Page 124 of Tell Me It’s Right

“We’re celebrating a fancy job offer. Yes, a fancy dinner is required.” He stops beside the avocados and carefully sifts through and squeezes them until he finds three he likes. “Speaking of the job offer, I want to know everything.” He frowns at his phone again, then throws a few limes into the basket.

“It’s an apparel renting service, so people can rent higher-end pieces for special occasions or whatever. The position is technically junior graphic designer and social media coordinator.”

“So it’s two jobs, basically.”

“With the paycheck of one, yeah.” A very sad, very small paycheck, especially considering what I’ve been getting from Liam. “Butthey offer corporate housing, which was one of the big sellers for me.”

“Corporate housing?” Liam asks as he takes my hand and wanders until he finds the spice aisle.

“It’s a fully furnished apartment in the city, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a long commute,andit’s fully paid for by the company.”

“Oh nice, so you don’t even need to worry about looking around for an apartment. Have you looked up the building? Do you like it?”

I shrug as he throws another few ingredients into the basket. “It’s a studio, but it’s no smaller than Leo’s basement. No amenities really, other than a common workspace and a tiny gym, but it has in-unit laundry!”

He glances at me sideways. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more excited about a washing machine.”

I swat his chest and gesture for him to move on to the next aisle. “Like you’d want to drag your laundry around the city to a laundromat.”

“Fair enough.” He swings our arms between us. “Does your building have parking?”

“Yes! And they pay for that too!”

“Damn. Rolling out all the stops.”

I don’t bother explaining the living accommodations basicallyismy compensation, and the starting salary is basically a littlehere’s a treatoffering because there is no way someone would be able to afford to live in the city on that alone.

“When do they want you to start?”

“Next week.”

His hand tightens on mine for a moment before relaxing again. “Next week,” he repeats softly.

Chapter Forty-Two

LIAM

She’s leaving next week.

I don’t let it show on my face. I can’t.

I have to keep smiling for her sake. I have to stay excited for her sake. She worked so damn hard for this. She must have submitted at least a hundred applications, and her talents have been wasted on me and my tiny shop in this tiny town. This is her big opportunity. I can’t ruin that for her. I won’t.

So I cook her dinner and pour her wine and ask every question I can think of about the new job.

And I smile. And I laugh.

And I tell her it’ll be fine.

And I don’t, not even for a second, think about Hailey.

I don’t think about having these exact conversations with her when we first went long distance.

I don’t think about how certain I’d been then that everything would work out. That nothing would change between us, not really.

That I could trust her.

But this is different.

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