Page 11

E merson

“I got the job,” I tell Layla.

She shrieks and I grin, pulling the phone away from my ear as I wander through Central Park. Layla finally calms down and I hold the phone back to my ear.

“So does that mean that you’re not coming back to Los Angeles?”

“Well, I’ll have to so that I can pack up my stuff and move it over here. I have two weeks to find a place to live, pack up and move here. I already sent in my two weeks notice to the gallery back there.”

“I’m so happy for you! You’re going to be killing it in New York,” she says excitedly.

“Thanks,” I say with a smile that only feels partially forced

Everything would be perfect, if not for the mess with Anthony last night.

“What’s new in Los Angeles?” I ask, wanting a distraction from my thoughts.

“Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about something too.”

“Uh oh,” I joke and I hear her laugh.

“Nothing bad! I promise. I’ve been thinking and well, I need a change of pace too. Plus I miss you. I was thinking that if you moved to New York, maybe I would join you. We could find a place to rent that’s even smaller than our place out here!” she jokes and I laugh but I know that she’s right.

I’ve been looking at apartments already and we’re going to have to live in a shoebox in order to be able to afford the place but I know that Layla will make it fun.

“That would be awesome! But are you sure that you want to move out here? New York is way different from Los Angeles.”

“I know, I know. I’m going to have to get more black clothes and all that. It just feels like I need a change of scenery, new guys to go out with, new clubs to shake my booty at.”

I laugh at that and take a seat on a nearby bench.

“Have you talked to the landlord about us not renewing our lease?”

“I will as soon as we hang up. You want me to start packing up boxes?”

“Yeah. I was thinking about buying a plane ticket and leaving my car here. Eden said that I could leave it parked in one of their parking spots until I got back. That way I could help you drive the moving truck.”

“I can pick you up from the airport,” she offers.

“Perfect. Let me send you some of the apartments that I saw. I wanted to sign a lease before I went back to Los Angeles.”

I send her a few links and stay on the line as she looks through them.

“I like that second one. Plus, it is the biggest.”

“Yeah, and that’s the one that had an open house this morning so I went to check it out. It’s in a good neighborhood, the building seems safe and it’s not the size of a postage stamp.”

She laughs at that and I promise her that I’ll go sign paperwork as soon as we hang up. She tells me about a date that she went on a few nights ago and I fill her in on Anthony. She’s ecstatic that we slept together and says that she knew that we would be perfect together.

Then I tell her about him not answering me when I asked him what this was and she quiets down. I admit that we slept together last night—again—and how I had blurted out that I love him.

“What did he say?” she asks, her tone cautious and I bet she can hear the sadness in my voice.

“Nothing,” I whisper, blinking back tears as I remember last night.

I had just had the orgasm of my life and wasn’t thinking clearly and I just couldn’t hold the words back any longer. I don’t think that I had even realized that they had been on the tip of my tongue for days now.

“What a dick!” Layla says, immediately having my back.

I smile, loving her even more for her loyalty.

“We both just laid there afterward and it was dead silent. Eventually I got up and left the room and slept in the guest room next door.”

I wince even as I tell her that.

God, it had been so embarrassing. Both of us lying side by side, staring up at the ceiling as the silence spread and spread.

I had been close to tears when I climbed out of bed and hurried out of the room and next door. I had laid awake for another two hours, hoping like hell that Anthony would come after me, would come say anything , but he never did.

“Are you still staying at his brother’s place?” Layla asks and I clear my throat.

“Yeah, but I’m leaving today. I need to get back to Los Angeles but it’s just too awkward to be here with them now. Which sucks, because I actually really like Eden. His brother isn’t too bad either. A little antisocial but still seems like a good guy.”

“Let me know if you need anything. And text me when your flight lands so I can pick you up!”

“I will,” I promise her before I stand up and head back toward the apartment that we’re going to rent.

It takes me an hour and a half to fill out paperwork and then make it back to Alexander and Eden’s penthouse.

I run into Eden at the elevator and she congratulates me on getting the position. I tell her about the apartment that we just rented and about Layla moving out here with me and she hugs me before she makes me promise to text her about a girl’s night soon.

“I’m actually about to head to the airport and book a flight back to Los Angeles. I’ll drive the moving truck out here with Layla. Are you sure that I can leave my car parked here for a few days?”

“Absolutely! We don’t use our parking spot, so it’s no bother. Why don’t you let us help you with the plane ticket. It will be our way of saying congratulations.”

“I can’t let you do that,” I try to argue but she’s already pulling out her phone and hitting some buttons.

“It’s already done,” she says with a smirk.

“Thank you,” I say, choking back tears.

I might not be able to see her again. Not with the way things are with Anthony and I realize just how much I’m going to miss her.

“Has Anthony heard anything back yet about the audition? I haven’t talked to him all day, but he was supposed to hear back today, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“I know that Alexander would never admit it, but it’s been so nice to have you and him here with us these last few days. We don’t get to see family that often.”

“I haven’t heard from him either. I hope he got the spot though.”

Eden gives me a strange look, her gaze searching my face and I wonder if she can tell that my heart is breaking or that things aren’t right between Anthony and I.

“Me too,” she whispers, giving me another hug.

The elevator doors open and I head upstairs and down to my guest room. Anthony is out and I hurry to pack up my belongings and get out of there.

“I called our driver. He’ll take you to the airport. He’s waiting downstairs,” Eden says as I drag my suitcase back downstairs.

“Thank you for everything,” I tell her, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

“Anything, anytime, Emerson. And don’t worry about Anthony. He’ll pull his head out of his ass soon. I promise.”

I choke on a laugh, tears threatening to spill as I hug her tighter.

“Thank you.”

I take one last look around as I grab my suitcase and head for the elevators. The whole way to the airport, I wonder if she’s right.

And if I even want him to come after me.