“Me, too. Brant is such an asshole.”
“You’re sure it was him?”
“Nearly positive.”
Ollie nods, taking this in. “And what did you tell her? About us?”
I shrug. “As close as possible to the truth. That it was a confusing situation, that we weren’t involved in a serious way until this weekend, and that we didn’t mean to be misleading. What did you say?”
“More or less the same. I told her I would resign from the committee, which I did.”
“Me, too. I’m so sorry.” I feel so stupid that I didn’t manage this better. I had felt like it was all under control, until it wasn’t.
“No, don’t say that. I should have waited to tell you how I felt about you until we were somewhere more private. I forgot about being careful, just—after my brother, I was so worked up that I felt like I had to say something. But I had no idea it would become public like this. It was all my fault.”
I step closer to him. “This may blow over. In a few weeks, people will have forgotten about it.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think so. I told you that I had to fight to come back to the New York office. They wanted me to stay in Toronto. My boss just called me in, and I think he’s going to use this issue as an excuse to send me back to the Toronto office.”
More layers of shock rush through me. Ollie is leaving New York?
“When?”
“He said he’d give me until October first. Apparently, my absence there has been an issue. I was more of a manager for the whole legal department, and they want me back in that role.”
I feel ill. The sensation hits me in waves. This is why you don’t trust the universe to give you good things. Of course this was too good to be true. Of course men don’t stay. I want to weep or scream, but instead I feel dead inside. The utter predictability of it. Every single time. Even when it’s not their fault, they go.
“So you’re leaving.” My voice is flat and empty.
He shakes his head. “No. No, Laura. I’m quitting.” I look up at him. “I am not going to lose you over this.”
It takes me a moment to register the words. “But… Are you sure?”
“I’m completely sure.” He puts his arms around me and holds me for a long moment, long enough that I start to relax.
Something clears in my head, and I look up at him.
“You don’t have to do that,” I say. “I could come to Toronto. If you wanted. It would be easier to visit my sister in Newfoundland. And I don’t have that much keeping me here anymore. I know you love New York, but...”
I am shocked by the words coming out of my mouth… shocked by how much I mean them. I swore I would never uproot my life for a man again. But this is different. Everything about this feels different, because I know that Ollie would also uproot his life for me.
He leans over and kisses me, then looks into my eyes steadily. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. We’ll figure something out, and it will be okay. If I have to quit my job, I’m okay with that. I can find another. If we have to leave the city, I want to take you with me. We’ll figure it out, okay? I promise. Do you trust me?”
Strangely enough, I do.
