“What?”
“Hurry up and find yourself so you can be happy. I hate to say this because you know how much I love you, but I think this whole self-journey thing is destroying you. You’re a beautiful, intelligent, and independent woman, and it’s okay to fall in love with someone. When we’d talk while Drew was around, you were the happiest I’d ever seen you. I don’t want to sit back and watch you walk on the path of destruction again. Been there, done that, and I won’t let you do it again. You can find out who you are and loving someone isn’t going to change that.”
“Don’t you have a plane to catch?” I wiped the tear that formed in my eye.
He kissed my forehead. “I love you. Make some good decisions.” He winked.
“I love you too. Don’t forget to call me.”
“Who would ever forget to call you?” He smiled.
Chapter Forty
Drew
I needed to come clean about Lia to Jillian. Why the fuck did I listen to Liam? As I pulled out my phone, a text message from her came through.
“Hey. Can we talk?”
“Of course. When?”
“In about an hour. I have to say goodbye to my dad first.”
“Where at?”
“My place?”
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
Seeing her text made me smile, yet I was nervous as to what she wanted to talk about. Maybe it was about us, or maybe it was about Lia. Either way, I was telling her the truth and I hoped she didn’t hate me for it.
****
Jillian
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” my dad spoke as I took a seat on the couch in his suite.
“What is it?”
“I don’t want to make your life more complicated than it already is, but I feel you have the right to know.”
“Okay.”
“When I get back to Seattle, I’m telling your mother that I’m filing for divorce.”
I wasn’t shocked in the least. In fact, I felt they should have divorced years ago. Kids never want to see their parents get divorced, but in my case, I sort of welcomed it.
“I understand, Dad.”
“I lost the woman who I believed was the love of my life twenty-four years ago and I’m not about to live in a loveless unhappy marriage anymore. If there’s one thing you taught me, Jill, it’s that you don’t have to settle for anything in life.” He placed his hand on my cheek.
“What about everything you worked so hard for? Mom will try to take you for everything you have.”
“I know, but she won’t get everything.” He gave a small smile. “That’s not for you to worry about. I’ll be fine.”
“And what about Kristen? What happened all those years ago will get out.”
“And I’ll be the one telling it. Listen, I have to go now, sweetheart.” We both got up from the couch and I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight. “I like Drew, Jill. I think he’s a good man and I know he loves you. Don’t do what I did all those years ago. Don’t be afraid and just let life lead you in the right direction. It led you to Drew for a reason. I love you and I just want you to be happy.”
“I know, Dad. I love you too.”
“Goodbye, sweet girl.” He kissed my forehead. “Stay in touch with your old man.”
“I will.”
I gave him one last hug before he climbed into the limo and drove off. Hailing a cab back to my apartment, I nervously paced around the room, waiting for Drew to arrive. What if he didn’t want me anymore? After all, he did bring another woman to my sister’s wedding. The minute I heard the knock on the door, my heart started racing and the nervousness that I felt was at an all-time high. I stood there for a moment with my hand on the doorknob and took in a deep breath.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Drew smiled as he stepped inside. “You wanted to talk?”
“Yeah.” I began to pace around the living room.
“Do you want to sit down?” he asked.
“No. You sit. I’m just going to pace around. There are some things I need to say to you.”
“Okay.” He took a seat on the couch.
Taking in a deep long breath, I held it for a moment before letting it out.
“I want to apologize to you for being a bitch.”
“You aren’t a bitch, Jillian. Don’t ever say that.”
Turning around, I held up my finger. “Yes. Yes, I am. I led you on. Made you think that there was something more between us than just friends. I let you have sex with me, multiple times. We did things together that couples do and then when you mentioned the word ‘us,’ I freaked out. And you want to know why I freaked out? Because as much as I wanted to be alone and be on my own with no distractions, I liked ‘us.’ I liked having sex with you multiple times a day. I liked going shopping for dishes. I liked going out to eat with you and I liked waking up to you every morning. I liked how you held me at night and made me feel safe, and I liked how you understood me and wanted to take care of me.”
“I liked all that too,” he spoke.
“No. No. Don’t speak yet until I’m finished.”