It didn’t stop it hurting like a bitch though. I had thought that what Baxter and I had was real, that it was forever.
I was an idiot.
I sighed in defeat. “I know he’s an asshole, Q. I really do. But I don’t know how to forget him. I don’t want him in my life, not ever again... but I miss the future that our relationship should have had, if he were different, that is. I should have been planning a future with him. It should have been my next step, I should be expecting a child with my loving husband... but I’m not. And now I don’t think it will ever be on the cards for me.”
“Shut the hell up,” she all but yelled. I snapped my head up to meet Quinn’s green eyes. They were dancing with anger and she looked like she might slap me. “I don’t ever want to hear you talk about yourself like that again, El. Of course you will have that future.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “With someone that’s worthy of your love and devotion. You are young, beautiful, smart, caring and loyal, El. That little fucker doesn’t even realize what he’s lost.”
I smiled sadly at my best friend. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’ll happen for me one day.” I slowly nodded. I didn’t believe my words for a second. I couldn’t let a man that far into my heart ever again.
***
By the time we landed my anger had significantly faded. Sure, it was still there, in the back of my mind simmering away. But I could think straight now. I was beginning to see that I had dodged a bullet with Baxter. I couldn’t even imagine how I would have survived this if it were five years and two children down the track. Now all I needed to do was tell my lawyer the news so he could help me fix this mess.
We deboarded the plane, collected our luggage, and made our way to the exit sign across the room. We were about half way there when I spotted him.
“Reeve!” I shrieked. I pushed my way through the crowd to get to my big brother. Reaching him, he grabbed me and pulled me into a crushing bear hug. It had been way too long since I’d seen him. I pulled back in his arms and looked him over. He was just like my father, the same height, broad shoulders, light brown hair and blue eyes. Although his eyes were darker than Dad’s and mine. His were more of an ocean blue. He got them from our mother.
“Hey, honey, you have no idea how good it is to see you.” Reeve grinned at me and placed a quick kiss to the top of my head. His eyes searched mine and I knew he was trying to see if I was really doing okay – I looked away, worried about what he might see. “I’ve been so worried about you. I wish I could have been there to support you these past three months, I’ve felt pretty useless to be honest.”
Reeve’s confession floored me. He clearly didn’t understand how much help he had been to me – he’d always taken my calls, no matter what time of the day, and sat there on the other end of the phone when I’d done nothing but cry. He was a rock to me.
I shook my head at him in disbelief. “You did so much for me, Reeve. You don’t know how much of a comfort it is hearing your voice.” I smiled up at him. “I’m so excited to be in the same city as you, we both are.” I let him go and looked around for Quinn.
“Quinny.” Reeve grinned.
“Ugh, piss off, don’t call me that, you dick,” Quinn threw back with a shit-eating grin on her face.
Laughing, Reeve threw an arm around each of us – something he learned from our dad. We headed off to the car park, and I was already looking forward to the warmth of Reeve’s truck. He drove a new black four-wheel-drive Dodge Ram – I was thankful that my Jeep was a four-wheel-drive too; with the snow it would definitely be safer. Quinn’s Audi hatchback wasn’t going to be much use for a while, but that suited me fine. Quinn was a terrible driver and she scared the living shit out of me behind the wheel.
Both Quinn and I shivered as we exited the building and got our first real feel of our new weather. It was absolutely freezing. This was definitely going to take some adjusting to. That, and some serious shopping for more appropriate wardrobe choices.
“Holy crap it’s cold,” Quinn said between chattering teeth.
Reeve just laughed. “You girls are going to have to get used to that. It’s only just really started snowing. It’ll probably get colder before it gets warmer.”
Jesus Christ. Can it get any colder than this?
I sat in the front of the truck with my brother and Quinn got in the back. He cranked the heater as he exited the airport and headed off towards his apartment building. Reeve informed us that it was only around a 15-minute drive back to his apartment.
And possibly our new apartment.
Reeve wanted to take us for a bit of a tour around first, and we were excited to see some of our new city. We drove around for the next hour or so, marveling at the light dusting of snow that covered everything. Reeve pointed out some of the main buildings and sites along the way.
It was a beautiful city, it had history and charm. I couldn’t wait to get settled in and start to explore.
“Are you girls ready to head in for the day? It’s getting late,” Reeve asked with a yawn.
“Sure, Reeve, sorry. I forgot about the time difference. You’re probably starving.” I looked at him apologetically.
“Nah, I’m good, I usually work late and eat around now anyway. We can order some takeout and then I can show you around the free apartment in my building?”
I really hoped that this apartment in would suit both Quinn and I. It would be a relief if we could move our furniture straight into a place rather than having to store it and stay with Reeve until something came up.
“Sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see it,” Quinn replied with an excited grin.
It was well and truly dark by the time we got back to Reeve’s building, but from what I could see, it was stunning. It wasn’t tall, maybe only seven or eight floors. It was an orange brick and I fell in love with the character of it instantly. I glanced back at Quinn, and judging by the smile on her face, she was captivated by it too.
