Remy fusses in her high chair, pulling Henley’s attention to her. “Hey, baby bear.” He lifts her into his arms and kisses her cheeks. “I missed you too.” His eyes meet mine. “Is it just me, or did she grow in the past week?”
“I was thinking that myself, actually.” Walking toward them, I reach out and bring her hand to my lips, kissing the top of it. “She feels heavier and taller. Longer?” I shrug. “Not sure how to describe a baby’s height.”
Henley laughs. “Well, I’m not short so hopefully she inherited her height from me and not her mom.”
“Was Meghan short?”
“Not as short as you,” he teases before leaning down and kissing me.
“You’d better watch it.”
“Oh really? What are you gonna do about it?”
The timer on the oven goes off before I can reply. “Saved by the bell, Henley Clark.”
“That’s a good thing for you,” he tosses back. God, I love talking with him, seeing this lighter side of him and watching him dote on his baby girl.
It’s these moments that have made me question everything lately.
I pour two bowls of stew and bring a basket of biscuits over to the table, settling in to eat as my stomach continues to twist, anticipating the conversation we need to have before the night is over. Remy is inher high chair, eating a few baby snacks and Henley is already reaching for a second biscuit. “So, how was your day? Anything exciting happen?” he asks as he lifts his spoon to his mouth.
I move my food around, sensing my hunger diminishing the longer I contemplate what to say. “Actually, I got a, uh…pretty exciting phone call.”
“From who?”
“A record label in L.A.”
He drops his spoon into his bowl, splashing beef stew onto the table. His face is stoic, lacking any indication of what’s going through his mind. Finally, he clears his throat and asks, “Seriously?”
“Yes.” Biting my bottom lip, I take in a deep breath and prepare to say the words I’ve been rehearsing all afternoon. “It’s the label Liam worked for.”
That gets a reaction out of him. His jaw ticks and he’s instantly shaking his head. “Oh, hell no…”
“It wasn’t him,” I interject quickly. “It was a woman. Her name is Sandra, and she found my demo tapes in Liam’s old office. Apparently, he got fired for sexual harassment.”
“Good. The fucker deserved it.” Henley tears a piece of his biscuit off and shoves it in his mouth, chewing aggressively. “So, what did she say?”
“She wants me to go to L.A. to meet some executives.”
His brows lift. “Oh. Well, that’s amazing, El.”
“She wants me there as soon as possible.”
His brow furrows. “How soon?”
“Tomorrow, if possible.”
“Tomorrow.”
“I knowit’s last minute, but…” Henley stands from the table, giving me his back as he pushes a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for even asking. I just…”
“Why the hell are you apologizing, Elodie?” he snaps, twisting his head over his shoulder to look at me. “This is what you wanted, right?”
“Yes, but…” He grumbles something under his breath, but I can’t quite make it out. “Are you angry?”
“I—I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. The timing of all of this is—”
I stand from my chair and walk over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. My touch makes him tense up. “I’m sorry about our date.”
