Chapter 23 Sabrina #2
We had about an hour and a half until our flight left, and I didn’t want to spend another second in this place. I was ready to get the hell out of Chicago and back to Harmony. That small island town was never going to fully feel like home, but it was the closest I had.
George was sweet when I called down to see if he could get me a car. He said, “Mr. Carmichael has already arranged one for you.”
I wanted to scream and demand that he never speak that man’s name in my presence again, but I kept my composure and thanked him for his help. A bellboy was at my door five minutes later to help me with my luggage while I balanced Samuel on my hip and carried the car seat in my other hand.
The ride to the airport was nice. Especially since it was in a limo. I got a lot of stares and whispers as I climbed out of it at the airport drop off. But once the onlookers realized that I wasn’t famous, their gazes dropped as they returned their attention to their own lives.
I was happy to bid goodbye to the driver. Without Liam—without all the flash and excitement—I was able to slip into the crowd, unnoticed. With Liam, I was a rock star’s assistant. Without him, I was a nobody.
I liked being a nobody.
Samuel and I landed in North Carolina around two in the afternoon. I held him as I walked through the terminal to baggage claim. I walked through the security doors and stopped when I saw a man in a dark suit holding a sign that had Sabrina written on it.
It took a moment for it to register that he was looking for me. I frowned, confused as I walked up to him.
“That’s…” I paused as I set Samuel’s car seat down. My arms were on fire. “I’m Sabrina,” I said as I straightened.
The man looked me over and then nodded. “Sabrina Orion?”
I nodded.
“Perfect,” he said as he tucked the sign under his arm. “Do you have bags?” He nodded toward the luggage carousel that had just started moving.
“Yes,” I said.
We walked over together and I pointed out which pieces were mine. He was quick to grab them. Once they were all collected, he led the way out to the parking lot. All I had to carry was Samuel and his car seat.
My body began to tense the closer we got to Harmony. My heart was pounding and my ears were ringing as he pulled into town. I rattled off Abigail’s address—er, mine. Was it mine still?
My entire body and mind felt like I was on fire as he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. I’d been so eager to get out of Chicago and away from anything that reminded me of Liam that I hadn’t really thought about what it was going to be like to come back home.
What was I going to say to Abigail? Was she was even going to welcome me in?
I was numb as I climbed out of the car with Samuel. The driver focused on the luggage while I focused on taking in slow breaths to calm my nerves. He followed after me as I led the way across the parking lot and up to the apartment door.
I froze as I stared at the closed door. Did I knock? Try the handle? Would Abigail slam the door on my face?
“You okay?”
I turned to see the driver lean in with concern in his gaze. My heart was beating so loud, I could barely hear his words over the whooshing sound echoing in my ears. Not wanting him to think that I was a crazy person, I slowly nodded.
“Yes,” I whispered as I turned back to the door.
“Is this your home?” he asked when I didn’t move to turn the handle.
My hand flew out and my fingers wrapped around the cold metal. “Yep, mm-hmm,” I said as I tried to turn it. The handle didn’t budge.
So I knocked. It felt like an eternity before the sound of the locks disengaging could be heard, and then the door was pulled open. Relief flooded my body when my gaze landed on Bash. He looked surprised to see me standing there.
“Sabrina?” His gaze dropped down to Samuel and then back up to me. “What are you…?”
He must have picked up on my desperate gaze because he stepped forward, wrapped his hand around Samuel’s car seat and took it from me. “Come in,” he said as he retreated back into the apartment.
I followed after him, my steps feeling heavy.
I was grateful that he was taking charge.
With the way my brain was short-circuiting, I didn’t have the capacity to think for myself.
I stood in the kitchen while the driver brought in my luggage.
His conversation with Bash was low, and the sound of the front door shutting marked his departure.
It felt good to be back, but only because it was familiar.
I’d spent the last few days living a life that wasn’t mine in a city I’d never been to.
Here, I had Abigail and the drama that came from our relationship, but I also had history.
I had monotony that, until now, I hadn’t realized I was craving.
“Everything okay?” Bash carried Samuel as he walked into the kitchen. I could tell that he was hesitant and didn’t want to push me, which was why he was staying to the outskirts of the room.
“I…got fired,” I whispered. Though I wasn’t sure if I could use that term.
Bonnie never used the words fired, let go, or terminated.
She just said that Liam didn’t need my services anymore.
I was still so confused as to what had happened.
We had been too close for him to suddenly disappear and have someone else tell me that we were done.
“Fired? For what?” Bash leaned against the counter and shifted Samuel so he was now facing him, resting on his arms. Bash grinned at Samuel, who gave him a gummy smile back.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. He just fired me this morning.” I swallowed against the lump of emotions that had lodged themselves in my throat. I glanced around. “That’s why I’m back.” I met Bash’s gaze again. “Where’s Abigail?”
He studied me for a moment. “She’s out with Emery.”
I frowned. “Emery?”
He nodded. “My sister-in-law.”
“She’s here?”
He nodded again. “She’s spending some time here while we get the hotel ready.”
“Oh.”
He was silent for a moment. “Want me to call her and tell her that you’re back?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted a minute to get my story straight before I dove into an emotionally charged conversation with my sister. I knew we needed to have it, I just wasn’t ready for it quite yet.
I took in a deep breath and nodded. “I guess.”