I wondered if I had been too hasty in jumping to conclusions about him and his motives. My father seemed to trust him,but then again my father had never spent that much time with him to know therealhim. I thought I had seen the real him, something good, but I was wrong. Wasn’t I?
Up in my apartment, my heart and my head felt like they were playing tug-of-war, and neither was winning. I was once again cut out of the family business, this time by a decision of my own making, but it still stung almost just as bad. I wondered if Harold Enterprises ever got out of this shitstorm, if I would still want to be there to put it back together again. I had already told my father I couldn’t be CEO, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to be a part of it still. But not if things didn’t change. It was starting to seem like things never would, and I was tired of hoping for them to. With my father. With Chandler. How much could one person keep trying?
I took a long shower, as if to wash the day away. I felt a little better once I got out and dried off, feeling refreshed. A glass of wine sounded really good about then, but of course, that wasn’t an option. Instead, I made my usual cup of peppermint tea and settled in on the couch to mope some more because that would somehow solve everything.
Around 5 o’clock, I kept listening for the sound of Juliet getting home from work. I could usually tell it was her by the sound of her heels, mixed with the loud music coming from her headphones. They really should put some better soundproof doors in the place. I knew she was the only person who would make me feel better right about now, and felt a slight tinge of guilt about how much I had been relying on her lately.
Soon, I heard the familiar muffled sound of classic rock and theclick-clackof heels on the wood floor in the hallway. I opened my door and peeked my head out, spotting her just as she was getting her keys out of her purse.
“Juliet!” I called out loudly, trying to be heard over her music. “Juliet!” I tried again, waving my hand from my doorway.
She looked curiously in my direction and pulled her headphones down. “Hey Gabs!” she said with a smile before striding over. “How are you, mama?”
“I’ve been better…” I said.
Her smile turned to a concerned frown. “Is baby okay?” she asked, her eyes looking down at my stomach.
“Baby is fine.” I assured her. “You think we could take a walk?”
“Sure! Let me just change real fast and I’ll meet you here in a few.”
“Thanks.” I nodded.
A few minutes later, she knocked on my door, changed out of her skirt suit and now in a pair of baggy jeans and a black tank top with her favorite checkered print shoes. Effortlessly cool as usual.
“You ready?” she smiled, offering her arm.
I nodded, linking mine through hers. We caught up on the small things as we made our way downstairs and out the small lobby of our brownstone building. The air outside was cool and crisp as the sun began to sink behind the buildings. I smiled, welcoming that familiar feeling of fall. Juliet and I strode down the sidewalk with no destination in mind.
“So, what’s going on?” she pried gently.
I took a deep breath, realizing I had a lot to fill her in on since the ultrasound appointment she had gone with me to.
“Chandler told me he loved me,” I said softly.
She stopped in her tracks, pulling me to stop alongside her. “What?” she asked wide-eyed, her mouth twitching up into an excited smile.
“I know.”
“When?”
“After the ultrasound appointment.”
“And you’re just now telling me?” She gave me a playful shove.
“I know. I’m sorry. Life has just been crazy. I got home from the appointment and he was waiting outside and then just professed his love. I was as shocked as you are.”
“So, what did you do? What did you say?”
“Nothing. I just listened as he went on and on about how he wanted to be in mine and the baby’s life. How he wanted to be a good father.”
“Wow,” said Juliet with an impressed nod.
We started walking again.
“I know. It was everything I had been wanting to hear.”
“And did you say it back?”
