I didn’t even care that she just insulted me by wanting me out of the room while the adults talked. I got up and all but ran out of the study, grateful that I wasn’t going to destroy anyone else’s life today. David seemed all too happy when I told him my conditions, and he always liked working with my mother. I guess like attracts like, and those two were similar in their relentless drive to succeed.
Once I closed the office door behind me, I started running, darting up the stairs, only slowing down once I was in front of my room. I rushed inside and closed the door, leaning my back against it.
This time there was no way I would ever come back, so I had some serious packing to do. I should have packed everything the last time I moved out, since I wasn’t planning on coming back then either. But that departure hadn’t been a well-planned operation and more like a hastily thrown-together escape while my mother and Leighton were in Barbados.
I pushed away from the door and went into my walk-in closet. This time I got all my suitcases out and started throwing clothes and books inside. I was forced to leave half my shoes and nearly all my heavy winter coats behind. But nevertheless, I still had five big suitcases that were too heavy for me to carry. I had to look the part of a politician’s wife and the clothes I had been forced to wear all my life would be perfect for my new one.
My desperate need to get out of the house drove me to push the suitcases to the top of the stairs. I couldn’t lift them up, but I might be able to push them down. The few picture frames I had weren’t in any of the suitcases, so there was nothing breakable in them.
David appeared at the bottom of the stairs just as I was ready to push the first suitcase down.
“What are you doing?” he asked and came up to meet me.
“Debating how much noise it would make if I pushed them down,” I answered and pointed at the suitcase.
“Good to see you haven’t changed,” he said, sounding anything but happy about that fact.
“Do you mind getting them down?” I asked. He nodded and lifted one suitcase in each hand. He grunted and put them back down.
“What the hell did you put in them? Your mom’s silver?”
“Not exactly. But you’ll appreciate what’s in them. I’ve been groomed my entire life for the role of a politician’s wife. And the clothes in those suitcases are a part of it.”
“I like that you are throwing yourself into this wholeheartedly. I think we’ll make a great team,” he said and started carrying them down one by one.
“Not sure how they’re going to fit in my car,” he grouched when he passed me on his way down for suitcase number three.
“One of my mother’s staff dropped my car off, so I can take a few as well. Should be fine between the two of us.”
“Guess that could work.”
It had to, because I wasn’t going to come back. Once I was gone, I had no plans on ever returning.
I opened the front door and pulled my car up. David filled my trunk with two suitcases and put one on my back seat. The remaining two went in his car.
The drive to his house took over an hour since he lived in the hills. At least that’s what everyone dubbed them. It was a new development in the middle of nowhere and overlooked a man-made lake. He pulled into his driveway, and I parked next to him. His place was brand new and looked straight out of a catalogue.
“Don’t know if I can fit all your clothes in my closet,” David joked as he lugged one of my suitcases up his porch.
“Since we’re not staying in the same room that won’t be an issue,” I said and followed him to his front door.
“We’ll see,” he answered and walked inside. If he thought this was going to be anything more than two people helping each other out, he would be sorely disappointed.
The inside looked like it had been surgically cleaned. The smell of paint lingered in the air, and he certainly had a penchant for white since there was barely any color in the room. It wasn’t anything like the bachelor pad I expected to see.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
“I bought this place as soon as I got back.”
“It’s very clean.”
He smiled at my comment and pointed at the stairs. “Wait until you see the rooms up there. There’s four rooms on the second floor and they all come with their own bathrooms.”
We walked upstairs, leaving the suitcases near the doors for now. “The last door on the right is my room. You can pick any of the other three rooms. Take as much space as you like,” David said and did something akin to a royal wave toward the rooms.
There were two rooms on each side, all spacious and light.
He showed me his bedroom after he pointed out the three guest rooms. He lied when he said he didn’t think my stuff would fit in his closet, because his clothes hardly took up any room. The walk-in was enormous, and two whole sides were still empty.
