Page 114 of Levi

“You can’t wait to crack the whip, huh?” Syd winks.

“I have a lot of deadlines to meet,” I correct.

“You, my friend, are officially sounding like a boss lady.”

I toss my hair with a dramatic flair, owning the title.

We dissolve into giggles.

“On a serious note,” Syd starts, “we’re being silly and juvenile, but I can’t tell you what it means to me to see you smile again. You haven’t sounded this lighthearted in so long, I almost forgot the sound of your laughter.” Her words tug at my heart.

Just like that, I go from elation to sadness, as the weight of the last nine and a half months washes over me.

“It’s been a long road out of hell,” I say.

“But look at you, rising from the ashes.”

“I never thought the day would come where I would stop stressing over Dad’s business. Gone are my constant anxiety attacks. I knew it was never Daddy’s intention, but there was so much out of my control.”

“And here you are fighting back like the heavyweight champion of the world.”

“Yeah, I’m still throwing the punches,” I agree. “In a little over a month since bumping into Levi, I’ve had to pinch myself daily just to make sure I wasn’t sleepwalking.”

“This is as real as it gets,” Sydney affirms.

I nod, emotions making it hard to speak.

“I only have a few more minutes left on the clock, babe,” Sydney breaks the silence. “Before I go, show me what I’m supposed to transform into a little oasis.”

“Oh, yes!” With quick steps, I cross the office, enter the warehouse and head to the back of the building. I exit and walk the short distance to a patch of land attached to the building. “I was hoping to create a cool little seating area with greenery over here for my mighty team,” I say before turning my phone.

“Move your phone from left to right so I get a better view,” Sydney shouts.

I do as I’m told.

“That’s totally doable,” she says, her words dripping with confidence. “That shouldn’t take more than a weekend of work with a small crew.”

I turn my phone so we’re looking at each other. “Really?”

“Yup!” she confirms. “I’ll come by to scope things out first. Trust me, I’ll make it really nice for you and your employees.”

“You’re the best, Syd!” I exclaim.

“You deserve this, Jules,” she says. “Okay, I have to go. Thanks for the virtual tour!”

“Talk to you later!” I blow her kisses through the phone.

She does the same.

“I should also get back to work,” I mutter to myself when I end the call.

I tuck my phone into my back pocket and return to the warehouse.

An hour later and I’m sitting in a cloud of bubble wrap. I managed to unpack three steppers and two treadmills. After giving them a good wipe, I moved the equipment to the side so they’re no longer in the middle of the space.Yay me!

“I need a break. And a boost of energy,” I grumble to myself as I admire my work. Famished and desperate to stretch my legs, I dust off my jeans and head to the tiny kitchen to wash my hands. I open the fridge and laugh. Other than the bottles of natural energy drink Alice bought, it’s pretty bare. I grab a bottle, crack it open, and just when I’m about to take a sip, I remember I didn’t charge my phone.Crap.I drop the bottle on the counter and head to the warehouse. It takes forever to find the stupid thing under all the bubble wrap.

“There you are!” I sigh in frustration, holding my phone up in victory.