Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
C lara
I closed the trunk of my car and hit the unlock button on the key fob, allowing Jen and Ryan to get into my car.
I hopped into the driver's seat. “This is the second time I've been at this airport in a week.”
“Why's that?” Jen asked as she strapped herself into the passenger seat.
I started the car and began maneuvering out of the parking garage toward the main road. Once we were on the main road, I adjusted my speed and shrugged.
“Well, I was here Saturday to drop off Gabe.”
“Awe, did my buddy already leave?” Ryan asked from the back. “I was hoping to grab a drink with him before he left.”
“He wanted to leave early to settle some of his work stuff in New York,” I replied. “But he seems really happy with his decision. It was good to see him happy.”
“That's awesome,” Jen said. “So, things are okay between you two?”
“Yeah, we made sure to patch things up so we could be friends. We didn't want anyone feeling awkward about it.”
“I appreciate that,” Ryan commented. “He's my best friend and I wouldn't want any of my friends to be uncomfortable.”
“Same,” I agreed. “So, tell me all about your trip!”
Jen sighed contentedly. “It was so beautiful! I never thought I would ever see the Bahamas in my life. Right, babe?”
“Totally gorgeous. The beach was amazing and the water was so clear that we could see all the way to the bottom.”
I smiled. “Wow, that sounds incredible!”
“We got the royal treatment,” Jen continued. “We had room service every morning and we ate lunch on the porch outside. All the food was amazing.”
“We went snorkeling and Jen got to swim with dolphins,” Ryan added.
I gasped. “Oh, I'm so jealous!”
“We took plenty of pictures, of course,” Jen said. “We'll show you when we get settled in.”
“I would love to see them.”
“We went out on a boat to see the whales,” she explained. “And we got sprayed!”
“That whale was feisty,” Ryan said. “I guess they're used to people visiting them. It was like they had a whole performance set up for us.”
“Did you get a video of Jen getting soaked?” I asked with a giggle. “I bet it's adorable.”
Jen laughed. “We took about a million videos. I'll have to upload them when I get home.”
“Well, I can't wait to see it all,” I remarked.
“I'll just be happy to be back in my bed,” Jen sighed.
“With me,” Ryan joked.
I rolled my eyes as I took the exit for downtown. I passed a dozen signs and then yielded at the light, checking my left side for traffic. When everything was clear, I made a right and kept up the speed limit on Main Street.
“I don't want to ask, but I do. How are things going with Levon?” Jen inquired.
I bit my lower lip. “I figured you would ask sooner or later.”
“I mean, you two were pretty attached at my wedding.”
“Well, that's true. It got a little complicated over the weekend, but I think we're in a good place at the moment.”
“What do you mean by complicated?”
I shrugged. “I ran into him at the airport.”
“Awkward,” Ryan chimed from the back.
I shot him a sharp glance in the rear view mirror and he laughed nervously.
He shrugged. “Well, he's my buddy, too.”
“I know,” I said sharply. I fixed my tone to normal and added, “We got to talk it out at the cafe. It sounds like he might be willing to make some adjustments to make our relationship work.”
“What kind of adjustments?” Jen inquired.
“Well, I'm not sure. We didn't get too far into the conversation because he had to meet your parents for lunch.”
She nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“But I was surprised he came back so soon after leaving so suddenly.”
“Did he go to Canada already?”
I nodded.
“Wow,” she said. “That's not his usual behavior. He typically stays away for months or even years.”
“I know, right?”
“It sounds like something might have changed his mind,” Ryan said. “Maybe you planted a seed in his brain.”
I laughed. “It only took about several thousand years.”
Jen giggled. “Well, my brother is pretty stubborn.”
“Like me.”
“I was about to say that, but . . .”
“It's okay. I said it for you.”
She grinned and patted my shoulder. “As long as you're saying it, I don't feel guilty.”
I chuckled lightly. “I think we're going to talk soon about what we could potentially do. I really love the guy. I just wish he would stay in the same place for long than a few weeks, you know?”
“That's always been his thing.”
“We actually ended up arguing in the airport. For some reason, Levon thought I was back together with Gabe. He looked pretty mad about it.”
Jen whistled. “Dramatic.”
“You're telling me.”
“He didn't say anything mean, did he? I'll have his head if he did!”
I laughed. “Calm down, my dear knight. You may avenge me later if necessary.”
“I'll avenge you right now. I can still put him in a headlock.”
Ryan cackled. “Before he tosses you to the ground!”
“Hey! We use sibling rules! He's not allowed to throw me just because I weight fifty pounds less than him.”
I shook my head. “I forgot you two used to wrestle.”
“He taught me everything I know,” Jen boasted. “Which means I can use his skills against him!”
