Jillian
When I walked into Kristen and Noah’s apartment, I found Kristen sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee.
“Hey.” I forced a smile.
“Hey, you. Come here.” She held out her arms to me. “How are you?”
Seriously? She’s the one who just found out she’s dying and she’s asking me how I am?
“I’m okay. How are you?” I asked as I looked at the gorgeous big rock on her finger. “What the—”
“He asked me last night. Apparently, he’s had this ring for a while and was going to ask me on our dating anniversary.”
“Oh my God! It’s gorgeous. I’m so happy for you!” I squeezed her tight.
“Thanks. Will you help me plan my wedding? We want to get married as soon as possible since I don’t have much time left.”
My heart. Fuck. The ache I felt when she said that nearly sent me into a crying fit. But she wouldn’t want that, so I had to hold my composure. I’d fall apart later.
“Of course I’ll help you.” Tears filled my eyes. Shit.
“Why are you crying?” she asked with a pout.
“Because I’m so happy for you and Noah.”
“But you’re thinking why bother since I won’t be alive for much longer,” she spoke.
I couldn’t believe she just said that as I placed my hands over my mouth.
“NO! I’m not thinking that at all. Why would you say that?”
A small smile crossed her lips. “Because that’s what everyone will think. I love Noah more than life itself and he wants us to be married, even if it is for a short while. We’ve talked so much about marriage in the past and I’m not going to let fucking cancer keep me from marrying my prince charming.”
“I love you, Kristen.”
“I love you too. So what did you do yesterday after you left the hospital? I was worried that you hid out in your apartment and cried all day.”
“You’re never going to believe it. You’re just not.” I smiled as I slowly shook my head.
Her eye narrowed as she tilted her head to the side.
“Oh God, Jill. What did you do?”
“Well,” I slowly spoke.
“Ugh. Stop it! Spit it out!” She grabbed hold of my hands.
“Yesterday after I left the hospital, I decided to take a walk. Where I was walking to, I had no clue. All I knew was that I needed to walk and I ran into someone on the street.”
“Shit. Don’t tell me it was Grant or your parents.”
“I ran into Drew.”
“Shut up!” She cupped her hands over her mouth. “Drew from Hawaii? Drew that you had sex with?”
“Yes. That would be him.”
“And?”
“We had lunch, went back to my place, had sex, went to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy some dishes, went to dinner, he dropped me off at home, we said goodbye and then he came back within an hour, spent the night, and then we had sex again this morning.”
“Wait. You threw me off when you said you went to Bed Bath & Beyond.” She laughed.
I shrugged. “We were going to order dinner in, but I didn’t have any dishes to eat on. So, we went and bought some. But wait. There’s more and you’re going to freak the fuck out. Are you ready?”
“Wait. Let me take in a deep breath first. Okay. Go.”
“He’s my landlord. I’m his tenant. Go ahead, freak the fuck out now.”
“I’m sorry, what?” she asked in confusion.
“The apartment that I’m renting is his old apartment. I’m renting it from HIM.”
Kristen sat there, staring at me, without even blinking.
“Just hours after you left your fiancé at the altar, you met a man on a plane to Hawaii. You ended up at the same hotel, hung out with him and his girlfriend. He breaks up with his girlfriend, you spend the day together, have sex and then say goodbye. You move to New York, unknowingly rent an apartment that belongs to that man you met on a plane to Hawaii and run into each other on the street, which neither one of you had knowledge that the other one was here. Correct?”
“Yes. Sounds about right.”
“He’s your soul mate, Jill. All the fucking signs are there.”
“Shut up. I don’t believe in soul mates.”
“You don’t have to believe, baby sister. The universe led you to him. You were meant to leave Grant on that very day, or else you would have left his dumb ass way before that. But no. It was that day. The day you and Drew were on the same flight to Hawaii.”
“You’re crazy.” I smiled. “It’s all a coincidence. Plus, he wasn’t even supposed to be on my flight. The earlier flight he was on got cancelled due to mechanical problems, so the airlines put him on my plane.”
“Ah ha!” she yelled as she pointed her finger at me. “And his seat just so happened to be next to yours. Wake up, Jill.” She grabbed hold of my shoulders and lightly shook me. “Drew is the man you’re supposed to be with.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not supposed to be with anyone. I’m on a journey to find myself; to know who I am.”
“Duh, and your journey led you to him.”
“But I really hadn’t even started my journey yet when I met him,” I spoke.
“Then he is your journey. Maybe you’re supposed to go on a journey with him.”