“Wait, what did you just say?”
“Nothing. You’d think Nigel would be able to pull Francois off better since he’s a born Frenchman. But alas, his acting is subpar. I hope the four of you enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Watching Felix flirt with Kennedy right in front of me isn’t very enjoyable.”
“I know.”
We were both quiet for a moment.
“But Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“It really is all going to be okay.”
Maybe for everyone else. I could just walk away and let Kennedy and Felix be happy together. But then I’d be alone again.
The autumn wind blew and it was like I could smell Brooklyn in the air.
I’d fallen in love with her in the autumn.
And I’d lost her in the same season.
The smell of fall always made me miss her. It made me feel so much regret.
I stared at the three of them happily laughing through the window. I was pretty sure I’d always be on the outside of happiness looking in.
Homecoming - Chapter 28
Thursday
Brooklyn
“This is too much,” I said as I stared at the townhouse with the “sold” sign out front.
“Oh, it’s not that one,” Tanner said. “It’s actually this one.” He pointed to the one next to it that looked almost the same from the outside. “I um…haven’t put it on the market yet.”
The one without the sign looked even nicer. I turned to Tanner. He was holding a sleeping Jacob in his arms.
“Mrs. Alcaraz doesn’t mind if I stay with her a few more nights,” I said.
“I know. But I want to do this. I promise it’ll all make sense.”
He kept saying weird stuff like that.
“If you don’t like it, we can drive back to Mrs. Alcaraz’s. But at least go inside and take a look around. See if it could work for you.”
“Well, how much is the rent?”
“Zero dollars.” He walked up the front steps and pulled out a key.
“Tanner, I’m serious.”
“So am I.” He opened the front door.
It looked like the house had been completely redone. Some of the original molding had definitely been restored. And the wood floors were immaculate. I walked through the entryway and it was like my heart stopped.
The kitchen was yellow.