We parked in the underground carpark and with Reeve’s help, made our way into the elevator. Reeve used his access card to control the lift, and we automatically headed up to level five. Reeve explained that the lift only went to the floor that each card controlled; occupants of the building had an entire floor to themselves and the elevator doors opened right into the living space of the apartment.
My mouth dropped open as the elevator doors revealed Reeve’s living room. It was amazing. The space was breathtaking. The dark oak flooring paired with classic white walls, large windows and classic French-inspired moldings was fresh and open. I looked around at the furnishings and gaped at my brother. “Did you style this?”
Reeve shook his head and chuckled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, El. But no, I didn’t. I had a local interior designer, Cassie, furnish and style it for me before I moved in. What do you think?”
“It’s crazy good, Reeve,” Quinn breathed as she looked around the living and dining area. “So open and clean. But with so much character too.”
I nodded in agreement.
We moved through the space and into the even more impressive dark tile, white marble and dark solid-wood kitchen. It was huge.
Reeve can’t even cook.
I snorted out a laugh as I looked over to my brother. He had the phone in one hand and a takeout menu in the other.
Nothing much has changed there then.
“Do you still eat pizza, Q?” Reeve asked.
“Pssh. Do I what! Whatever toppings you want is fine with me,” Quinn called out as she walked into the lounge and flopped down on the white couch.
“You too, El?”
“Sure, same old. I still eat just about anything.”
Reeve ordered the pizza while I continued studying the space around me. If the free apartment was anything like this one, we would be jumping at the opportunity to lease it. It was one of the most amazing spaces I had ever set foot in.
“It’s something else, right?” Reeve asked as he began shutting the whit
e floor-to-ceiling drapes.
“It’s flawless, Reeve. It really is perfect. I actually can’t believe you live here.” I giggled. “And I can’t believe that everything is still so white, you’ve obviously improved your cleaning habits.”
Reeve looked back sheepishly. “I actually have a house cleaner come by once or twice a week.”
“That sounds more like you.” I laughed. It felt amazing to be here with him, talking and laughing. I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I knew my problems with Baxter weren’t going to disappear – but at least here I wouldn’t be reminded of them every time I walked down the street.
And damn that is a good feeling.
***
Reeve had showed us the rest of his nearly 3000 square foot apartment. It was all as stunning as the living space. The theme continued through to the three bedrooms, and bathrooms. Reeve’s master suite had a walk-in closet and private bathroom. The other two bedrooms had their own walk-in closets and a shared bathroom between them. The guest bathroom was located nearer the living area. There was a laundry area and a lot of storage space. It was so spacious and luxurious. The bathrooms were tiled floor to ceiling and had glass showers with fittings that rained water from the ceiling. The deep bath looked so relaxing and I crossed my fingers that the place we were looking at had one even half as big. Reeve had said that each level had a private terrace – we had decided to wait for daylight tomorrow to appreciate it fully.
We sat around the dining table and stuffed ourselves full of pizza and beer. The food was great, but the company was even better. I settled back in my chair and listened to the easy banter that was going back and forth between Reeve and Quinn. They really did get on like a house on fire. I think this was the first time since the shit hit the fan that I felt truly at ease.
Happy – I feel happy.
I felt like I just might have the strength to move on from my cheating ass of an ex-husband and my slapper ex-friend. The sudden silence snapped me from my thoughts. Quinn and Reeve were both looking at me, clearly waiting for an answer to a question I hadn’t heard. “Sorry, what?”
“Reeve wants to show us the free apartment, are you ready?” Quinn asked.
“Sure am.” I smiled in excitement. “If it’s even half as good as this one, we’re taking it.”
“Hell yeah we are.” Quinn grinned back.
Reeve used another card to take us back down two floors in the elevator. The free apartment was on level three of the building. “It’s a slightly different color scheme than mine, but I think you both will like it just as much.”
The lift slowed and stopped, and the doors opened into a living space that was just as huge as in Reeve’s place. The hardwood floors were a washed-out oak that looked stunning against the crisp-white walls. The space had the same classic French-inspired moldings, and floor-to-ceiling drapes, although these were a charcoal instead of white. Moving through the space, I looked towards the kitchen. It was the same layout as Reeve’s but the marble benches were a charcoal color – tying in with the drapes, the cupboards were white, and rather than a tiled floor, the oak flooring continued throughout.
It was everything I loved.
The large windows were all the same as upstairs and I couldn’t wait to see what there was to see out there in the daylight.
“It. Is. Perfect,” Quinn shrieked as she ran back from the bedrooms. “God, please tell me you love it, El.”
“I love it.” I couldn’t help the massive grin that spread on my face at the thought of this being our home.
“Come and see the bedrooms!” Quinn called over her shoulder as she skipped out of the living area.
The rooms were perfect too. We would have a spare room for guests and the other two rooms were both huge – with walk-in closets and bathrooms each. The thick luxurious charcoal carpet on the floor made them feel comfortable and cozy.
I cannot wait to get in that bathtub.
Reeve interrupted my drooling. “Well, girls, what’s the verdict? Do you want it?”
“We want it,” Quinn and I both quickly said.
Reeve had a shit-eating grin on his face.
