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“Sounds good, sugar. And you come back and eat real soon. See if you can drag that sexy ex of yours with you. Just the sight of him gets my ticker moving faster.” Loud, bellowing laughter escaped her over-lined tangerine lips, and it made me laugh right along with her.
I waved as I zipped up my jacket and stepped outside. It was breezy and gray today, and the weather matched my mood. I could smell the salty sea in the distance, and I walked a few blocks toward the water, toward the place that held memories I hadn’t allowed myself to think about in several years.
I turned the final corner and saw the large redwood tree in the distance, and I sucked in a breath when the white ranch house with black shutters came into view. It had a wraparound porch with four red Adirondack chairs that matched the color of the door. A red barn sat off in the distance, but it looked to be under construction. I swiped at the tear that broke free and trickled down my cheek, and then I cursed myself internally for being weak.
It was just a house.
Just a silly dream I’d had as a teenager.
I didn’t know why it was hitting me so hard. I stood there staring as the lump in my throat made it difficult to breathe. I glanced beside me at the large tree with exposed roots poking through the dirt-covered earth. I moved closer to it and walked around the back side to find what I was looking for.
PD + CR with a heart around it.
I remembered the day that Cage had carved our initials into this tree with his pocketknife like it was yesterday. I traced the letters with my finger and squeezed my eyes closed. I could still feel his lips on mine when I allowed myself to go there.
Maybe it was the emotion of everything I was going through right now… I’d filed for divorce the day that I’d left New York. The whole world knew that Wes and Corona were having a baby, my father was not well, my mother was as cold as she’d always been, and my ex-boyfriend—the only man I’d ever truly loved—was living in the house that we’d always talked about building together someday.
It was a lot.
I dropped down to sit in the deep crevasse between two thick roots erupting from the ground. It had been my favorite spot so many years ago. I just wanted to stare at the place and take a minute to catch my breath.
I’d always been a survivor. Even when my world had fallen apart, I’d been able to pivot. To come up with a new plan. To hold my head high. To keep moving forward.
To be strong.
But right now, I felt completely lost. Completely alone. Completely unsure of what tomorrow would bring. Of what I even wanted it to bring.
I had no fight left in me.
Everything that I’d worked for professionally was a breath away. I was about to be named partner at one of the most prestigious entertainment law firms in the country. I’d been interviewed by a reporter forNew York Lawmagazine, and they were printing the story about my success at the firm, about a step forward for all women in the legal world, which would be available for everyone to read in just a few days.
I should be celebrating. Over the moon.
Happy, at the very least.
Yet, even before news broke of my husband’s infidelity, I hadn’t felt any sort of joy about achieving what I’d wanted for so long.
Maybe I was burned out. In need of a break.
My boss, Phillip Harper, was the most senior partner at the firm. He’d encouraged me to work remotely and take all the time I needed with my father. I wasn’t certain if it was out of genuine concern for my dad or because he felt terrible for me that my marriage was being splattered all over the press. Phillip had always been like a second father to me. We were very close. He’d taken me under his wing way back when I was just an intern, and he’d been the one to introduce me to his biggest client, my soon-to-be ex-husband, Wes. So, he was in an awkward position, as the two of them had always been close friends.
The other two partners, Grant Walker and Ben Beezley, were not excited about having a female partner who was also much younger than them, and they’d done everything in their power to stop it from happening. But Phillip had stayed true to his word, and I’d be an official partner at the end of the quarter.
Harper, Walker, Beezley, and Duncan.
It had a nice ring to it.
And I’d paid a hefty price. I’d traded in love and family and any sort of relationship to chase this dream.
I shook off the feeling and blinked multiple times to keep the tears at bay. I chuckled when I looked down to see my scuffed tan booties, knowing that my mother would be horrified that I hadn’t gone back to the house to fix myself up before heading out.
I didn’t care how I looked right now. I was doing my best just to keep it together.
I squinted up at the sliver of sunshine trying to peek through the dreary clouds.
It was the way that I felt. Like I was being sucked up by the darkness, and I was desperately trying to find the light. To find my way out of this.
“Presley?” A deep voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see Cage walking toward me. “You okay?”
