Chapter 44 Charlotte
Charlotte
“You didn’t have to drop me all the way back here.”
Reuben smiled good-naturedly. “It’s no problem. I don’t get up north much. Any excuse to go for a ride in the chopper.”
It had been my first time in a helicopter and, now that I was divorcing Cole, probably my last. “Do you want to come in?”
“Thanks.”
A musty smell hit me in Dad’s hallway. Tiffany wasn’t exaggerating about things falling into disrepair.
“Any idea how to get rid of mold?” I peered at the black stains splattered all over the hallway.
Reuben shrugged. “Paint over it?”
A smile crept onto my lips. “I’m pretty sure you have to do more than that. I’m just hoping it’s not the kind that infects your brain. Although, that would explain a lot about Tiff’s behavior.”
And mine too. Marrying a man I hadn’t seen in over a decade had hardly been my finest hour.
Reuben chuckled. “Sounds like hard work.”
“Right, but most things that are worthwhile are.”
“If you say so.” Reuben looked around the small kitchen and smiled. He’d probably never set foot in a poor person’s house before.
“So cute, like a little toy kitchen.”
I snorted. Had it seemed like a toy kitchen to Cole? When we were young, I’d never thought much about his life outside of Ecclesdale or how different our backgrounds were. It had never mattered. We’d just connected.
Reuben’s smile was huge. “I love it, honestly. It’s all perfect.”
Dad would have been endlessly amused by Reuben.
He had a boyish exuberance about him that was impossible not to like.
Dad had been similar. He’d had a great interest in people.
So many people had come to his funeral because he’d been so well loved.
My gaze fell on his slippers sitting by the back door.
I’d never moved them. Not even when he was bedbound at the end and had no use for them.
“My dad would have loved you.”
He brightened. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Do you want a cup of tea?”
“I’d better get off. I suspect Dad might call me back to Rome.”
“You don’t have to let him bully you, you know.”
“I can handle him.” He shrugged.
“You shouldn’t have to. You don’t have to.”
He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I suppose not.”
He peered into the living room. “It’s so cute in here, too.” He rocked back on his heels. “You know, it’s really something up here. I love how . . . green it all is.”
“It’s not bad. We’ve got a retail park now with a Nando’s.”
He pulled a confused face. “Nando’s?”
“Portuguese? Peri-peri chicken? Don’t tell me you’ve never had Nando’s?”
He shook his head. “I don’t eat fast food. Dad says it takes years off your life.”
“He’s not wrong, but I don’t know if I want to live a long life if I’m deprived of halloumi fries. We need to rectify this. Let’s get dinner.”
He flashed a small smile. “You’re taking this well. Leaving Cole. I thought you’d be devastated, but you’re talking up peri-peri chicken.”
Because I’d moved past devastation to depressing reality.
I’d spent too much of my life feeling sad over Cole leaving me.
I couldn’t do it again. Now, I was just grateful to be moving on from him.
At least now I knew things would never change.
He’d made his choice. This felt like closure.
Something he’d denied me the first time. Now, I’d be the one to walk away.
He flashed a look at his watch. “I should get back.”
“Screw your dad. He can wait.”
He let out a thoughtful sigh and flashed a lopsided grin. “Right. Screw him. Let’s go and take years off our lives.”