She whispered it like a prayer and a curse.
She could do this.
She had to.
Lizzie spent the next day taking inventory of all the things she could sell. She needed to declutter anyway. Even at her highest estimates and quickest turnaround, she could make maybe $1800. It’d be like spitting into an ocean.
Abuela walked in to see Lizzie, her head in her hands, with her notepad and calculations laid out before her. She didn’t need to ask what she was doing; she didn’t need her to explain how she was feeling; she knew.
She put an arm around her, pulled her close, and said, “Do you think there’s a market for feet picsdevieja?”
Lizzie’s laugh started as a rumble, and before long, she was wiping tears away as she tried to catch her breath between waves of giggles. Abuela always had a way of making even the bleakest moments seem bright again.
“Don’t worry,mi vida. These things have a way of working out. You’ll see, I’ll make a flan. Everything looks better after a flan.”
“Not my ass,” Lizzie joked.
Abuela made a dismissive pfft and said, “Especially your ass! It wasn’t someculo flacothat hadEl Willdrooling over it at Thanksgiving.”
Lizzie groaned and put her head back in her hands. “God don’t even mention the name! I don’t want to be reminded of what else I lost?”
“Lost? Why lost?”
“Who wants to date someone with this kind of drama and baggage?”
“I thought it was you who didn’t want him?” Abuela asked coyly while mixing ingredients.
Lizzie was brought back to that night on the rooftop; how arrogant she had been. And her feelings now had changed so much. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m probably never going to see him again.”
“Qué exagerada,” Abuela said, rolling her eyes. “So dramatic.”
But Lizzie knew that Abuela wasn’t there that night in the hall. Didn’t see the rejection. She didn’t see the shift in his behavior. No, Lizzie was pretty convinced that she’d lost the favor of Will Pemberley for good.
The following week was the capstone; each day, she reviewed the results of a specific department. She verified her results and ensured the improvements were fully implemented andfunctional. It felt like a montage through her last 90 days; a quick recap of all she’d done, those she met, and a final farewell.
She told herself she wouldn’t see Will again, but she held her breath as she turned every corner, caught herself scanning every room, looking for any trace of him. But no, Carolina had been right. Will was gone.
On Thursday, Lizzie got a strange text.
If that’s how you want to play it, fine.
Lizzie didn’t know what it meant, but she was too tired and emotionally wrecked to do anything about it.
On Friday, her last day at HQ, Carolina met her at the end of the day and asked her to the roof. Lizzie had no idea what this was about, but agreed to go with her.
They were silent in the elevator, but Carolina burst almost before they took their first steps outside.
“Are you dating Will?”
“What?!” Lizzie said, caught completely off guard by the question.
“I heard that you were at the estate for Thanksgiving, and then Giana called today, and we spoke for a bit, and she told me… well, are you or aren’t you?” Carolina seemed on the verge of tears.
“Carolina, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, or why any of this is your concern.”
“My concern?! MY concern?! Because I’ve known Will since college! We’ve been best friends, and I always look out for him and help him when he gets caught up with the wrong sort of people. That’s why! Because he’s a smart, caring person who shouldn’t be taken advantage of by some chubby consultant who is out to take him for all that he has!”
Lizzie was in no mood for this, and she squared up against Carolina. “If he’s so smart, then you know he doesn’t need you to make decisions for him. As for the rest, I’ll assume you’re emotional, and so you’re saying things you don’t mean, but don’t assume for a second that because you hired me to do a job for you, I will allow you to insult me. After the last few weeks, I advise you to choose your next words very carefully..”
