"Well, fuck that." She pulls her knees up to her chest. "Now, who am I going to fuck?"
"One of the thousands of boys at school?" I offer. "I can think of at least five who would probably do you tonight.
"I've done those." She purses her lips. "Maybe I need to go to Europe to find a fiancée." She says the last word with the playful lilt of a French accent.
"That's a great idea. You should do it."
"I was kidding." She pulls herself lazily to her feet. "I'll be stuck here forever."
"No. You won't." I stand up to pull her into a tight embrace. "There are always teaching jobs in Europe. Think about it. After graduation you could go there and start a brand new adventure."
"I could." A smile pulls at the corner of her lips. "I totally could."
"Start saving." I hold her hand tightly in mine as we walk towards the door.
"Enjoy your first night in your brand new place, Sadie." She kisses me on the cheek. "You deserve this and you're going to find your happiness too."
Chapter 19
"You're not enrolled in classes here, are you?" I tap the top of Hunter's head as I take a seat next to hi
m on the concrete steps outside the library.
"Hardly." He reaches to pull my hand to his lips.
I smile when I realize there's no wedding ring on his left hand. It's been over a month since we said goodbye at his apartment door. Getting a text from him this morning asking me to meet him pushed my mind into all sorts of random places. Most of which involved him proclaiming his undying love and devotion to me.
"I'm moving." His intense blue eyes catch mine. "The day after tomorrow."
"Permanently?" It sounds more like a muted whimper than a word.
"Christina wants us to go to Los Angeles. She says the best pre-school is there. She already enrolled Cory."
"He's three-years-old," I mutter. "It's just pre-school."
"It's not about school." He turns his gaze forward. "I told her I was in love with you."
The wind catches my hair and I reach to pull it back from my face. "Now she's taking you away."
"She's scared." He looks back at me. His index finger pushes a hair away from my cheek. "She'll take him with or without me. She agreed to put the engagement on hold if I moved. At least I don't have to marry her."
I nod. Any joy I should have felt at the news of his broken engagement is muted by the news of him leaving. He has to go. Cory comes first. I've known that now for a month. I felt as though my heart had stalled the past four weeks while I waited to hear anything from him. Although the silence was deafening I secretly hoped it meant that they had worked out an agreement.
"You've taken care of him his entire life, doesn't that count for something?"
"I took care of him because no one else would." He reaches for my hand again. "I'm the only stable person in his life. Christina is constantly running off from this place to that place. If she cuts me off, he'll be left with nannies. I can't do that to him."
"I know." I push closer to him, pulling his arm around my shoulder. "You need to go with him. You have to take care of him. He's your boy."
"You're my angel." His voice cracks. "I don't know how to function without seeing your face."
"You'll remember me." I pull his hand to my cheek.
He pushes a tear across my skin. "Forever."
I lean in to brush my lips against his. "Forever and always."
***