Chapter 21 #2
“Yeah. You made quite the impression on our little town.”
My heart is hammering wildly. Is this the time to bring up my phone call today? “Well, uh…”
Remy fusses in her high chair, pulling Henley’s attention to her. “Hey, baby bear.” He lifts her into his arms and kisses her cheeks. “I missed you too.” His eyes meet mine. “Is it just me, or did she grow in the past week?”
“I was thinking that myself, actually.” Walking toward them, I reach out and bring her hand to my lips, kissing the top of it. “She feels heavier and taller. Longer?” I shrug. “Not sure how to describe a baby’s height.”
Henley laughs. “Well, I’m not short so hopefully she inherited her height from me and not her mom.”
“Was Meghan short?”
“Not as short as you,” he teases before leaning down and kissing me.
“You’d better watch it.”
“Oh really? What are you gonna do about it?”
The timer on the oven goes off before I can reply. “Saved by the bell, Henley Clark.”
“That’s a good thing for you,” he tosses back. God, I love talking with him, seeing this lighter side of him and watching him dote on his baby girl.
It’s these moments that have made me question everything lately.
I pour two bowls of stew and bring a basket of biscuits over to the table, settling in to eat as my stomach continues to twist, anticipating the conversation we need to have before the night is over.
Remy is in her high chair, eating a few baby snacks and Henley is already reaching for a second biscuit.
“So, how was your day? Anything exciting happen?” he asks as he lifts his spoon to his mouth.
I move my food around, sensing my hunger diminishing the longer I contemplate what to say. “Actually, I got a, uh…pretty exciting phone call.”
“From who?”
“A record label in L.A.”
He drops his spoon into his bowl, splashing beef stew onto the table. His face is stoic, lacking any indication of what’s going through his mind. Finally, he clears his throat and asks, “Seriously?”
“Yes.” Biting my bottom lip, I take in a deep breath and prepare to say the words I’ve been rehearsing all afternoon. “It’s the label Liam worked for.”
That gets a reaction out of him. His jaw ticks and he’s instantly shaking his head. “Oh, hell no…”
“It wasn’t him,” I interject quickly. “It was a woman. Her name is Sandra, and she found my demo tapes in Liam’s old office. Apparently, he got fired for sexual harassment.”
“Good. The fucker deserved it.” Henley tears a piece of his biscuit off and shoves it in his mouth, chewing aggressively. “So, what did she say?”
“She wants me to go to L.A. to meet some executives.”
His brows lift. “Oh. Well, that’s amazing, El.”
“She wants me there as soon as possible.”
His brow furrows. “How soon?”
“Tomorrow, if possible.”
“Tomorrow.”
“I know it’s last minute, but…” Henley stands from the table, giving me his back as he pushes a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for even asking. I just…”
“Why the hell are you apologizing, Elodie?” he snaps, twisting his head over his shoulder to look at me. “This is what you wanted, right?”
“Yes, but…” He grumbles something under his breath, but I can’t quite make it out. “Are you angry?”
“I—I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. The timing of all of this is—”
I stand from my chair and walk over to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. My touch makes him tense up. “I’m sorry about our date.”
His shoulders lift as he shrugs. “It is what it is.”
“Henley, please look at me.” With a heavy sigh, he slowly turns around, but the pain in his eyes almost slices me in two. “I don’t want this to…I’m not sure what to say, I just—”
“I need to call Carol and see if she can watch Remy tomorrow,” he says abruptly.
“Henley?”
“What, Elodie?”
“Why are you pulling away from me? We can—”
“This is how we knew this would end, right?” He darts his eyes away from me.
“End?”
He clears his throat. “We always knew this was temporary, El. At least now you’re getting everything you wanted.”
I place my hand on the center of his chest as he continues to avoid my gaze. “Maybe what I wanted has changed,” I whisper.
“No.” With both hands, he pushes mine away. “You’re going. End of discussion.”
The tone of his voice instantly makes me angry. “Last time I checked, you’re not the boss of me.”
He huffs out a laugh. “That’s where you’re wrong. I technically am your boss, or…I was.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that maybe this is the sign you’ve been looking for, and your time as Remy’s nanny is coming to an end.”
My bottom lip starts to tremble. “Henley…”
The corner of his mouth lifts as he shrugs, studying my face. “You have to go, Elodie.”
Shaking my head, I don’t give up, even if he doesn’t seem to care. “No, I don’t. What if that’s not what I want anymore?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not.” Closing the distance between us again, I put both hands on his chest and peer up at him, begging him when I say, “Give me a reason to stay.”
He closes his eyes and sighs. “I can’t. You have to go, Elodie.
It’s your dream.” When his eyes open, the pain I see reflected in them makes the first tear of many fall.
“This is what you’ve wanted, and you need to show your parents that you’ve made it happen.
Trust me, as someone who would love nothing more than to rub in my parents’ faces what I’ve made of myself despite them, you owe it to yourself. ”
“But what about us?”
He covers my hands with his. “My life is here.”
“I—” Another tear slides down my cheek. “I can’t believe you don’t want me to stay.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want, Elodie. I’ll be damned if I’m the person who stands in between you and your dreams, sweetheart.
” My head falls to his chest as the tears flow freely now.
“It’s okay.” His voice cracks. “Our time has come to an end. But just know that you’ve changed my life, Elodie Olsen—not just with your words, but also your heart. ”
We stand there in the kitchen, holding one another as I sob, grieving the future that I thought we had while trying to focus on the future I always wanted.
But no matter how much the idea of going to this meeting in L.A. excites me, I can’t help but feel like I’m about to leave a piece of my heart in Blossom Peak, and it’s a piece I’ll never get back.