Chapter 21
Fiona
When Jackson called, I had been surprised. When he’d told me Laird remembered, I had been shocked, and then I had been too scared to believe it. That he had forgotten me had ripped me apart, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up unless I knew for a fact that it was true, that he knew who I was again.
It was the miracle I had been hoping for, and I was terrified that it was a false alarm.
When I asked to speak to Laird, and he told me he missed me, I was almost ready to believe that the nightmare was over. When Laird told me he loved me, I knew everything was going to be okay again. He was back, and he wanted me. We would be together.
I hung up the phone, and I could dance I was so happy. Happy and relieved and instead of dancing, I sat down and cried. It was tears of happiness, tears of joy. Until now, I had been crying about what had gone wrong. Now, I cried about what had gone right.
Everything about my relationship with Laird, from how we met to the baby and our forever after to the amnesia had been like a movie. And like a movie, I was also getting my happily ever after. Everything was going to be okay again. There was nothing in store for me but a happy ending. And that was all I had ever wanted.
He had wanted to know when I could go to see him. He wanted me there as soon as possible, and God knows I wanted to get in my car and go. But I had to wait out my work week. It was only two more days in the office, and I had told Laird I would leave here first thing on Saturday morning.
But that felt like an eternity away. As soon as I finished crying and pulled myself together, I decided to push as hard as I could for work and threw myself at my duties. If I could finish earlier, maybe I would be able to leave earlier and drive to see Laird by Friday night.
Laird had sounded disappointed that I could only make it on Saturday, and I was, too. I wanted to go as soon as possible.
After I finished the most important project, I stood up and walked to Jamie’s office to tell her the news. I wanted to share my happiness with my friend.
Jamie wasn’t in her office or the break room when I searched for her there. I passed the conference room and heard gasping inside. I stopped and turned to the door, which was ajar. Slowly, I pushed it open.
What I saw made my stomach drop.
Jamie was in the conference room, against the wall with Randy pressed up against her in a make-out session that looked like it was heading in one direction very fast.
What the fuck was going on? My mind spun, and I took a step back, trying to make sense of what I had just seen.
Everything Jamie had said to me that had been strange made sense now. She had been fucking Randy behind my back. I knew she would never have done something while we were still dating – she was a bitch, but she would never do that to me. But that she was getting it on with my ex-boyfriend when she had told me to my face what a jerk he was, gave me a reason to end our friendship.
I turned to walk away but decided against it. It was what I always did. I avoided conflict and didn’t do anything to stand up for myself. Well, no more.
I pushed open the door to the conference room and cleared my throat. Jamie and Randy bounced away from each other as if that would change what I had caught them doing, and Jamie turned bright red. Randy didn’t look embarrassed or sorry at all, and that only pissed me off more. It was so typical.
“Fiona, this isn’t what it looks like,” Jamie said.
“Spare me the cliché, Jamie,” I said. “We both know that’s bullshit. You’re supposed to be my friend.’
Jamie swallowed and nodded. I appreciated that she wasn’t trying to make it sound any different than it was.
“Hey, babe, calm down,” Randy said.
“Don’t fucking call me that. Asshole.”
Randy put up his hands in defense, but he didn’t look any less neutral about it than before.
“You know what, Jamie?” I said, finding my words. “I came here to tell you everything in my life is perfect. That it’s all okay again. Maybe, when you’re not so busy, I’ll tell you what’s happened.”
Jamie wanted to say something, but I shook my head and lifted my hand, silencing her.
“And you,” I said to Randy. “You broke up with me because I wasn’t interesting enough for you. But I get it now. All this time I thought I was lacking. Now I realize you couldn’t see who I really was because you’re too in love with yourself. I’m not the boring one, you are. You’re working through all the women in the office. That’s so fucking typical. I hope you two are happy together.”
I turned around. I didn’t care about what they had done. It didn’t hurt me because I had moved on. Because I had my own happily ever after to go to. I had a man that loved me, and I loved him, too.
And that was all that mattered.
I turned around and walked out of the office. I had work to finish before I could go to the man who wanted to build a life with me. I was moving forward, finding love and life in a way I had never had before.
And Jamie and Randy? They were stuck right where they had always been. I hoped it was enough for them.
I was on my way to something that would be enough for me.