I start laughing and rocking back and forth with her. “Only you would think somehow I’m going to be your matchmaker.”

“I’m so proud of you. You’re going to be amazing and you’ll miss me, but that’s normal.” Ashton giggles and grabs the pizza, trying to hide the tears I saw in her eyes.

I come up behind her and nudge her hips. “I’m going to miss you.”

“When do you think you’ll leave?”

“Not sure, but they need my answer by Tuesday. But I think I’m going to take it. I have a shitty relationship with my mother, my father is dead, and you’re all I have here. I think this’ll be good for me. I mean, running an office. It’s huge!” I say and try to reassure Ashton and myself.

“It is huge, but seriously you deserve it. I think they’ve been priming you for this position.”

We move to the table and talk through all the pros and cons. The only con we can come up with is her. I’ll be making more money, in a gorgeous area, my apartment is paid for, and I’ll be running an office. It’s a no-brainer.

“I need to ask you this: if you and Jackson were still together—would you go?”

Chewing the inside of my cheek, I try to be honest because my gut reaction is yes, I would. That’s the anger though. “I don’t know. It would’ve been a hard choice, but if he didn’t want me to go, I probably would’ve thought more on it. How sad is that, Ash? I would possibly give up my dream job for him.” I feel stupid for even admitting it, but I loved him that much. He would’ve probably been my choice.

“It’s not sad. What’s sad is that this is where you’re both sitting. He’s miserable, you’re miserable, he’s going to Virginia and you’re going to California.”

That news causes my head to snap up. “What?”

She looks over and shoves food in her mouth. “Hmmm?”

“What do you mean he’s going to Virginia?”

“Why do you care? You’re over it, I thought.”

“Don’t be cute,” I say, growing annoyed with her.

Ashton gets up and grabs the plate from the table. “That’s not possible. I’m always cute.”

“Right now I’d use another word,” I grouse, wanting to know what she knows.

She leans in so we’re eye to eye. “You shouldn’t care if he moves to Siberia if you’re so over it.” She kisses my cheek and walks out of the room.

She’s right though … I shouldn’t care—but I do.

The following weeks fly by. I inform Sean and the other partners I am definitely taking the job. We go over the timeline and they want me in California within the month. Which leaves me three weeks to get everything accomplished.

I was able to give Taylor two options since she was one of my big concerns. She could accompany me and become a publicist in the office with me, or she could stay in New York and take a smaller promotion. She and her boyfriend, well, now fiancé, decided to stay in New York where his job is. I keep catching her crying or refusing to pack up any of the things that are in my office. We’re in the process of moving all my accounts over to her until they expire. The clients are already familiar with her, and I’m positive she can handle them.

“There’s another delivery here,” Taylor says and she brings in a huge bouquet of Stargazer lilies. I don’t need to look at the card to know who it’s from. I’ve gotten something to remind me of our time together every few days. “Should I throw these out?” she asks being the ever-supportive friend.

“No, I’ll torment myself for a day or two.” I smile and return to the emails I have to handle.

“Can I read the card?”

“Sure, I don’t plan to,” I say turning my chair around.

I hear her taking short breaths and spin around to see tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Cat, please read this.”

My eyes close as the frustration starts to build. He won’t stop. It’s almost every day I get an email, text, card, or gift. “I can’t read it. I leave in two weeks. Please take it,” I plead and fight the urge to rip the card from her fingers.

I miss him so much it hurts.

Some days I want to cry, scream, fight, and run back to him. But I’ve allowed myself to be happy about where my life is going. I got the promotion I wanted and it’s better than I originally thought.

I was an open book. I told him about Neil, my father, Piper … hell, everything I could, but he kept his secrets. That’s not the love I want. The love I want is kind, honest, patient … not deceitful and hurtful. I know in my heart Jackson is nothing like Neil, but I can’t help but draw the comparisons here.

“People make mistakes, mistakes don’t make the people.” Taylor pauses at my desk putting the card in her pocket. “If he didn’t love you, or still think of you, none of these would be here.” She looks around the room at the various flowers, the game of Battleship, the lighthouse statue, and the letters that sit on my desk.

My heart accelerates as I look at each item silently taunting me, reminding me of the good times we shared. Why can’t he just go away? Why can’t he let me go? He did this. He severed all the trust I had. Ripped me to shreds and now I’ve had enough.

Taylor waits expectantly and I grow angry. “So I go back to him and say what? ‘Oh, by the way, I’m moving to California.’” I pause trying to rein in the sudden burst of emotion. “No, I’m leaving. I’m getting a fresh start, a second chance. I’m happy about this job and the move,” I stubbornly insist and turn in my chair.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let some other girl have a shot with a guy like him,” she rebukes and sits in the chair with her arms crossed over her chest. “I mean, hell, if things don’t work out with Quinn, maybe I’ll give him a call.” Taylor’s brow raises and my mouth falls slack.

I look at this sweet girl with a heart of gold whose horns are now showing. I don’t know whether to be proud or scared. “This is beneath you.”

“What?” she scoffs. “Truth hurts, sister. I never saw you as happy as you were with him.”

“Lies!” I burst out suddenly. “God! This is the part none of you are grasping. He lied to me! For months I sat by him, slept in his bed—a bed he probably shared with his wife.” I close my eyes trying to shut out the memories flooding in. “Wife. Say that out loud and let me know how it goes down, because I want to vomit every single time. She has a name. Worse than that, he had other people keep his secrets.”

“I’m not saying he was right.”

“Then what are you saying? Because all anyone wants me to do is let him explain. But here’s the thing, Tay, he can explain all day and it doesn’t change the fact that I got this amazing job. I’m moving to California and if I was still with him, I probably wouldn’t be. So in the end this is better for me!” I say exasperated.

Taylor stands looking at me with a weary expression. “I’m just worried. I don’t want you to run away to California.”

“I’m not running. I’m starting over—which I deserve. There’s nothing here for me other than you and Ashton. I need to finish up here and then I have some conference calls tonight. Can you make sure the new files are in the box to go to California please?”