Page 7 of When Fate Breaks
Or fifteen.
Another long stretch of silence passes. “I mean… Are you sure?” Blake finally asks.
“Positive,” I say, too quickly. Clearing my throat, I lighten my tone. “Are you in or are you out, Di Fazio?”
I can hear Blake let out a sharp breath through the phone. “Alright, Jacks,” he shoots back. “I’m in.”
My smile widens. “Cool,” I say, not very cool at all.
“Cool,” he mimics. I can picture him shaking his head, his lips pulled sideways into that crooked smile of his. “I just can’t believe it. I never thought I’d see the day.”
“What do you mean?” I question.
“You. Your own house.With a greenhouse. So domestic of you.” He whistles, chuckling. “When did you buy it? You said you just moved in?”
“Uh...um, yeah…” The lump has made a sudden reappearance in my throat. I reach out and snag a strand of ivy, twirling it anxiously between my fingers. “The house is actually in the family–”
“What?” Blake cuts me off.
“And, yes,” I go on, “we just moved in. Today actually.”
“...We?” he asks hesitantly.
“Yeah,” I say, letting the ivy fall from my fingers. “Me and my fiancé. Remy.” I swallow. “His grandmother left it to him.”
Great Grandma Mary Lou passed away nearly ten years ago now, but she’d left a clause in her will leaving this house to her oldest grandchild once they got married. Though we weren’t technically getting married for another two months, the lease on our apartment ended this month and Remy’s father insisted we go ahead and move in early. Stepping foot into the house for the first time today, I finally understood the marriage requirement. This is definitely a house for an adult. And a family.
Is that what we are now?
“Oh,” Blake’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “Well, wow, Evangeline. Congratulations.”
I’m unable to read his tone, but also refuse to let myself try. “Thanks,” I whisper.
The line goes quiet.
“So,” I say, “do you know how long it’ll take?”
“What?” he asks.
“...The greenhouse?”
“Oh,” he blurts, making me laugh. “Uh, depends. I won’t know for sure until I get there and see how big the structure is and how extensive the damage is. I assume you’ll want new plants added?”
“Definitely.”
“Then probably a week. Maybe two,” Blake says.
“Will your company let you come out here for that long?”
“Yeah, it won’t be an issue.”
“Well, okay…” I say, my cheeks warm.
“I’m actually just about to finish up a project here near Lake Placid in the next few days. Would it be alright if I came next week?”
My lips part.
Next week?
