There’s nothing left.

I stand in the middle of the foyer of my parents’ house, breathing in the silence.

Even the silence doesn’t have the same quality, now that the rooms are largely empty. Even my breath seems to echo against the empty walls.

Levi’s team didn’t waste any time.

My throat closes, and I have to swallow hard to keep the tears at bay. But I do. I didn’t come back here to cry. I came back here to figure out where the hell I’m going to go, now that things are over with the sale.

Now that things are over with Levi.

I move farther into the foyer, hitching my purse up over my shoulder. The wheels of my rolling suitcase go smoothly across the floor. It’s clean—very clean. Levi must have had cleaners come through after he had the last things moved to his warehouse.

My legs are heavy climbing the stairs, and with every step, the suitcase in my hand gets heavier. I thought I would feel refreshed just to be out of the city, but the closer I got to Conyers Farm, my rental car humming along the highway, the harder my heart pounded. 

It’s not the same here.

Obviously, it’s not the same here. I didn’t expect it to be the same here. I just didn’t expect it to feel so…impersonal.

I brace myself for more emptiness, but when I push open the door to what used to be my bedroom, I get a surprise.

It’s still intact.

Well, not entirely intact. There are no things left, but the bed is still made, pillowcases on the pillows, and there’s a single cashmere throw over the back of the armchair in the corner. 

Before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve taken my phone out and dialed my mom’s number. She picks up on the first ring.

“Hi, honey!” Her voice is buoyant, happy, and it takes me by surprise. I feel like shit. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone else is having a terrible week.

“Mom—” I’m about to launch into the question on my mind, but then my brain shudders to life. “Did you get some good news?”

“Oh, aren’t you sweet.” She laughs, the sound pure. “I think you know what good news we got.”

“Right.” I clear my throat, try again. “Right! The sale. You must be—you must be thrilled.”

“It’s hard to let some of those things go.” Her voice sobers for an instant. That’s exactly how long it lasts. “But Ruby, I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you did.” Mom laughs, and it almost rolls over into a big belly laugh. “You must have given him a run for his money!”

“Who?”

“Levi Blake!” She has to take a breath before she continues. “When your father told me how much he was offering, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t expect that kind of return from the auction, much less the estate sale. I don’t know what you said to him, or what you did, but we’re getting our money’s worth.”

My stomach twists. Mom was the one who warned me about Levi in the first place. I should have listened to her then. Only there’s a detail that doesn’t quite fit with the way she described the evil Blakes, ready to take us for all we had. “So you’re—you’re happy with the amount?”

“Oh, God, Ruby, it’s such a relief. It’s more than we need to cover Henry’s bills. We might have to be a little creative with a permanent place in the city, but it’s looking like Henry won’t need to be at Sinai for longer than a few weeks—”

“A few weeks? Really?” 

“Really! I was going to call you, but we’ve been doing some planning ever since your dad got the call, and I guess I got a little swept up in it—”

“No, that’s fine, that’s—”

“We’ll still have to sell the house, obviously, but that’s only a matter of—”

“Speaking of the house—” Interrupting her isn’t my favorite thing to do, but I can’t keep my mouth shut. “I’m here right now. Do you mind if I stay a few days?”

“You’re at the house?”

“Yeah. I needed—I just needed to get out of the city for a little while.”

“Is everything okay?” 

I want to tell her. I want to tell her everything. That I didn’t take advantage of Levi Blake. That I didn’t even really try. That he did me a kindness—that he did them a kindness—and something in my heart couldn’t tolerate it. I want to tell her that I’m mortified to be feeling this way when everyone is getting exactly what they need. Maybe I’m getting what I need, too, and I just can’t see it that way right now. I followed her advice. I let Levi do his work, and I was careful…in everything but falling for him. 

That was my only mistake.

And I’m not going to be the one to drag her down. To drag my entire family down. I won’t do it.

“Oh, you know, just—work stress. I had a few personal days.” I take in a slow breath and let it out. “I saw you kept the bed made up in my room.”

“We did.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “And a guest suite. Just in case we need to stay a few nights while we’re getting everything settled. There’s nothing in the fridge, but you can get a few things at the store.”

“Got it.”

“Enjoy yourself, honey. The pool’s all ready if you want to take a dip.” Then something else occurs to her. “Did you bring that Levi Blake with you? He must be smitten, given how he came through on that sale.” 

The ache in my chest almost keeps me from answering.

Almost.

“You know—” I laugh, just to prove that it’s true, even though it hurts to do it. “It didn’t get that far.”

“Are you sure about that?” She’s enjoying her own joke.

I play along. “Very sure.”

There’s a voice in the background. “Honey—” She covers the phone with her hand, muffling her voice, and then comes back. “Honey, I’ve got to go. Have a good time. Revel in the freedom.”

“The freedom?”

“All that space? Nothing weighing you down?” Mom sighs, a happy exhale. “Savor every minute.”