I Can Fix That

Chapter 25

What is the perfect formula for a broken heart?

Whitney Houston + Ashley + Ice cream for breakfast = almost healed.

Which is how I ended up on my living room floor, listening to I Will Always Love You and a spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough in my mouth.

I had my head laid on the rug and my feet propped up on the couch, belting out the lyrics I’d sang for the last four repeats of the same tune.

And Ashley, being the angel that she was, laid beside me, gorging on desserts and listening to every tear-jerker sentence that came out of me. She pet my long hair and would tell me all the things I wanted to hear.

Her phone was blowing up across the room, which I’m sure was all from Beau. But instead of being glued to it, she stayed by my side and made sure I wasn’t alone.

“Maybe he just needs some time, June bug.”

I nodded and sniffed, “Or maybe he just doesn’t want me enough.” My own insecurities were getting the best of me.

“Come on, you know that’s not it. I’ve seen how he looks at you, and there is no way he just doesn’t want you.”

That’s what I would have thought too. I thought of all the things he did and said, the way he held me, how he danced with me, none of it hinted that Grant simply just didn’t want me. But I had no communication with him in days, and my brain was wired thinking of every possibility.

I stuck another bite of cookie dough ice cream in my mouth and turned up the volume of my speakers.

“Well, think of it this way. You’re going to have to face each other sooner or later. All he has left to do on the house is finish painting and putting on trim and then final touches. So either you’ll be completely done with him within the month, or you’ll have to talk it out.”

I hadn’t even thought of the house much lately. Ashley was right. At this stage in the house, Grant would be finished by the end of the month, and I would be left ready to move in.

But after that…?

After he finished the house, we really had no reason to see each other.

Ashley’s phone continued to vibrate loudly across the room.

“I’m okay. You can answer it, you know.”

She gave me an apologetic grin and went to grab the device. It was clear Beau was blowing up her phone, judging by the smile resting on her face as she stared down at the screen.

“Beau was friends with her too. Did he ever seem upset or ever mention anything about her?”

Ashley shook her head and stared off, thinking.

“He only mentioned her after I asked him about it. He said all Grant ever did was work afterward and said he didn’t even take a break. Even on holidays, he just worked straight through it all.”

And that’s when it hit me. He never took a break. He never let himself grieve. I thought of an idea and texted Grant for the first time in days.

I need to see you.