“And I’m supposed to just let you?”
Naomi nodded.“You focus on bachelorette stuff.That’s your responsibility.Because if you let that slide to help me, Judith would know something’s wrong.”
“I understand your reasoning,” Liv replied, “and though I don’t like it, if you want to keep Hurricane Judith from losing her mind, or getting involved, this is the best way.”
“Thank you,” Naomi said.“I appreciate your understanding.But?Because I know there is a but coming at the end of that sentence.”
“There is,” Liv replied when she’d finished taking a sip of her water.“Promise me,” she said, “if you need me…”
“I know,” Naomi said.“I know where to find you.”
“But it isn’t just me,” Liv said.“You have people you can call.And if it isn’t me, and you’re stressed and need help, promise me you’ll call someone.”
That was the easiest promise Naomi could make to her sister; of course, telling her sister the reason why wasn’t acceptable.Instead, she agreed, and when she’d made it back to Queens, back to her apartment, she began to try and dig herself out of the tremendous hole she was in.
Unfortunately, along with being alone came the intense desire to contact Jason in some way—video chat, text, message through any and all of their mutual social media chats.All of those were usually up for grabs.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t contacted her in the last few days, and the last thing she wanted to do was bother him.
*
When Jason gotoff the red-eye from Los Angeles, he had two plans.One: sleep and then tell Naomi he’d gotten back, and two: make plans to see her as soon as he could string more than two thoughts together.
The family could wait.The business and the choices he’d have to make would wait.
He almost had the rideshare he’d splurged on take him back to her apartment, but it was early, and he was tired and the last thing he wanted to do was see her when he couldn’t make coherent sentences or even words.
Especially when he would have to explain that he’d not communicated with her over the last few days of what he was beginning to call his ‘stage.’It sounded much better than a series of paid internships, when from what he’d learned, it was the same thing.But more importantly, it was busy.Mind-numbingly, brain-achingly busy until he had to leave.
And all he did on the flight was sleep.
Which wasn’t enough.
But when the car pulled up at an unfamiliar address, he blinked.
“Sir?You wanted to stop at an address in Queens?”
He blinked, and texted her.Can I come up?
He sat there, holding his phone.Hoping she was awake.Hoping she was home.
Yes.
A simple little text, and all of a sudden, his day was made.
Chapter Seven
Welcome Home
On my way.
Naomi had missed him, wanted to see him.But she hadn’t expectedthis.
Now she was rushing through an email to the graphic designer Samuel had recommended months ago.Once she’d pressed send, she started the quickest clean of her apartment in history, putting away laundry, starting the dishwasher…doing her best to make it look like she’d actually done things since she got back from brunch with her sister, as opposed to working at her kitchen table in an attempt to save Judith’s wedding ceremony and reception.
And yet…
This was Jason.It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what had been going on with the wedding anyway; he’d been in town long enough for her to ruin his New Year’s when she called him during the first catering disaster, but when he’d left, things were…settled.Judith’s wedding had a caterer, and Naomi had both a mentor and an employer.
