gave off when she spoke about meeting him on a blind date. He wasn’t even her date. But the universe didn’t care. When it wants something, it wants something.
And it wanted Sophie to start a family with Drew.
It didn’t matter that she’d jokingly threatened him with a restraining order when he was persistent.
They were inevitable.
