Chapter 21 #2
I didn’t have a grandma, let alone a fellow Thorpe.
It’s why I left home with Shawn. I wanted to create a place I belonged, no matter how unhealthy it was.
I won’t let that happen to you, baby girl.
The doorbell sounds, ringing through the house, and Rosie’s eyes light up.
“Maybe it’s Wade!” she shrieks and starts to climb down the chair.
I laugh, helping her to the floor. “I don’t think it’s Wade.”
She lands and races to the foyer without missing a beat.
“We don’t answer the door without an adult,” I remind her.
She drops her hand quickly. “No touching.”
“No touching,” I repeat. “That’s right.”
I peer through the peephole and see Siggy.
“Hey,” I say, pulling it open.
“Iggy!” Rosie screeches. “Hi, Iggy!”
Siggy laughs. “Hi, sweetheart. Are you ready to go?”
She stands on the porch in a pair of jeans that are inherently trendier than anything I own and a navy-blue blouse with giant white flowers that makes her look effortlessly beautiful. A necklace with a light pink circle hangs on her tanned skin.
I blow out a breath. She’s a vision of put-togetherness, and I’m a hot mess.
“I forgot she was going with you today,” I tell her, grabbing Rosie before she makes a break for it. “I’m so sorry. Can you give me a second to get her shoes on her?”
“Of course. I’m in no hurry.”
“Thank you.”
Siggy steps inside as I hoist Rosie on my hip. I grab her shoes and carry them with us to the kitchen.
“Am I going with Iggy?” Rosie asks as I put her shoes on her feet.
“Do you want to?” I ask.
“Yes!”
Siggy ruffles her hair. “We’re going to Bellamy’s to play with Bree. Does that sound fun?”
“Yes!”
She climbs off the chair and takes Siggy’s hand. “I’m ready, Iggy.”
Siggy grins and looks at me. “I love that she calls me that.”
“It’s pretty cute.”
I follow them to the door.
“Can you go to the potty before we get in the car please, Rosie?” Siggy asks her.
“I don’t need to go potty, Iggy.” She furrows her little brow.
So serious. So, so cute.
“Why don’t you try?” I ask. “And we’ll wait right here.”
Siggy smiles at Rosie. “Yes, I’ll be right here. I promise.”
“Okay,” Rosie says, not amused but willing to participate to get it over with. “Wait for me!”
She runs down the hallway without a tantrum, thankfully.
“Are you doing okay, sweetheart?” Siggy asks me.
“Yeah. I’m great. Thanks. Are you okay?”
Siggy furrows a brow in a way that only a mother can do.
“You know you can reach out any time, right?” she asks. “If you need anything or want to grab coffee or want to go shopping. I can watch Rosie or go with you.” She winks. “I love shopping.”
“I appreciate that. I might take you up on it one day.”
“You do that.” She opens the door, and they step outside. “I’ll have her back this evening. Or you and Boone can come over for dinner. I’ll whip something up.”
I lean against the door. “I’ll ask him. He should be home soon.” I glance at my watch and realize he’s already late.
“Tell Jaxi goodbye,” Siggy tells Rosie.
“Bye. Love you,” Rosie says, waving over her shoulder.
I smile. “Have fun, Rosie. I love you.”
The words flow out of my mouth. I love you.
A lump forms in my throat.
Siggy straps Rosie in, gives me a wave, and pulls down the driveway. I’m about to close the door when another car pulls to the curb.
A man in a sharp white polo shirt and black dress pants gets out. He takes out a folder and a notepad before heading up the sidewalk.
“I’m a little late,” he says, giving me a bright smile. “I’m Danny Coutcher, if it wasn’t obvious.”
No. No, it wasn’t.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
“I’m supposed to meet with Boone Mason this afternoon.” He stops. “Am I at the wrong house?”
He looks around for the house number. I should have sympathy for him, but I’m too distracted to laugh about it.
“No, you’re at the right place,” I say.
A guy is coming by at six.
“He mentioned someone was coming but not until six. He’s not home yet,” I tell him. “I’m Jaxi. Is there something I can do for you?”
“Oh. Shit. That’s right. I had it in my head that I was supposed to be here at four, but he said he was getting home at four, didn’t he?”
I nod. “I think you’re very early.”
He takes a deep breath. “I tell you what. I’ll go grab a sandwich and kill some time, then be back around six.
” He rummages around his folder and pulls out a brochure.
He hands it to me. “Give this to him in case he wants to take a look at it before I get back. Or you can look at if you’re the partner that he wanted to look at it too. ”
A ball of lead coalesces in my stomach.
I take the pamphlet from Danny.
Savannah’s Premiere Apartment Rentals is printed in bold red font along the top of the front page.
I just want to go over a plan I have and see what you think.
My knees wobble, my legs turn to jelly, as everything snaps together in one big, sad puzzle.
This doesn’t mean anything. It could be a coincidence.
Danny is speaking, but I can’t focus. All I can do is hear my own words in my head and the sound of blood racing through my body.
You’re fine. The shoe dropped. Now you can go on.
This is a good thing. It’s a hurdle, and now you can jump it and leave it behind.
“Does that work for you?” Danny asks, probably for the second or third time.
“Um, let me ask you something,” I say, forcing a swallow. “Boone was going to show these to me and see what I thought. They look great. Do you have anything available now?”
I fight back tears and hope that he doesn’t hear the way my voice threatens to break.
“Anything available?” he asks, lifting a brow. “As in, a unit? To rent?”
I nod.
He shifts his weight. “Yes. We have a few units vacant.”
“I’d like one,” I say in a rush. “Boone was looking for me. Do you have a two-bedroom?”
I keep the words short. I focus on the transaction part of the conversation and not the idea of packing up our things.
Of Boone not wanting us here.
But that has to be it. There’s really no other explanation for this. And if I call and ask him and he has to admit his plans—that he needs some space—that will make it awkward.
I’m sure he was going to come home and play it off somehow. He wouldn’t be cruel. But it’s different now that I know. I’d have to play dumb and pretend I didn’t see what was really happening, and I’m not stupid.
I won’t pretend to be.
Danny presses his lips together. “Off the top of my head, I think we have a couple of two bedrooms. One might not be in that building,” he says, pointing at the brochure I’m holding like a live grenade. “But I can call Sheila, my assistant, and ask.”
“No, that’s fine. The building is irrelevant. What’s the price?”
His forehead wrinkles. “Twelve-hundred a month.”
I almost drop the pamphlet.
I can afford that—for a while, at least. The Kapowskis wouldn’t allow me to refund the advance for nannying, saying I’d need it for Rosie. And I have a little money from selling my car.
I have to live somewhere until I can find a job or relocate completely. This will work.
“Can I just do a couple of months? Three, at most.”
He scratches his head. “We don’t do that. But, since you’re a friend of Anjelica’s, I can make an exception.”
Who is Anjelica?
“I’ll take it,” I say quickly. “One of them. I don’t care. Three months.”
“Okay. Um, sounds good. Come down tomorrow and we’ll go over the rental application. The address is on my card that’s tucked inside the brochure.” He motions toward my hand. “You’ll tell Boone I was here?”
I nod. “Thanks for coming by. We appreciate it.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I don’t wait for him to turn around. I don’t say goodbye.
Instead, I bolt inside before the tears stream down my face.