“What?” I asked him.
“I’m just glad to hear that.” He shrugged. “Since I’ve already rented this place for you for the next month.” I gaped at him as he continued. “... You’ll just need to set up the lease from then on. I’ll let Cassie know that she did a good job on the color schemes too, shall I?” He smirked smugly.
I was so confused.
He did what? Who the hell is Cassie?
Holy shit the designer...
It all clicked into place. “Holy shit, did you do all this for us?”
No wonder this was all my taste.
Reeve’s smile dropped a little. “If you don’t like it, we can change it, El, or we can find you somewhere else—”
I interrupted Reeve by launching myself at him and squeezing him as hard as I could.
I felt Quinn join the bear hug and heard Reeve chuckle. “Okay, okay that’s enough of that.” He pulled back and gave us both a shy smile. “So you’re happy, El? I just want you to be happy. You too, Q, you’ve been so good to my sister – I owe you so much for that.”
I couldn’t believe that he had done this. It was so far beyond anything I had ever expected from him. He certainly learned kindness and generosity from our parents. I felt tears building in my eyes, and I quickly blinked them away.
“I love it, Reeve, I’m so happy. Thank you so much for this... but it’s too much. I promise I’ll pay for all the work and the rent you paid. You don’t need to spend money on us.” I knew Reeve had a lot of money. He was an attorney and he owned a law firm with his good friend Harrison Hunt that he had met at law school – I still didn’t like him spending his hard-earned money on me.
I’ve got more than enough of my own money anyway.
Business was doing really well. I owned a thirty percent share of Rush Communications, and on top of my very generous salary, I had more money than I knew what to do with. I didn’t live a hugely luxurious lifestyle though. It wasn’t my style to flash money around unnecessarily. I drove a nice car, now I had this beautiful apartment in a very desirable area to live in, and I sometimes had a weakness for nice shoes and handbags – other than that I just bought things that I liked, not things that gave me a certain status.
Reeve just brushed off my comment with a wave of his hand and a shake of his head.
I have the best big brother in the world.
We headed back upstairs to get to bed. It was late, and we still had so much to see in the morning.
***
I woke to my mass of blonde curls sprawled out all over my face and pillow. I had slept like a baby for the first time in months. I brushed them off and peeked over at Quinn.
Sound asleep.
I don’t think either one of us had barely moved since our heads had hit the pillow last night. I reached around on the nightstand for my cell phone.
9.10am.
We were both going to have to adjust to this time difference – quickly.
“Q. Wake up. It’s late.” I shoved Quinn lightly on the shoulder. I grinned as she sleepily opened and shut her eyes before groaning and covering her head with a pillow.
And she accuses me of not being a morning person.
“Ugh. I knew I should have slept in the other room,” she whined. We had told Reeve we would share a room since we would only be staying the one night. All of our stuff would be here later today, and now that we had an apartment sorted we could move it all straight in.
I laughed and pulled the pillow off her head. “Seriously though, Q, it’s already after nine. We need to go and check out Lawson’s building and decide if it’s the right fit for us. All our stuff is arriving at about two, so we need to be back by then.” I clapped and bounced on the bed a little – just for effect.
I bounded off to the shower and let the hot water calm my nerves. I really hope
d this building would be a good option for us. It would take a fair bit of time to find somewhere else, especially in such a convenient location. The office space was only about a ten-minute drive from here, which was probably only about a half-hour’s walk.
I decided on a pair of black tights, knee-high black boots, and a fitted gray dress that scooped low in the front. Looking outside I knew I would definitely need my coat and scarf if I had to go outdoors. I headed down the hall to where I could hear Quinn and Reeve talking in the living room. I smiled as I listened to them bantering back and forth. I was so glad that they both got on so well, it would be so awkward if they didn’t like each other.
An unwelcome thought hit me.
Shit. I hope Lawson and I get along okay.
I didn’t know hardly anything about his personality. I knew Quinn loved him madly, but of course she did – he was her only brother.
My thoughts were interrupted by my phone pinging in my hand. I opened the new message. It was from Quinn, a link to a song called ‘Open Happiness’. I quickly loaded it and smiled when it played aloud through my phone’s speaker. I quickly recognized the lyrics; it had been on a Coke commercial.
It was perfect. I laughed and went in to see Quinn and Reeve, the song still blaring out of my phone.
“Thanks, Q.” I hugged her around the shoulders as she sat on a stool at Reeve’s bench.
“No problem, girl, I thought you might like it.”
We decided that Reeve would drive us over to the building since our cars hadn’t arrived yet. Secretly I think he was keen to check out the offices as well – he was such a protective brother. It would be good to have Reeve look over the rental agreement too, so I was glad he was coming with us to meet the agent.
***
We arrived with 15 minutes to spare before we had to meet the agent. Lawson had given Quinn the access code to the underground carpark and told her we could use his parking space since he was out of town.
We parked and headed up the elevator to the ground floor. There was a large front desk with half a dozen young women doing various tasks. We approached and were greeted warmly by a woman called Alisha.
Love like Yours Series (Box Set #1-4) Page 3