“Well, don't go beating him up yet. He apologized and I did, too. I think we were really just mad at each other for how things developed.”
“Did you two hook up after my wedding?”
I sank slightly in my seat as my face turned red.
Ryan chuckled from the backseat. “Your silence is telling, Clara.”
“Well, yeah. There was a lot of tension between us.”
“A good pounding can get rid of all that.”
Jen flipped around in her seat, flabbergasted. “Ryan!”
“What?!”
I broke out into a hearty laugh and slapped the steering wheel a few times. “Wow, I missed you guys. You always know how to make me laugh!”
“Well, I'm glad his lewd humor makes you laugh,” she remarked sarcastically. “It was getting to be pretty annoying on the trip.”
“Already tired of each other, eh?” I teased.
She snorted. “That's an understatement.”
“Aw, honey pie,” he cooed while wrapping his arms around her. “You're my sweetest, most special treat in the whole world.”
I rolled my eyes again as I turned down Jen's road. I could see her house looming ahead. I thought about asking if Levon was home, but I didn't want to hash all that out in front of them. Besides, they needed to get settled and I needed to get back to work.
I pulled into the driveway. “Here we are.”
“Thanks again for picking us up, sweetie,” Jen said while popping open the door. “Do you want to come in for a second? I bet Levon is home.”
“No, I have to get back to the office.”
“Boring. Work is for squares!” Ryan triumphantly stated. “We get to sleep in again tomorrow. That should be really nice.”
“I hope you two enjoy it!”
Jen wrapped me in a hug and kissed my cheek. “Let me know how things go.”
I nodded. “Of course. Get some rest!”
“We need it after doing all that baby-making,” Ryan joked as he wandered around to the trunk.
I popped the trunk and listened with a giggle as Jen slapped Ryan playfully. I rolled my eyes and fixed my rear view mirror.
“I love you both,” I said out the window. “Be good!”
“We won't!” Jen chimed.
They both waved from the porch as I pulled out of the driveway. I headed back downtown and pulled up in front of my office, sighing as I stepped out of my car. I felt like I had been doing a lot of driving lately.
I can't imagine how Levon handles traveling , I considered as I unlocked my office door. I'd literally be exhausted all the time .
I hummed as I walked inside and went to the desk, setting my purse down to the right of my chair as I typically did. I whipped out my calendar and looked over my events. There was a one-year-old birthday celebration coming up. On the list of things to do was a small order of decorations. I opened up my laptop and went through all the familiar channels to place an order.
I tapped the edge of my laptop pensively.
This kid is having an extravagant party , I reflected. I want kids so badly. I remember that being a thing between Levon and me.
I scrolled over a few more décor options and added them to the cart, piling up the order. There were dozens of balloons, streamers, plates, cups, and treats all in the form of dinosaurs. I made sure to add a helium canister so we could inflate the balloons. I studied the way the cartoon dinosaurs looked on the items. They were colorful and happy, dancing their way around the objects.
I sighed heavily.
I remember how much he didn't want kids. It was an argument. I've been wanting to make a family ever since college. That was one of my big goals . I frowned. We couldn't have started one with him traveling all the time. I would have been stuck home with the kids, trying to balance my job here and my job raising them.
I clicked on the cart button and looked over the order, holding up the list to make sure all the items lined up correctly. After I placed the order, I sat back in my chair, humming to myself. I usually turned on the radio when no one else was around, but I wasn't quite in the mood for today's hits.
I was enjoying the silence. It allowed my thoughts to flow easier and to get them out of my head faster. And having Levon in my head certainly made things messy. But at least it wasn't terrible. It was exciting to think we could start all over again. I held so much hope in my chest that I could have likely inflated several balloons with my lungs alone.
I shook my head.
I was so sad when he said he didn't want children. But now that things are different—now that he's showing some changes—maybe that has changed, too.
I stared at the screen. I didn't have much else to do. The order was placed. The party venue had been booked earlier this morning. I could have left, but I didn't want to go home just yet. I wanted to sit and think. I wanted to imagine my world with Levon back in it.
And that world was looking a lot less bleak.
I'll have to ask him if he's changed his mind about kids. There's no harm in asking. I mean, we're going to be talking soon anyway. I could make a list. I chuckled to myself. Just like me to plan everything out—even my personal life.
I whipped out my calendar and started crossing some items off my to-do list. Once I felt satisfied with the remaining list, I opened up my email to handle client accounts. I settled a few balances and balanced my books to make sure everything was up to date. Soon, the clock indicated that dinner was close. My stomach rumbled.
I ought to eat . I reminded myself while gathering my things. And then I can get back to this Levon business later.