Page 60 of Date and Switch

“Yes? No?”

“Bryce, I don’t want to get in the middle of this thing between you two.”

“There’s no thing.”

I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. I just needed to know whether or not I needed to follow up with the attorneys or call them off if Sera decided she wanted to stay in New York and pursue other interests—like that stupid cruise ship contract. At least that’s what I told myself anyway.

“You should call her. Flat out. If you have questions for her, she’s the best one to answer them.”

I knew it was a losing battle with Tillie. She wouldn’t give up the goods, no matter how badly I needed to know. I’d call the attorney next, see if he’d had any movement on his end.

“One more thing. Can you tell me what you were paying Sera while she was on the ship. I’m just curious because she paid off the entire room tab. Which was a hefty chunk of change, and I’m worried she did it even though she really didn’t have the money to do so.”

“I can’t really discuss specifics with you, Bryce. But if I had to guess, she probably made about two thousand a month”

“That’s what I figured. Thanks Till.”

The attorney wasn’t much help either. He did say however there weren’t any counter offers on the contract. Either that meant she was accepting it as it stood, or she’d decided not to take it at all.

Being back home didn’t provide me any solace or relief. The house felt flat. Dead. I loved my house when I bought it. The first thing I’d bought with money I earned entirely on my own. It was mine free and clear. Not something gifted to me by my dad or grandad. It wasn’t even paid for with Ellis Enterprise money. It was paid for from side gigs, consulting jobs, anything extra I could find while I was working my way up and gaining my dad’s trust. The house was a dilapidated mess when I bought it, so I got it on the cheap. And with Sarah wanting to design it as part of a school project, I saved a ton on the cost of an architect, and she obtained most of the materials for the project for me at cost.

As I walked through each room, remembering long forgotten memories of the two of us discussing details and options for each space, I realized thinking about her didn’t hurt. Not in the way it had before I left. I walked into the master bathroom—the place where the beginning of the end initiated, and even in that room it was simply a dull ache in remembrance of something that happened there.

The realization surprised me. Intent on testing the theory further, I grabbed by keys and headed into the city.

“Bryce? What on earth are you doing here? You’re so tan!”

I felt like such a different person than I’d been seven months ago. Yet, Sarah looked exactly the same. Honey blonde hair blow dried totally straight and held back by a headband, dressed in her usual tan dress and sensible heels. She looked like she did every day I knew her. Elegant, classical, existing in a world between camel and khaki. It was as if the last seven months didn’t exist as she air kissed me and grabbed my shoulder.

I felt nothing. Not nothing in the I feel empty and desolate. I felt no emotion toward her. Not anger or hurt. Not even a feeling of friendliness or the slightest suggestion of a love that used to be there. If she passed me on the street I would smile and wave but wouldn’t make the effort to cross and say hello. That realization shocked me. Given how torn up I’d felt over her wedding dress appearing in my cabin, I thought seeing her would bring on a host of emotions I’d have to deal with again.

“I wanted to tell you I’m putting my house up for sale. I know you did a lot of work on it. I came here both to let you know in case you and whatever his name was wanted to purchase it privately before I list it. And also, I wanted you to know I listed you as the architect on it. Even though it was your thesis and not something you did with your present company—it’s your vision that made it so beautiful. You deserve to have that credit.”

She nodded her head, tucking a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear.

“That’s really sweet of you. Crediting me, I mean. I appreciate that. Thanks for letting me know about the house. I don’t know if I could live in it though. It would seem—weird. Off somehow.”

“I’m going to sell it fully furnished. If there was anything in the house you were particularly attached to you didn’t grab in the first round—now’s your chance.”

Whether it was my imagination, or the sun in her eyes, or maybe actual regret—when she finally looked up at me, her eyes appeared to be glassy.

“I’m good, Bryce. Thank you.”

I nodded, turning towards the door when I heard her say, “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. For the way I handled things. And the mean things I said. You didn’t deserve that.”

There wasn’t anything really left to say. I just continued out the door, waving over my shoulder as I did.

forty

I’d expected my sister and brother to be more emotional somehow when I announced I decided to move to Chicago. More than anything, Rex seemed relieved that someone would be close to Mom and Dad. Felicity was excited we would both be working in the same industry. Though TV and radio weren’t exactly apples to apples. It seemed to be so in her head. Though over six months away, she pinkie promised she would come home for Christmas and even convince Rex to come as well.

“You look as bad as he does.” Penn greeted me at the airport with Raven, helping me with my bags.

“I’m fine,” I told him, though I didn’t feel it.

“I swear, Bryce needs to get his head out of his ass. I want you to know I didn’t tell him he needed to break up with. I asked him to really think about what he was doing. If I knew he was going to look and act like this, I would have kept my mouth shut.”

“You should have kept your mouth shut, regardless.” Raven raised her eyebrows at him, her lip curled in obvious annoyance with her husband. “I told you to stay out of it, and yet you decided to meddle anyway. And now, look at the poor girl. She looks like a damn country song.”

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