Chapter 24

Emma

I yawned, rolling onto my back and pulling my arms over my head. I stretched long and hard, feeling the comfortable bed with blankets and pillows all around me. The sun was shining through the cracks in the blinds on the windows, and I could feel the warmth of it hitting my face. I breathed in the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen, and my stomach rumbled, feeling hungry as usual. That was probably the best night’s sleep I had gotten in a really long time, and I hadn’t even remembered falling asleep the night before. I rolled over and looked at the clock, reading that it was a little after eight. Eight was sleeping in for me lately, with all the work that Greg and I had lined up. I felt better knowing I’d left him with a pro, and he was more than happy to accept the deal when I left. If the guy filling in for me wasn’t paid so well at Cogent, I’d be afraid of going back to Camden without a job to go home to. I knew Greg was loyal, though, and he loved working with me, even if he didn’t always show it.

Besides the sound of breakfast cooking, the house was quiet, and I assumed they had let me sleep while Sicily got ready and left for school. I had no idea what time she went in, but from the sound of the workload she had, she probably went before the sun came up. She really loved her school, but I couldn’t imagine having that kind of education when I was growing up. At the same time, Sicily was more intelligent than me when I’d graduated college, and she was only seven years old. I pulled myself up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard, looking around the room. I couldn’t believe I was there in New York City again, waking up in Brandt’s bed and staying at his beautiful top-floor penthouse home. If someone had told me I would be doing this three months before, I would have said it was crazy. I never thought that something like this could happen to me. I felt so comfortable there, too, like I was meant to live in his home, which was one of my biggest worries before I came.

Not only was his home comforting, but so was his family. They were the absolute best, and I was so happy that I was given such a warm welcome. Sicily was an incredibly amazing little girl with a spirit that I could barely even believe was real. She had laid her head on my belly, whispering to her new little brother or sister, and taking my heart right with her. I was attached right then and there in the first ten minutes of meeting her. It was amazing and beautiful, and I knew that it made Brandt super happy.

I pulled myself reluctantly out of the covers and went to my suitcase to find it empty. I turned and opened the drawers of his dresser, smiling down at all my things neatly folded in his drawers. He had made room for my things and put them all away. He was the sweetest. I pulled out a pair of leggings and a T-shirt and walked out into the kitchen, finding Brandt dressed for work in a very nice suit, plating eggs, bacon, and toast and turning toward me with a charming smile. I laughed, sitting down at the breakfast bar and taking a sip of the orange juice in front of me. I looked over and saw the juicer on the counter and realized he’d squeezed me fresh juice. Either he was the perfect man, or he was going miles out of his way to impress me. Whichever it was, I was not about to complain.

He set the plate in front of me and handed me a fork, leaning over and kissing me on the top of the head. I shivered, feeling butterflies float from my stomach up through my chest. He gave me butterflies every single time he touched me. It was something I had never felt before with a man.

“I have to go into the office for a couple of hours,” he said.

“No problem,” I replied with a smile. “I’m sure I can find things to do, naps to take.”

“I’m sure you can.” He laughed. “I was thinking, if you want, we could take a ride through the city when I get back. You can see the sights but not get that little pregnant body exhausted from all the walking. The car is available anytime, and we won’t have to drive, so it would be a nice stress-free ride.”

“I would love to,” I said excitedly. “I didn’t see the whole city last time I was here. I think I saw the inside of every store that Caroline dragged me in but none of the actual city.”

He laughed. “There definitely is a lot of shopping here. If you can’t find it in New York, you might as well give up on whatever you’re searching for. All right, I have to get going. I could stand here all day talking to you.”

“Have a wonderful couple of hours.” I kissed him tenderly on the lips.

I watched as he walked out of the house and shut the door behind him. I smiled to myself shaking my head and turning back to my breakfast. I ate it pretty fast, realizing how hungry I was when the eggs hit my lips. I stopped for a moment when it occurred to me that I didn’t wake up with any nausea, which was a first since I’d found out I was pregnant. Maybe it was another sign that all of this was meant to be. When I was done eating, I ate my breakfast, took a shower, and then went out on the balcony and texted with the girls until he got home. They had a million questions about the penthouse, so I sent them a view from the balcony. They were freaking out, and it made me laugh.

