Page 121 of Lucky Penny
“Look at me!” I throw my hands up, crumbs falling out of my mouth. “I barged in on your lovely idyllic Saturday morning, and I’m a blubbering mess.”
Rhett laughs. “Penny, you’re family.” He stands. “But also, I’m going to go to the workshop so y’all can chat, because you already know my advice.”
“Red, we can’t all just leave the city for our man,” I grumble, but he laughs and skips out the back door.
“I want what you two have.” I flash a tiny smile at Audrey.
She stays quiet, hesitating. Probably overanalyzing every word I said until she comes up with the perfect solution.
When she opens her mouth, her voice is soft but firm.“You know, Rhett’s not wrong.”
I furrow my brows, and she exhales, tracing her fingers over a groove on the farmhouse table.
“What I’m saying is…you could move there, and almost nothing would change with your business. You already travel for most of the weddings, but your home base could be there. With him. And Fia. Your family.”
The idea is like a shock of cold water to the chest.
“But I built my lifehere. I have my classes, my condo…you.”
Audrey shrugs, her hazel eyes kind. “Sometimes the best things in life can’t be planned.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m hugging my best friend goodbye on her front porch.
“You sure I can’t just stay here, and avoid everything?” I ask, only half-jokingly, but she shakes her head.
“Nope. You’re going to go home, shower and change, and drive to Wilmington. You’re going to spend the day with Jesse, and you’re going to tell him the truth about how you feel. And have some amazing sex. You need to get laid.”
“First, you’re not wrong. Second, I suck at dating.” I’m getting better, but a committed relationship is still new. I feel like a fish out of water.
“You do not, it’s just new for you. Now, go on,” Audrey replies, a little twang in her voice.
I pause and look her over. “My god, Audrey, you sound like Rhett’s mother.”
Audrey gawks at me, and I smirk, waving goodbye.
I leave feeling full, buzzed on coffee, and warm. She has that effect.
I check myself out at the red light in the sun visor mirror. My hair is messily knotted on top of my head. I didn’t even have a chance to put on makeup this morning. There’s a dollop of lemon zest icing on the front of Jesse’s black sweatshirt that I’ve worn for three days straight, and the pink rainboots I slipped on are obnoxiously bright.
It’s fine. It’s all fine.
If I’m really fast, I can shower, change, pack an overnight bag, and be in Wilmington by noon. Well, noon-ish. Jesse has a training seminar tomorrow, so I’ll hang out with Fia. If she’s not working.
It’ll give me less than twenty-four hours with him, but I don’t care. I just need to hold him. I need to see his face, to know this is all still real.
There’s a coveted street spot outside my building, and I snag it, parking haphazardly, but I’ll be quick. My heart pounds in my chestas my limbs carry me straight to the elevator. Floor three. I press the button hard. Then again, three more times for good measure.
Is this crazy? Maybe I should give him a heads-up that I’m coming. I thought it was romantic, but what if he’s busy and then I’m a burden? I pull out my phone, staring at a photo of him as my background. I can’t get myself to text him.
Fuck.
This isn’t a good plan. I can’t go. We said we’d do things casually, and this is borderline neurotic.
But then again, I threw casual out the window when I told him I loved him.
The elevator doors ding open, and I start down the hallway, my boots squeaking as I speed walk down the polished cement corridor, still unsure what I’m going to do.
My throat’s growing hot and tight with each step. Why do I have to be like this? Why does love have to be so complicated? Why did he have to move back and steal my heart and consume every fragment of my mind?
