Page 112 of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

Astrid didn’t. She barreled toward the front door, and Jordan had to run the last few steps to catch up with her. She grabbed her arm and whirled her around.

“Don’t say anything,” Astrid said. “Please don’t.”

“Of course I’m going to fucking say something,” Jordan said. “What the hell were you thinking? Why did you do that?”

“You know why. I can’t... I’m so sorry, Jordan.”

“Sorry for what?” Jordan asked, spreading her arms wide. “We’re partners in this.”

Astrid shook her head. “Partners don’t do this. They don’t steal credit and opportunities. They don’t lie.”

“Astrid,” Jordan said. “You weren’t... you didn’t...”

But she couldn’t finish that sentence, and they both knew it.

Astrid heaved a dry sob. “I was so close. I was so close to taking everything away from you. And you know what? I would’ve done it. I really think I would’ve gone through with it all if Meredith hadn’t emailed Natasha. That’s what scares me the most. That’s what...” She rubbed her forehead, sighing into her hands. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

Astrid waved her hand between them. “This. Us.”

“Hang on,” Jordan said, panic clouding into her chest. Surely Astrid didn’t meanthem. She was talking professionally.

Wasn’t she?

“We can fix this,” Jordan said. “Just slow down, okay? Let’s think for a second.”

“I don’t want to fix it,” Astrid said, her voice shaking. “Don’t you see? This is what needs to happen. Everything needs to fall apart so you can start over. Do this project as the lead designer, just like you were supposed to.”

“Astrid, I don’t want it,” Jordan said, anger rising to join with her shock and worry. “I told you from the beginning I didn’t want it.”

“But you do,” Astrid said softly. “I see the way you look at what you created. You love it, Jordan. You’ve just convinced yourself that you don’t, because you think you don’t deserve it.”

“I... that’s not what I’m doing,” Jordan said, but something in her—something hard and tough she’d built up inside her the second Meredith slammed the door on their life a year ago—started to crumble.

Astrid took a step closer and took Jordan’s face between her hands. She pressed their foreheads together. “Youdodeserve it, Jordan. You deserve every good thing.”

A sinking dread filled Jordan’s stomach. “Wait... Astrid, hang on. What are you—”

But Astrid didn’t let her finish. She kissed Jordan on the mouth, once... twice...

Then Astrid let her go.

And for the second time in Jordan’s life, she watched a woman she loved walk out the front door.

JORDAN STOOD THERE,staring through the empty doorway of the Everwood Inn, for a long time. So long, Simon had to come out and get her.

“Jordie?” he said, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

She turned to look at him. She felt how slack her face was, how void of any emotion, but she couldn’t seem to react.

Astrid left.

She’d left her.

“Is it true?” Simon asked.

Jordan turned away, blinked at the muddied front yard. The landscapers were coming in two weeks.