When he got back, Brandt came out on the balcony and kissed me, pulling his tie off. It was really nice being there to greet him when he got home. He was so handsome in his suits, and I could already imagine him in the boardroom being super serious. It was sexy in a way I had never thought about before. He changed his clothes, and we headed down to the town car out front. We started off by driving straight and then turning, making our way around the outskirts of the city. I watched as we passed through the different sections, or boroughs, as I was instructed by the driver. I could remember the night that I met Brandt, making my way through the crowded streets, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who were there. I could remember thinking about driving in that mess and how I would never be able to survive.

Brandt pointed out different architecture in the city, telling me all about the history behind the buildings. He showed me where the Italian Mafia from the forties used to hang out, where the twin towers used to sit, which was humbling, and where he worked. It was a huge mirrored building, and on the outside, there was a constant motion of roving armed guards. It was some serious stuff for sure. After that, he took me over into Jersey City to show me the city and the Statue of Liberty from a distance. I was overwhelmed at how beautiful the city was, both inside and from across the water. The buildings twinkled and sparked under the sunlight, and Lady Liberty was dwarfed by the enormity of the towering concrete jungle.

I couldn’t help thinking about my life and what it would be like if I moved there and called New York home. It was a huge place with enough to do that I would never get bored. The only thing I really worried about was feeling that small again, like I felt the last time I was there. I knew things were different then, though, and my experience with the city would be more positive. If I were to move there, I knew I would miss Camden and the small-town life. It was really all that I had ever known. At the same time, though, I didn’t feel whole without Brandt by my side, and I knew that wherever he was, I would feel like I was home. It was something that I had never felt before about anyone. Brandt and I were like magnets, and now that he was there in my life for good, I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I knew I would be miserable without him.

“I realized something today,” I said, looking over at Brandt in the back of the car with me.

“What’s that?”

“I realized how much I needed you in my life, how much you’ve given me in such a short amount of time,” I said. “I didn’t even know I was missing something so important. I feel at home wherever you are, and that is such an amazing feeling. I know how my parents feel now. I think I could be happy in New York City.”

“Really?” he said, scooting forward and taking my hand. “That’s the most amazing news. You make me feel like I’m home as well. And I love Camden, I really do, and if it weren’t for the company, I would consider moving all of us, me, Sicily, and my mom, out there so Sicily could have a more normal childhood, but I can’t leave.”

“Sicily needs the school she goes to,” I added. “There’s nothing like that in Camden. She would be so bored in those schools. This is perfect for her. I think it’ll be perfect for our child too. Now, I’ll eventually have to go back to Camden. I have a lot of things I have to take care of there. My house, my friends, my family, my job are all important, and I don’t want to abandon it all. I have to make things right and set it all straight. But life never felt as right as it does here with you. In fact, it started feeling that way as soon as you walked up to me outside of the café. I just didn’t realize it because I was so shocked.”

“And angry,” he pointed out, laughing.

“True.” I flinched. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “You had every right to be mad. You thought I was a married man, sleeping with you and then chasing you down in your hometown like a crazy person. I would have reacted the same exact way.”

“You’re so patient with me,” I said, smiling. “I know I can be a handful sometimes.”

“I can, too, believe me.” He laughed. “But I think on you, it’s adorable. I don’t want to be without you, even for a second. But I do understand that you’ll eventually have to go back and take care of everything, plus I kind of will need my artist back.”

“Nah, let Greg have him.” I laughed.

“He would kill me,” Brandt said, shaking his head. “I don’t think small-town is going to suit him well.”

We laughed with each other, no longer paying attention out the window, and instead, paying attention to each other. I could tell without a doubt that I was falling head over heels in love with this man, and it didn’t scare me, even in the slightest. I knew Brandt was the guy for me. I knew he was my future. In my mind, there was nothing in the world that could take that from me.