Page 129 of Waiting for Acceptance
“Something more than love? Love so deep that you’d leave him and break your own heart in the process just so he doesn’t lose everything he’s worked his whole life for?” I’m filled with gratitude for the way she recognizes how fucking hard this has been.
“They don't care about love, Ruby. They care about status, climbing the corporate ladder, and making sure he stays at the top. From what I gathered at least.” She sits with the information for a minute, then looks at me.
“Do you actually think he’ll do it?”
“What?”
“Marry someone else just to take over the company?” My heart cracks straight down the middle at the very mention of it.
“I don’t know.” I take another long sip of my wine.
She tilts her head, looking at me expectantly. “Lauren.”
“What?”
“Think back over the last few months, and tell me if the man you fell in love with would really marry someone else just for his career.”
“I don’t want to think about it, Ruby. I just want to go to sleep and wake up from this nightmare.” She gives me a sympathetic look and nods.
“I’m sorry. Get some sleep. I can’t guarantee the nightmare will be gone when you wake up, but I’ll be here when you do.” We snuggle up on her couch, turning the volume up on the TV and I silently cry myself to sleep. Because while I know I made the right choice in leaving, the choice to not be selfish and give Fitz the space he needs to make a clear-minded decision about what he wants for his future, my heart is still scattered in a million pieces all over New York. And the only person who could pick them up, is still there as well.
And is now calling me for the fifteenth time since I left him at that party.
“I’m not going to wake her up.” The sound of Ruby whispering wakes me, but I can’t manage to open my eyes.
“Well, it’s not fair that you got to nurse her broken heart by yourself last night. You should have called us.” Taylor’s unmistakable voice catches my attention next. “I work the night shift, I’m used to dealing with unstable patients on very little sleep.”
“Okay, well I’m sorry you guys, but she cried herself to sleep last night so she’s probably exhausted. I’m not waking her.”
“You already did, you troll. You can’t whisper for shit. And I’m not unstable.” I groan, pulling myself to sit up on the couch, seeing Taylor, Shane, and Leah standing in the kitchen with Ruby, coffee, and breakfast bags in hand.
“Hiiii,” Taylor coos. “Of course you’re not.” I roll my eyes at her as she hands me a coffee, then my face turns down and my lip starts quivering.
“Maybe I’m a little unstable.” I shove the coffee back at Taylor and I can see the confusion on her face.
“What the hell did you do?” Shane whispers, not so quietly.
“I handed her her favorite coffee,” she answers cautiously.
I take a deep breath, grabbing one of the tissues from the almost empty box.
“He paid attention to what I liked, you know? Like, for so long I thought he was up my ass at work to piss me off, but then—” I take a few shaky, sniffly breaths. “Then he took me to get tacos one night and then started bringing me my favorite coffee. It’s a hard order to remember, you know?” They all shake their heads, even though I probably sound insane right now, rubbing my arms in a comforting way while I lose it over a fucking cup of coffee.
“What happened, sweetie?” Shane asks, and I motion for Ruby to tell them because I physically do not have it in me to go through everything again. It hurts too much.
“So she left him, to make sure he didn’t lose everything,” Ruby concludes.
Well, shit. It hurts just as much hearing it as it does saying it.
“Well, lucky for you, we’re all free as a flock of birds today and we’re going to do whatever you want. Manicure? Pedicure? Day drinking? You name it,” Leah says, brushing my hair out of my face. I roll my head and look at her.
“Re-start last night’s episode. I am part of this couch now.” They all give me a sad, yet understanding look. “And give me my coffee.” Taylor hands me the coffee then picks up the box of tissues, handing it over as well.
“Just in case,” she whispers with a wink, pulling my legs into her lap and snuggling up next to me as the curls from her messy bun flop around. The rest of the girls pile onto the couch, and we stay there for the rest of the day. Tank brings us food and informs me that he’s fed Ginny for me. Hendrix snuggles me and brings me his favorite stuffy to make me feel better, and my girls don’t leave until they absolutely have to.
They’re the truest form of family I’ve ever had.
CHAPTER 65
