* * *
I didn’t remember how challenging moving can be. It took the next level of organizing to get everything done in a day. But Eli was sure that I was moving in today and not tomorrow.
My roommates and their partners helped with packing. My collection of books took the longest to pack as I want to keep all my 317 books in a specific order. It would be easier to unpack them that way.And yes, Haisley counted them all.
Eli, Ollie, and Jax helped carry the boxes from the car to the elevator at Richard’s Plaza. When I asked why we didn’t just hire the moving company, Eli told me that we don’t need one. In the end, he admitted to me that I was right—we should have got a moving company to help us with the move.
Maybe next time, if we ever leave the penthouse where we reunited, he’ll listen to me.
I still doubt it.
Carrying the last boxes upstairs, I stop to admire the view fromourbedroom. I can’t believe that this is my life. I get to live in the middle of my favorite place on the planet with my favorite person. It doesn’t get much better than this.
I get lost in my thoughts so I don’t notice Eli first. But when I do, I don’t scare away like the first time I saw him again. His presence makes me feel calm and loved instead of negative feelings.
“Dance with me, Rose,” Eli suggests as he presses play on his phone.
Lay Me Downby Sam Smith plays from the speakers. It’s like someone wrote our love story into a song. There must be many others too. But this song has been a reminder of him ever since I first heard it.
When the song picks up, we get closer. There’s no question about our passion and connection. I can feel Eli’s hard body next to mine. Turning my head, I kiss him showing how I feel right now. It feels like an electrical current is running through me.
This feeling right here is what I was missing all these years as I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, in the arms of my skater boy.
And I will never let him go again.
33
ELI
THREE MONTHS LATER – THANKSGIVING
Aweek after we got home from Santorini, Rose received an email from Cecilia, one of the interns at Bridgeway. She informed us that Andrew Duckett and Carol Whitman had left the magazine. When reading between the lines, it was clear that they left involuntarily.
It turns out that Carol’s brother works for the company that has lost business to Dalton Enterprises. Her goal was to write an exposé to ruin the rest of my already questionable reputation. Funnily enough, she couldn’t have predicted having awful morning sickness on the day of the interview. That’s how Rose ended up taking her place and coming back into my life.
We also found out that Andrew and Carol were having an affair. All their dirty laundry was in public after Carol’s husband, who saw text messages between his wife and her boss, visited the offices. The management wasn’t too pleased, and now Bridgeway no longer employs them.
The magazine still wanted Rose to author the second article. We had lengthy discussions on if she should do so or not. She was worried it would be too much after the summer we had. We still agreed to get her original work published. It took minimal effort to get her article ready for print, since Rose had done such a fantastic job during the summer.
The newly updated article was in last month’s issue of Bridgeway magazine. Rose got a one-time payment since she no longer works for them. She decided not to return there, even if she wanted to publish the original article. And it was a smart move.
After the article was published, my brilliant woman had more job offers than she could hope. Last week, Rose accepted a job offer from an online publication that posts articles on social issues and injustice. I’m proud of her for doing what feels right instead of struggling with a job she doesn’t enjoy.
But as you can only imagine, it was tough on my woman mentally. I think Ruth was the one person Rose talked to the most during that time. I didn’t mind as I knew how important her therapist was to her.
So, when Rose suggested that I take the entire Thanksgiving week off now that Garcia is back at Dalton Enterprises, I agreed with her. I would do anything she asked, even if it was last-minute and I had meetings scheduled. Thankfully, my assistant Poppy managed to work her magic, and my calendar was empty in less than 24 hours.
After the busy months that followed the first magazine article and our getaway in Santorini, we both needed this break. It also collaborated well with my sister’s holiday plans, and now we get to spend the entire week with my family for the first time together.
My, or should I sayour, niece Rosalie hasn’t left Rose’s side since she arrived with her parents three days ago. Those two are as thick as thieves. Rose loves being around children, and Peanut loves all the attention she gets from her new auntie Rose. Being with Peanut also helps Rose when she misses Leo and Chris.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone because my sister and her husband got to spend much-needed alone time while we look after Peanut and show her around the city. Well, at least that was the plan before my sister planned something else behind my back. She took Rose shopping yesterday to get to know her better.
Of course, my niece was more than happy to join them. They told her that she could come along if she kept their conversations secret. If you had asked me before, I would have said that little Peanut can’t keep secrets from me. But adding Rose to the mix, the entire recipe changed. Now I have no idea what’s cooking.
And I don’t mind one bit. I love seeing how well my family has taken Rose in. They accept her as a part of our family, just like I hoped.
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