“Okay, I’ll look it over and get back to you before I leave tomorrow,” I told her. When I hung up the phone a few minutes later, I stood in my kitchen for several long minutes, just staring out the window. I couldn’t say no to an opportunity like this, but it didn’t mean I was tied to Boston forever either. I could keep looking for a job in Burlington in the meantime, and I could drive up to see Taylor on the weekends. We could make it work.
Speaking of Taylor, I picked up my phone and dialed her.
“Missing me already?” she asked when she answered.
“Always, and I also have news.”
“You got the job.” She said it matter-of-factly, as if she’d known this was going to happen. Maybe she had, but I hadn’t.
“I did.”
“Congratulations,” she said, but her voice was flat.
“Thank you.” My stomach twisted uncomfortably. I was so excited about my new job. Truly, it was exactly what I wanted to be doing, the kind of job that would be so hard to find in Vermont, where there weren’t many large financial firms.
“I guess that’s that, then,” she said.
“What’s what?” I asked, rubbing a hand over my brow.
“You’re back in Boston.”
“For tonight,” I told her.
“You’re not taking the job, then?” Taylor asked.
“I am, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still see each other. I’ll drive up on weekends, and I can keep feelers out for a job in Burlington. If things seem to be going in the right direction for us, then I can still move later on.”
“I don’t know if I can do long-distance,” Taylor said, and I heard the anguish in her voice. It brought tears to my eyes. “I just…I feel like I’m losing you all over again.”
“But you’re not,” I insisted. “I live here in Boston, Taylor. I’ve always lived here. I’m trying to find a way to bridge the gap, to stay with you, to transition my life to Vermont if the opportunity arises, but you just have to be patient with me while I figure it out.”
“I know you are. I just don’t know if it will be enough for me.” Her voice cracked. “I’m a simple, small-town girl, Phoebe. All I want is you and this little cabin and a house full of dogs.”
“You can have all of that.” I blinked to clear my vision. “You already have it.”
“I’m not so sure that I do.”
“Jesus Christ.” I started to pace then, treading a path around the living room. “I can’t believe we’re arguing about this, especially on the phone.”
“You’re right,” Taylor said with a sigh. “We’ll talk about it in person when you get back tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine.” And because my feelings were hurt, I hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
* * *
“I’m so happy to see you, Phoebs,” Courtney said as she sipped from her martini. “Between everything going on with the cabin and the puppies and your new relationship with Taylor, I wasn’t sure you were coming back.”
“I might not be,” I admitted. “Everything’s kind of up in the air right now.”
“I want to be devastated about this, because I’ll miss the hell out of you if you move, but I can’t be sad about you being swept off your feet by a woman,” Courtney said.
“Your high school sweetheart,” Emily agreed. “It’s so romantic.”
“Your first love.” Courtney pressed a hand against her chest. “But how in the world did we not know about her before you took this trip?”
“Because by the time I met you, Taylor was ancient history,” I said as I sipped my own martini. “I wasn’t still pining over her. In fact, I had barely thought about her in years until I bumped into her this spring.”
“And how do you feel about her now?” Emily asked as she reached for her phone. She’d been checking it every few minutes to make sure she hadn’t missed a call or text from the babysitter.
