Chapter Twenty-Three Emily
Chapter Twenty-Three
Emily
Gavin: Have a good time with Maya tonight.
Me: You’re hanging out with Jordan, right?
Gavin: I am.
Me: Why do I get the feeling you guys are going to get into all the trouble.
Gavin: Because that usually happens when we’re together. But I’m going to be good . . . I promise.
Me: Ben’s with Mom and Dad?
Gavin: He is, which means I’m going to be all alone at my place once I get home from whatever Jordan has planned.
Me: That sounds awful.
Gavin: Doesn’t it? Fucking brutal. Don’t let it happen, Emily.
Me: You’re saying you want me to find my way over to your place once Maya leaves girls’ night to go to Jordan’s to sleep?
Gavin: That’s exactly what I’m saying.
Me: I think I might be able to make that happen.
Gavin: See you later, baby.
As we sat in our living room, the TV silenced, our glasses constantly filled, love was showing across every inch of Maya’s face.
She couldn’t hide it. But loving a man like Jordan Worthington, who was on the road far more than he was home, required some change in Maya’s life.
That was the main reason I hadn’t invited anyone else to our girls’ night.
I wanted to talk to Maya about Jordan’s schedule and convince her to go on the road with him.
My girl could be so stubborn at times, fiercely independent and inflexible.
Those were things I adored about her. But when it came to her man, if she wanted things to work out between them, she couldn’t continue working full-time at the rehab center while Jordan was gone.
So I’d come up with a plan for her to switch to per diem.
That would give her everything—the ability to travel with him and work while she was home.
Of course, that meant I’d be seeing even less of her, which gutted me, but her happiness was all that mattered to me. My bestie deserved to have everything, especially the vacation Jordan was about to take her on, a nugget she’d just dropped a few minutes ago.
A nugget that I needed to hear all about.
So I sipped my wine and said, “Now, let’s talk about that upcoming vacay Jordan is taking you on. Do you have any deets? I’m dying to know everything.”
“Um. That makes two of us.” She repositioned herself on our couch, sitting on her calves. “He won’t tell me anything. The only reason he even told me about the vacation was because I needed to take the time off work.”
I wagged my finger at her. “Another reason per diem is perfect for you.” Every opportunity I got, like this one, I would continue to drive home this point until she took my advice.
“Anywaaay,” she sang, “I know we leave in three days. That’s all the information he’s given me.”
“Oh God, how are you supposed to pack?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Is he going to tell you the night before so you can at least put together your suitcase?”
She put her hand out, palm-side up. “I have no idea.”
He would probably have his assistant get everything Maya would need, including clothes, accessories, makeup, and toiletries. But I wasn’t going to mention that. I didn’t want to come across as knowing Jordan’s capabilities, considering I still hadn’t told her about Gavin.
A bomb I needed to drop before Bettie or Melinda shared the news for us.
Something was stopping me. There was something so incredibly sexy and scandalous about sneaking around and not telling anyone, only those who had caught us in the act.
But is that normal?
Should I feel this way?
“I can’t handle this,” I replied, referring to her lack of knowledge about her trip, but maybe I was talking about me too.
“Same! He’s leaving tomorrow, and he won’t be coming back until our trip—I think. He won’t even confirm those details. I just know he needs to travel to New York. Whether he’s meeting me here or there—wherever there is—I’m clueless.”
“That man is killing me.”
“You? What about me!”
“The thing is, you know his assistant has planned out every step of this trip, and he’s just not telling you because he wants to see or hear your reaction, like when you walked into his condo and it was covered in flowers.
He lives for surprises. Meanwhile, we’re sharpening our knives over here so we can threaten his life. ”
She giggled. “But you know what, I love that about him.”
“Me too.”
She turned quiet, her face becoming serious. “Em . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I’m ready for it to be your turn. For you to find a Jordan.”
I found one.
And . . . I loved him.
I rubbed my lips together, filling my lungs, the guilt suddenly coming on thick and strong. So much so, that I downed half my wineglass.
I needed to tell her. I needed to just say the words.
But Gavin hadn’t told his brother. In fact, we hadn’t discussed telling Jordan or Maya in a while.
Rather than dwell on something I didn’t have an answer to, I shook my head, clearing those thoughts away, and whispered, “Girl, you and me both.”
Gavin was upstairs putting Ben to sleep, something he did whenever I was here during this hour.
An undiscussed boundary I’d set so Gavin was the last person Ben saw before he closed his eyes.
