Page 103 of Lovestrung

“Perfect, thanks.”

Her mood was infectious, and I instantly felt better. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as we said our goodbyes, and I breathed a small sigh of relief when we went on our way. When I looked back, I grinned at the sight of the lady as she held her phone up to her ear, talking animatedly to her son, I presumed.

“Wow, look at you,” Ella gave me a one-armed hug when I turned back to face her. “You haven’t even opened yet, and you’re already acting like a cool, calm, and collected businesswoman. I’m proud of you.”

I laughed, almost drunk from giddiness. “Thanks, doll.”

I felt a little lighter at heart and decided right on the spot that even though my personal life might be a shambles, I was absolutely going to kick ass at running a business.

Today, that was all that mattered.

Tomorrow, I’d think about Ethan and my woes.

A small voice inside my head told me I was in denial, but I brushed it aside.

I might not be traveling anymore, but the next few months were still going to be an adventure, and I planned on making the most of it, with or without the love of my life.

Hopefully with him, but I still needed time to process everything that had happened, and I still needed to dig deep into my heart and find out if I could ever trust him again.

I looked down at my phone when it started to ring and groaned when I saw his name flashing on the screen. Damn him. It was as if his brain was wired to mine.

“Are you going to answer it?” Ella asked from next to me.

“Absolutely not.” I swiped the red button and put it on silence. “He can wait.” I smiled at her and gave her a reassuring pat on her arm. “Right now, I want to finish our shopping, and once we’ve collected my wonderful art, I want to celebrate this amazing experience by taking you out for a late lunch. What do you say?”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she returned my smile. “I’m never going to refuse a free meal, that’s for sure.”

Satisfied with today’s achievement, I resumed walking, determined to push all thoughts of Ethan to the back of my mind again. It wouldn’t be easy, but I’d told him not to call me before I was ready to speak with him.

My heart might think I was, but my mind refused to give in.

27

Welcome To Crazy Town

The following days, I threw all my energy into finding a place to rent for my store. I stayed the first two days with Ella but even though she told me I was welcome to live with her for as long as I wanted, I knew I should go home to Gramps. But when I returned home, it only took me hours spent in the company of him and Louisa until I realized it was also time I found my own apartment.

This growing up thing was tough, but when I saw the way Louisa was with him – the time and care she took to make sure he wanted for nothing – I came to terms with the fact that he didn’t really need me anymore. Truth be told, I was excited and a little bit relieved that I could go on with my life. That the fact I wasn’t here meant that I didn’t have to feel guilty. He was in the best of hands, but I still wanted to live close to him. So, while searching for the perfect place for my business, I was also in search of a new home for myself.

However, after a week of perusing the online realtors, I realized the task was much easier said than done.

“God, what a fortune,” I muttered, hunched over my laptop on the eighth day. Bernie lay at my feet, snoring away as usual.

“What’s that?” Gramps lowered his newspaper, glasses perched precariously on his nose.

I waved my hand, frowning at the screen.

“Why does every apartment practically cost you your firstborn?” I groused. “It’s insane.”

He chuckled, and my ears picked up on the ruffling of paper as it crinkled in his hands.

“My dear girl, all you have to do is ask, and…”

“No,” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “I’m not going to take any more money from you. We’ve already discussed this, Gramps. No means no.”

“You didn’t take my money,” he corrected me sternly. “I simply gave you your inheritance.”

He let out a small harrumph, and I bit my lip to stop myself from snorting out loud. Louisa sat across from me at the kitchen table and smiled serenely.