Page 3 of My Heart Belongs to You

My cheeks warmed. “You’re just saying that because you have to.”

“I’m saying it because I mean it.” He yawned. “I’m about to head out. Call me when you get back. Better yet, come to brunch tomorrow.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You never turn down free food. See you tomorrow.”

He was right, and since hiring a new chef, Ray’s had become one of my favorite places to frequent.

“Fine,” I replied with an eyeroll.

“That’s what I thought.”

I laughed before ending the call.

THREE MONTHS LATER

Ikilled the engine then sat in silence. Glancing to my right, I grabbed the bag in the passenger seat and pulled out a blue velvet box. Vanessa’s ring was perfect. The emerald cut diamond and gold band was the exact one she had on her vision board. It took me months to find the ring, and now that I had it, I couldn’t wait to pop the question. My plan wasn’t set in stone just yet. I wanted to run everything past her sister before making reservations at her favorite restaurant.

Before exiting the car, I put the box inside my work bag. I took a deep breath then unlocked the front door. I was bursting at the seams with excitement and adrenaline coursed through me. For three months, I'd fantasized about our proposal. Rose petals would lead the way to an arrangement saying “Marry Me”, backed by soft lighting. Her daughter Avery would then meet us with the ring in hand as I dropped to one knee. It would only be the three of us, like it had been for nearly four years.

My daydream ended abruptly when I opened the door to Vanessa wheeling two large suitcases toward me. I dropped my work bag onto the floor and met her pensive eyes.

“What’s going on?”

She huffed. “We’re leaving.”

“Leaving?” I asked under my breath.

Vanessa didn’t bother looking at me before stalking to our bedroom. I followed her, stopping to see if Avery was in her room. She was nowhere to be found. I had come to expect her welcome as soon as I came through the door.

“Where’s baby girl?”

“At Valerie’s.”

“Ness, what’s going on? Where are we going?”

“Me and Avery are moving to Seattle.”

She continued to the closet, snatched hangers from the rack, then tossed them onto the bed. My eyes widened, nostrils flared, and my hands curled into fists. Heat covered me from head to toe.

What the fuck is she talking about?

“Vanessa!” I grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “You need to tell me what’s going on. Why are you packing your things? And what is in Seattle?”

She moved her arm from my grasp. With narrowed eyes, she replied, “For months, I’ve been saying that I want a change. I applied for some jobs out of state and got hired at an agency in Seattle. It comes with a moving stipend, raise, and better benefits.”

My head was spinning. Just a month ago we were looking at townhouses, picking out floorplans, looking at paint swatches, when all along she was planning to leave me. This was unreal. She couldn’t possibly think this was okay.

“When were you planning on telling me about moving?”

Vanessa’s gaze seared into mine. “I said I needed a change.”

“Yeah, I thought you meant a bigger place or even a commitment from me. Not moving across the country.”

“I’m tired of Roseville; it’s too small. Too predictable.”

My eyebrows met as I stood dumbfounded in our bedroom. “What about us and the life we created together? Or was that too predictable?”