When Ollie leaves the room, I don’t follow. I sit on the bed and look around at all my stuff, hoping I’ll spot one of Ollie’s T-shirts and have an excuse to go find him. But there’s no trace of him left. I don’t know how long I sit there listening to him in the bathroom, then the kitchen. But at some point, the door to our bedroom eases open, and he’s there, standing in the doorway. I hope that he’s cooled off and come to his senses. He’ll kick over that fucking suitcase at his side. He’ll cross the room and we won’t even have to say anything. He’ll make love to me right here and we’ll forget this ever happened.
But he doesn’t do any of that. He doesn’t so much as come inside the room.
“Goodbye, kitten,” he says. He pauses for a moment, maybe waiting for me to say it back, but I can’t.
When I hear the front door open and close, I don’t move. When the only man I’ve ever loved—willever love—leaves, I do nothing. I don’t even cry.
21
As soon as it really sinks in that Ollie isn’t coming back, I call Jo. I’m only able to squeak out a summary of what’s happened before I can’t say anything more.
“I’ll be right over,” Jo says.
It’s only when I open the door and see Jo that the tears come. By the time she’s crossed the threshold of my apartment, I’m crying so hard I can barely speak. Jo looks alarmed. She steps inside, and her eyes flit over the living room.I know she’s looking for any trace of Ollie. It only makes me cry harder.
“Oh, Nina,” Jo says. She pulls me in for a hug. I’m not sure how long I stand there crying on her shoulder. When I finally catch my breath, Jo pulls away to peer into my face.
“Do you want to go to Mitch’s?” she asks.
“I can’t go there,” I say. Too many memories.
“Do you want to stay here?”
I shake my head. I’m not sure what would be worse: being in the apartment Ollie and I once shared, the one that I can’t seem to let goof, even though it’s come between us, or being at Mitch’s, where we’ve so often passed from one extreme to another.
Jo slings an arm over my shoulder. “Have you eaten? We can go to the restaurant and make Alex feed us. Or what about World Thrift? We can see who can find the ugliest outfit in under ten minutes.”
I spit out a watery laugh at that, and Jo smiles. “World Thrift is closed right now,” I say.
“Drat.”
I lean my head on her shoulder. “Are cheese Danish on the menu yet?”
“They are now,” Jo says. She pulls out her phone and sends a text, then claps me on the shoulder and grabs my apartment keys and purse. I let her push me out my door and into the hallway, thankful she knows I need her to be in charge without my having to say it.
The best thing about Josephine Walker is she doesn’t ask me about Ollie. When we arrive at the restaurant, she takes me to the back entrance, and we sit beside each other in her office with our feet up on her desk, eating cheese Danish and watching episodes ofSnappedI missed while on charter.
“How’s the restaurant?” I ask. “Not sick of Alex yet?”
Jo leans back in her chair. The diamond on her finger flashes in the light as she puts her hands behind her head. It reminds me that her wedding is a mere four months away. I know it won’t really change anything, but it doesn’t feel that way. Alex will officially be more important. With Ollie gone, what does that leave me?
“To tell you the truth, between the restaurant and wedding planning, I’m exhausted. You’d think a small wedding would be no biggie, but I’m basically planning the most stressful theme party of my life. I don’t see as much of Alex as you’d think. One of us always tries to be home with Greyson. It’s a little intense.”
Other than giving me a hug and a plate piled high with cheese Danish when we arrived, I haven’t seen Alex all evening.
“Are you happy, though?” I ask.
A smile flutters at Jo’s lips. “Can I tell you something? Don’t be mad, okay?”
I raise an eyebrow. I’m not promising anything.
Jo sighs. “I didn’t want to tell you before because I thought you might try to use it to convince me to work on theSerendipityagain.”
“Now why would you think I’d use any of your personal truths to get what I want?”
Jo gives me a look that says,Don’t even pretend you wouldn’t.
“Fine. You’re probably right. Continue.”
