My Future Husband

Chapter 97

“Alicia, I told you to lock up early! Why are you still open?” The place is empty, but she’s still scribbling away at the counter.

“It’s fine, I wanted to get these books finished and make sure you were okay. Mum told me about Tick, how’s Brie?” It’s been hard for their family. Technically, Tick was their uncle, but they never even knew about him. It's a different experience for them than what Brie is going through.

“You know Brie, she'll hold it together until she drinks enough to fall apart. Charlie was on some business trip in New York, but he’s just landed back here, so she should be drunk enough to start crying again in about an hour.” That ginger may not be good for a lot of things, but he's an expert a cracking through her shell with nothing but a gin bottle.

“I’ll try and get over there tomorrow, I’ve made her a care package.” Bless her. “Do you want me to take Teal tonight?”

“It’s okay.” I need baby cuddles more than ever. “You go, I can finish off down here. Kage is outside so he can take you back.”

“Actually, can I talk to you about something?” Oh God, I’m not sure I can take another emotional blow today. If she’s about to tell me she’s pregnant with the lovechild of another long lost relative, I’m going to drown myself in brownie batter.

“Is it a coffee conversation or a vodka conversation?”

“Neither.” She chuckles. “Well, at least I hope not. I wanted to talk to you about the job you offered me here?” I take the seat opposite her, I already like where this conversation is going.

“Well it’s an open offer, but it would mean you and your mum finally moving out here.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “Don’t make me get my cute blue-eyed baby to emotionally manipulate you into it, because I will.”

“Wow, pulling out the big guns.” I die laughing. “Actually, that’s the thing. The whole time you were in the hospital, me and Mum kept telling ourselves that we couldn't just drop everything and move out here, but things have changed now. Everything that’s happened with Tick, it's put a lot into perspective for me. He was eighteen, had his whole life ahead of him. You really don't know when your last day on this earth is going to be. So, we’ve decided we want to be where our family is... We’re going to move to Westbrooke.”

Finally!

I dive from my couch to hers, wrapping my arms and legs around her fuck-tastic body.

“I win! I fucking win!” She cackles as I kiss all over her braids. “You’re never leaving! I own your fine ass now!”

“Will you get off me?! There’s something else I need to ask you!” Oh yeah, I forget not everyone is used to my forms of physical affection. I promise I’ll stop kissing her in five... four... Okay, I’m done.

“Shoot.” I give her some room to breathe.

“Well, one of the things holding us back was that we don’t have a place. The guest house at the Manor is lovely, but it’s not really made for me, Mum, and Demitri. So I was thinking... Now that you’re moving into your house, could I rent the apartment above this place?”

“Seriously?” Why is she even asking? It’s hers! “You can have it!” She smiles like she’s just won the lottery. “I’ll warn you, it’s not much, but I’ll get Milo to-”

“Actually, it’s perfect.” She looks around the cafe. “I’m not saying it’ll be forever, I want to find my passion too, something I love as much as you love this place, but right now I need to start being more independent. I want to be like you, May. I’ve never even lived away from my mum, Demitri is nearly two and I want to be a role model to him. I want to prove I can do it on my own, that his dad leaving us doesn’t mean he has to go without.” She looks at me. “You’re my inspiration.”

I’m... I’m her inspiration?

I don’t think I’ve ever been anyone’s inspiration before.

Look at me! I’m an after school special! And not the ‘don’t do what this stupid bitch did’ kind for once!

“Fuck, babe.” This time my hug is much more loving. This actually means the world to me.

I wasn’t always the greatest person, but I like to think I’ve made steps towards correcting that now... and this is proof I have. “As long as you want the job, and the apartment, it’s yours. And I’ll help you find what it is that makes you passionate... but you know, if you do decide you don’t want to do it completely alone, I’m pretty sure I know a really good, sexy, tattooed, fuckable roommate that would help you split the bills.”

She turns bright red, whipping around her head like Ty will just be sitting there.

“You’re terrible!”

“It's why you love me.” Kage beeps his horn, so I throw her out and lock the door before she can change her mind. That girl is mine now.

I wasn’t planning on rushing out of the apartment into the house, but that’s okay, I’ll just have to say goodbye a little bit quicker.

I make my way upstairs, all of the memories I’ve made here hitting me again: Trying to manoeuvre a big bump and flat pack furniture, the nights waking up to Milo passed out on the couch with my son asleep on his chest, the day I opened and honestly thought no one would buy coffee from me, so I came up here to cry.

Watching Jay paint, Dad try not to get electrocuted wiring in my TV, Brie giving orders to Steve to plumb faster, whilst feeding me Cheetos because I was too sick to move. I built this place myself, but I wasn’t alone.

I’m going to miss it. It might just be a room with a curtain separating me from Teal, but it was the first home we ever had together.

I need to say goodbye before I give it to Alicia. I don’t know how yet, but I need to say goodbye.

I’m so exhausted, by the time I make it to the top of the staircase it takes me five minutes of digging around in my purse before I can find my keys. I’m done today, no more, I can’t take one more bloody thing.

But then I open my apartment door.

I know that cologne.

This time it doesn’t take me five minutes, the gun from my purse in my hand before I even flick on the light switch, the barrel pointed right at the man sitting on my couch.

“Hello, Farfalla.”

Fuck.

“Jordano...”