Ignoring the fact that I too have a job to do, I walk out in the direction I know she headed, but I don’t look for her. That would do more harm than good.
Instead, I drive to the other side of Grangewood Creek, parking my rental car in front of the Wingrove mansion.
“Cole,” Cassandra says breathlessly as she opens the door to greet me. “What are you doing here? Is Jenna OK?” She opens the door wider for me and I step inside. I’ve been here twice now, so I know my way around, and I head directly to the wide open kitchen and dining space.
“She’s fine. At least, physically, anyway. She and Mara just got into an argument and Mara basically told her to quit or she'd have her fired.” I sit on the cloud like couch, burying my handsinto my face as Harley enters the room. “I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
“You know what my best friend told me when I didn’t know how to get the girl?” Harley asks with a quick, cheeky wink at his wife. “She told me to just tell her.”
“Have youmetJennifer Rogers?” I scoff. “I cannotjust tell her. You two had history. Jenna and I have…”
“A future,” Cassandra chimes in, taking a seat beside me on the couch, patting me on the shoulder. “And if you cannot see that, you need to get your eyes checked.”
“I see it so fucking clearly that it’s the only thing in my line of sight.” I shake my head in disbelief at the realization I’ve come to so happily accept. I’m in so deep with this girl, and she thinks I want someone else.
“This is so sweet,” Cassandra swoons while Harley laughs, taking her hand in his, kissing the back of it.
“I can handle Mara. We have a week left of working together, then nothing for months until press starts. One week until everyone goes back to life as we knew it.” I picture my old apartment, grateful I only need to clear out a few things before I never have to go back.
“What building does Jenna live in back in California?” I ask her best friend. Cassandra pushes herself off the kitchen bench top, rushing to get her laptop. “Maybe I can have something delivered to her house to let her know that I wish she didn’t leave.”
Placing it down on the counter, she opens it quickly, fingers tapping away at the keys. “Here,” she says, turning the screen to face me. “Are you going to try and make her stay first?” She bites the inside of her cheek.
“I have a plan for that, but if it fails, I’ll do this, too.”
“What are you thinking?” Her watchful eyes narrow. I take down her address in my phone, only I already have it burned into my brain.
“I’m thinking the universe has a funny way of forcing your best friend and I together.” I laugh with a slight shake of my head, sliding her laptop back toward her.
“It says the penthouse was just sold a few weeks ago… was it—”
“Me? Yep.” I smile. “I move in the day we get back.”
Cassandra wiggles her brows. “Of course you do.” She laughs. “I would say that this whole thing just took an unexpected turn, but I shouldn’t be surprised. Ofcourse,you unknowingly purchased the only for sale apartment in her building.”
Chapter forty-four
Jenna
“Are you sure youwant to leave?” Cassandra asks me for the fifth time in the last three minutes, and each time, my answer has been a simple ‘yes’.
Do I want to leave my dream job behind? No. I’m terrified of what it will do to my reputation. It’ll probably blacklist me from ever working on a movie set again.
But at the same time, is this really the career I want if it has the potential to be like this?
Shaking my head, I zip my last suitcase shut and lift it onto its wheels. “I’m sure,” I say. “No one will miss me when I’m gone. Hell, I don’t think they’ll even notice. I haven’t told anyone apart from Tahnee. She said she’ll tell them I had a family emergency or something.” I rummage through my duffel bag to make sure I have everything I need before giving my apartment one last sweep.
All I see remaining is the brand new mixer left on the kitchen countertop.
Even if I had room for it in my bags, I would still leave it behind.
“You think no one will miss you?” Cassandra grabs my arm to stop me from walking away. Her hazel, doe eyes are red and watery.
“You don’t count. You miss me even when I’m here and you’re home,” I tease her, and she lets go of my arm.
“Not me. Cole.”
“I know you’re on his team, Cass, but could you at least pretend to be on mine? I need you to support this decision. You, of all people, know how hard it was for me to make.” She had to make one similar to this not too long ago, and I hated that she felt the need to leave, but I supported her through it.
