Page 64 of Shameless
I turned my attention to Isabel and asked, “How are things with Xerses?”
She shrugged. “There is nothing with him. We enjoy each other’s company during group meetings, but that’s it.”
I smiled and said, “Well, if you sell my house and come to North Carolina, you’ll be welcome to stay forever.”
Kelly stared at me, and I wasn’t sure what she was thinking.
Then Isabel said, “Thanks. Look, we need to go see Michael now, and you should join us to fix this.”
My heart pounded. He was in New York.
I swallowed and asked, “Where is he?”
Kelly said, “At that condo you bought together. We promised to visit, but we can circle back after.”
“No need. I’m tired and hungry,” I said quickly. Then I walked them to the door and said, “Just let me tell him in my own time about our baby.”
Kelly said, “Secrets and lies like that aren’t good.”
I nodded. She was right. I needed to fix everything somehow.
I said, “It won’t be long. I’ve not showered in days, and I don’t want to stink when I tell him.”
Kelly nodded. They both left, and I headed to clean up. All week, I’d refused to consider what I wanted because every time I tried, I kept thinking about him. So I needed him to see I wasn’t perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Michael
* * *
My entire body was heavy. Britney had just run out of the hospital and bought a plane ticket back to New York without saying a word.
I’d wanted to catch her before she disappeared. I needed to tell her how I felt and let the chips fall where they may. However, when my accountant informed me that the twenty-five million was returned, my stomach twisted.
We’d lost our child, and I hadn’t shown her or told her that she was the world to me.
I sat in the living room where we’d spent our wedding night in different rooms, but I couldn’t be still.
The second I’d come to New York, I’d wanted to bang on her door, but I had paperwork to handle with Jeff Norouzi and my accounts. My mind focused on her returned funds, and I’d lost steam. I had no idea what to say to her. So I’d come to my new, empty home and decided to regroup and make a plan.
Friends decided they would help me. Charlie and Kir stayed with me, talking after the women left. The day had turned into night, so I’d gone most of the day without a clue for a plan.
I took a deep breath and said, “Thanks for your help with the press.”
Kir said, “Don’t worry about anything.”
“You’ll always be one of us,” Charlie added.
For years, I’d been satisfied by surrounding myself with smart people whom I respected, but I was feeling like I’d been rejected when I hadn’t even told the whole truth. The Norouzis hadn’t blinked when it came out that Britney had been faking our relationship. I’d admitted that nothing had ever been pretense for me, and Charlie and Kir were standing guard as my oldest and best friends.
Someone knocked at the door though the doorman hadn’t rung up to notify me. I stood and headed to the door. From then on, I was going to handle all my problems straightaway.
However, when I opened the door, my chest expanded as I stared into the familiar blue eyes of the one person I’d ever loved. “Britney?”
She gazed past me and stepped back. “Oh, you’re still busy.”
She’d known I was there. My heart pounded. If she’d come, that meant something.
