“You just opened,” Mom says, walking toward me and giving me a hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I wish you were right,” I confess. “Unless you have enough money to lend me so I can buy the company, I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What do you want?” Dad asks me.

“To stay and make Blend mine,” I say out loud, and smile at first but then burst into tears. “They don’t care what’s going to happen to their employees or our clients. They count on us. Some coldhearted asshole is going to buy them and after the merge, they’re only going to absorb the accounts and fire the employees. I’ve seen it done several times. Blend has done it before.”

Mom prepares me tea and I sit down with them to tell them about my call with Shelby, her email, and what’s next for Claire Solis.

“If I had the money, I’d give it to you.” Dad holds my hands. “Trust your instincts. There are other agencies here, but if you feel like you have to go to London, we support you.”

“It doesn’t hurt to try,” I offer. “At least I can stay long enough to save some jobs.”

He nods. “That’s my girl. You’ll be okay. Tell me what you need from us.”

Mom and Dad help me pack. Craig and Thomas put my things back in storage. This time, no one is protesting about my departure. They’re happy helping me and trying to cheer me up because the stupid guy next door disappeared. I send him several texts but when he answers me, he says, “Sorry, babe, I’m between meetings.”

I ask Danielle to send a letter to the leasing office and see if we can break the contract. Moving to London seems like a good reason to get out of it. Surprisingly, they let me out of the contract. Well, it’s a surprise up until I see who signs the letter, Miller Archer.

He owns the building, along with his father. I wish I had googled that before I signed my lease. So, he knows I’m leaving, and of course he doesn’t care even a little about it. I send him a message on Tuesday.

Claire: Flying out tomorrow. I wish you luck; make sure you tell your parents we were never a thing. 

He doesn’t answer and maybe it’s for the best.

Did he ever care about me?

What the fuck happened to, his ‘You’re the love of my life’ bullshit?

Fifty

Claire

My heart is breaking. I’m not sure what’s more painful, leaving Reggie or that Miller didn’t respond to my texts. Mom and Dad offered to drive me to the airport. Nikki is the only one who didn’t understand what I was doing. She didn’t even say goodbye to me.