The next day, I’m in a taxi with Pete and Jade. Jade wanted to spend as much time with her dad as possible, so I agreed that we’d go with him to the airport. Ok, so it was partly so I could make sure he actually got on the plane.

“I’m going to miss you, Daddy.” Jade nuzzles into her dad.

He kisses her head. “I’m going to miss you too, but I’ll be back soon. Promise.” His eyes glance over her head to me. “Maybe you can come out this summer.”

“And play at the beach?”

“Yeah.” He raises his eyebrows.

I look out the window not answering him. He’ll fight me if he really wants her, but as soon as he’s back in his office, his attention will be consumed, so there’s a chance it won’t happen anyway.

The taxi pulls up to the curb at the airport and we all climb out, Pete paying.

“This is where we say goodbye, Bug.” My hands slide down her long hair, fisting it in a ponytail and releasing it.

“Can’t we go in with him?” she whines.

“They won’t let us past security.”

She pouts. Pete grabs his bag out of the trunk and sets it on the curb, then crouches down with his arms out. “I’ll miss you, Bug,” he says, holding her tight.

I have no idea how he does it. How he’s able to leave her for months at a time. Our situation sucks, but how can he not have a more active role?

His eyes close and then open. “Be good for Mommy,” he says, his voice quivering.

“I will.” He stands up and Jade comes to my side.

“Get your hair done or something,” he says to me, a crack of a smirk on his face. He’s testing the waters.

“Use that gym membership,” I say back.

We hug, patting each other’s backs and keeping at least five inches between our lower regions. It makes Jade happy to see us gracious to one another.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

Pulling back, I nod, tears pooling in my eyes. It’s the second time he’s apologized since everything went down. Not only for arguing with Reed, but for saying he still wanted me. Apparently two minutes after it flew out of his mouth he realized how ridiculous that was. So, he’s not a complete idiot.

Jade and I watch Pete go through the sliding doors, one last wave in our direction before the crowd swallows him up from sight.

Jade hugs my leg, tears free falling down her cheeks.

“Oh, Bug,” I say, the tears I was holding back, finding their release.

As we get back in the taxi, we each cry for two very different men who mean the world to us.

---

The next Monday, my heart is my throat until I drop off Jade and see Ned walking Henry up to the door.

Darcie and Georgia side-eye me but don’t approach. It doesn’t escape me that in their minds I went from two men to none. Not that what they think of me is high on my list of things to get me down.

I hug Jade, tighter than I usually do and head toward the train. By the time I get to work, I’m ten minutes late because of a train delay.

“You’re late,” Chelsea says, placing a coffee on my desk with a muffin.

I take off my coat, hanging it up and taking my bags to my desk.

“You didn’t have to.” I motion to the coffee and muffin.

“You’re my girl and I know you’re hurting. Carbs make people happy.” She smiles sitting down in front of my desk. “I hate to ask, but the steak…”

“Packing his stuff for New York is my guess.”

She nods, biting her lip. “Do you not want to talk about it?”

I shake my head and pray I don’t cry at my desk.

“Okay.” She stands and disappears into her office.

I type in my password and a lone tear slips because I stupidly put hottiereed as my password. I lift my notepad to write down the messages from the weekend to see a folded-up Post-it note stuck to my desk.

My head falls to the desk with a thump. He must’ve left it there the last time he was in here, but I’ve only just noticed.

“What’s this?” the door opens and Hannah waltzes toward my desk, concern in her dark eyes. “Are you sick?”

“She’s heartbroken,” Chelsea answers from her office.

“Why? What happened?” Hannah sits down in the chair in front of me.

“I’m a horrible person.” I rub my forehead.

She leans forward. “No, you’re not. Talk to me.”

“Reed got offered the DA position in New York City, he asked her to go, she declined. Hence the defeated head on the desk position.” Chelsea joins Hannah by sitting in the chair next to her. “I brought her a muffin. I’ll totally fill in until he’s out of your system.”

I sit up, grab a Kleenex and pat under my eyes. “What if I never get him out of my system?”

“You will.” She reaches forward and pats my hand. “Men are like that killer pair of heels in the shop window. They look so good, but you just know in the end, they’re going to hurt like a bitch.”

“That’s helpful, thank you.” Hannah looks at Chelsea with a what-the-fuck expression.

“She just needs to find another pair. How could he think you’d just drop your life and follow him?” Chelsea asks.

Hannah’s questioning gaze lands on mine. “Did he?”

I nod.

“What are you thinking right now?” she asks.

“That I want to run down to his work and tell him I’ll follow him to Africa if he wants me to.”

She laughs. “Thought so.” She stands. “My advice is to give it some time.”

My heart splinters thinking about more time away from him. I know it was the right thing to do for everyone involved, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

“You’re taking the rest of the day off.” Hannah walks to the coat rack, holding out my jacket for me.

“No, Hannah, I can work.”

She shakes her head. “Nope. You’re going home.”

I stand, my shoulders slumped as I slide my arms into my coat and Chelsea hands me my bags. They each pull me into a big hug. “You’ll get through this,” Hannah whispers.

“He wasn’t that hot,” Chelsea offers, and we all laugh a little because we know Reed actually was that hot.

“Now, you go.” Hannah opens the door and motions for me to leave.

I walk out, and when I reach the sidewalk, my mind wanders, wondering if Reed is in that building down the street. Is he packing a brown box to take with him? What could have been between us if the timing was right?

I shake my head. Weeks from now he’ll be gone, and I won’t have to worry about running into him. That should help me. Yeah, right.