“You don’t have to do this alone. I’m coming with you.”
“Derek, you’ve already done more than eno?—”
“I’m coming with you,” he repeated, and his voice was firm and commanding. It might have been funny since he was still feeding Lily. “You don’t have to do this by yourself, Paige.”
I should have argued and insisted I could handle it myself. But the truth was, the thought of walking back into that apartment, seeing Jack…
It terrified me.
“Okay,” I said softly.
The doorbell rang, making us both jump. Derek carefully transferred Lily to my arms and went to answer it, returning a moment later with a woman who looked to be in her sixties, with kind eyes and salt-and-pepper hair pulled back in a neat bun.
“Paige, this is Donna, my housekeeper,” Derek said. “Donna, this is Paige and her daughter, Lily. They’ll be staying here for a while.”
“Oh, what a sweetheart!” Donna’s face lit up when she saw Lily. “Don’t you worry about a thing, dear. I raised four children of my own. This little angel will be in excellent hands.”
I hesitated, my arms tightening around Lily.
“Donna’s been with me for five years,” he whispered. “I trust her completely. And we won’t be gone long. Just long enough to pack your things.”
I looked down at Lily, who was happily grabbing my hair. Then back at Derek, who was watching me with patient understanding.
“Okay,” I said, even though leaving Lily felt wrong.
But it was necessary. I’ll have to find her a babysitter.
Thirty minutes later, I was in Derek’s car—a sleek black Mercedes that smelled like leather, rain and him—heading towards the apartment. My hands were shaking in my lap, and I couldn’t seem to make them stop.
“Hey,” he said, his hand covering mine. It felt warm and soothing. “You’ve got this. And I’ve got you.”
I looked at him, at the determination in his eyes, and nodded even though my heart felt heavy.
Rule number four, I reminded myself. Don’t catch feelings.
The apartment was empty when we arrived. Thank God.
I had been dreading the possibility of seeing Jack. But his car wasn’t in its usual spot, and when I unlocked the door with shaking hands, the silence that greeted us was both a relief and… somehow worse.
Because the evidence of what I walked in on last night was everywhere.
The bedroom door stood open, and I could see the unmade bed from the hallway. The sheets were tangled, pillows scattered on the floor. I had to press a hand to my mouth to keep from being sick.
Derek touched my back. “I’ve got you,” he said, his deep voice and gentle touch calming me. “Just get what you need. We’ll be out of here in twenty minutes.”
I nodded and forced myself to move forward. Into the bedroom that had been mine for five years, which now smelled like unfamiliar perfume.
I grabbed my largest suitcase from the closet and started throwing things in. My hands moved on autopilot, pulling items from hangers without really seeing them like jeans, sweaters, and a few dresses.
“Do you want this one?” Derek asked. He was holding up my favorite lace chemise, something Jack never even looked at twice.
“Yes, thank you,” I said, biting my cheek. The sight of him holding my lingerie made me blush.
He folded it carefully and placed it in the suitcase, then moved to Lily’s nursery without being asked. I heard him opening drawers, his footsteps quiet.
I moved to the bathroom, gathering toiletries with trembling hands. Toothbrush, shampoo and everything else went into a cosmetic bag that I shoved into the suitcase.
When I returned to the bedroom, Derek had laid out several of Lily’s outfits on the bed, sorting them with surprising care. Onesies, tiny pants, and her favorite yellow dress with the ducks on it.