But what that also meant was, depending on how long it took Ben to fall asleep, I often dozed off while I was waiting for Gavin to come back downstairs.
Like tonight, after a full day at the rehab center that had been more taxing than I was prepared for, I woke to the feel of Gavin’s soft lips on my forehead.
“You look so fucking gorgeous when you sleep.”
I was hugging one of the decorative pillows, tucked into the corner of the couch, a blanket over me. I sat up to hopefully shake the tiredness out. “How many stories did it take?”
“Three. Dinosaurs, dogs, and now he’s on an otter kick.” He set my legs over his lap and rubbed the outside of my thigh. “I swear, the kid is going to end up being a vet. He can’t get enough of animals.”
“Except when it comes to taking one outside.” I winked.
He laughed. “Jenny told me Ben met a dog in the lobby this morning, I guess one of the residents got a new puppy. Ben didn’t want to say goodbye to it. He told me all about it during the dog book we just read.”
“Oh yeah, you’re going to have a Fenway before you know it.”
His hand stilled on my leg. “Hungry?”
I loved that we ate a small snack while Ben devoured his early dinner, and had ours after he went to bed.
“Starving.”
“Wine?”
I nodded. “Please.”
He got up from the couch, and while he stood at the bar, he poured two glasses of red from an already open bottle and brought them over, taking a seat again. He held my gaze, a unique smile coming across his face. “I want to surprise you, but your situation makes that a little difficult.”
“Surprise me?” My head tilted. “And what situation are we talking about?”
He massaged my knee. “How much notice would you have to give work if I wanted to take you away for a long weekend?”
My eyes narrowed as I held the glass near my lips, staring into his eyes. “Where are you taking me?”
He chuckled. “You have to answer my question first.”
“Probably about two weeks. That would give me enough time to get my shifts covered for both jobs.”
“Now you see why it’s difficult to be spontaneous and keep things a surprise.”
“Tell me about it, I know.” I sighed, my fingers diving into the back of his dark hair. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
“I have some work travel coming up. The first trip is to Nashville. I thought if you could get away, it would be a great vacation. Three or four days, depending on how much time you can get off . . . just the two of us.”
My conversation with Maya suddenly entered my head. The guilt I had felt when I told her I was ready to find a Jordan when I had one right here who wanted to take me away.
Nashville was the perfect time to talk to Gavin about it.
“You don’t have to convince me,” I whispered. “I’m in.”
Me: I feel like I need to gloat for a second.
Who has the best advice in the entire universe?
Who deserves a giant ‘thank you, Emily, you’re absolutely right, going per diem so I can be on the road with Jordan was the best decision I ever made’?
That would be me. I deserve that. You’re welcome for changing your whole life and making it a million times better. Hehe.
Maya: LOL. Seriously, girl, you were So right. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Honestly, it was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I wouldn’t have made it or even thought of it if it hadn’t been for you.
Maya: And I love you.
Maya: And I think this is the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other, and I’m not okay. Sob.
Me: I promise you’re not missing anything. Well, aside from me. The rehab center and Boston—it’s all the same since you left and it will be here when you get back. You made the right choice, babe. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be: with your man.
Maya: I can’t even put into words how much I’m missing you.
Me: We’ll FaceTime soon so you can see my pretty mug.
Maya: Please. I want that.
Me: Love you, babe.
Maya: Love you more.
Maya: I Miss You.
Me: Stop. I can’t. I feel like half my heart is on the road and it hurts something wicked.
Me: How’s my rockstar bestie? How’s Jordan? How’s all the things?
Maya: The best. All of it. Omg, Em, I didn’t think this kind of happiness existed.
Me: I’m crying for you. I’m not even kidding.
Maya: Ohhh, I forgot, I have amazing news!
Me: You’RE Engaged?!?
Maya: If I was engaged, this isn’t how you’d find out. Come on, hello. I’m coming into town and I get to see youuu, that’s my amazing news.
Me: Hell Yes. When?
I stared at the dates she sent, and my stomach dropped.
Me: You’re not going to believe this, but I’ll be out of town.
Maya: What?
Me: I know. Waaaah.
Maya: Where are you going?
Me: Nashville.
Maya: Fun! What are you doing there?
Me: Just getting away. A change of scenery kinda thing.
Maya: Ugh! It’s not even going to feel like home without you there.
Me: Your next trip back, I’ll be here, promise. Or maybe I’ll fly out and see you while you’re on the road. Ohh, actually I kinda love that idea, I need to make that happen.
Maya: I want that. Please.