16
Harmony
One week later
Saving Connor from his self-imposed fate hadn’t been easy. He was struggling with the weight of the world on top of him, but we found solace in a tangled embrace when the workday was done. My parents were worried. My boss had pretty much let me know that I wasn’t welcome back if I didn’t give him a firm date for my return. All I could focus on was Connor and keeping him away from the edge. When the night was ours, I belonged to him. When he went to sleep and I was alone with my thoughts, they refused to let me forget Nate or Devlin. I wondered how they handled my departure. I hoped they didn’t forget me. I had been completely honest with Connor, but I don’t know that he truly connected with my words. His need was too strong. I sat alone in his apartment after he left for work, lost in my thoughts, when I heard a knock at the door.
“Angelina?” I pulled the door open with a shocked expression on my face. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I needed to come check on you. It’s been a week since you left Bakersfield and I haven’t heard a word.” She stepped into the apartment and I closed the door.
“Yeah—I’m sorry about that. Connor was in a difficult spot and while he’s smiling again, I know he’s fragile.” I sighed and locked eyes with her. “How are Nate and Devlin doing?”
“They’re anxious. I’ll admit that I didn’t expect it to take you this long to figure things out with Connor. I thought you would pull him away from the edge and then this road would lead you back to Bakersfield.” She took a seat and looked up at me.
“I didn’t expect this.” I sighed and sat down beside her. “I wasn’t expecting things to pick up where they left off. God, Nate must hate me for leaving him after he came back for me. Devlin must feel like I abandoned him again.”
“I’ve learned that the roads which take us to our final destination sometimes have bumps. In this case, it’s a larger bump, but the road is still headed in the right direction. Nate and Devlin came to New York with me.” Angelina smiled and nodded.
“Wait—they’re here!?” My eyes opened wide.
“Yes.” She nodded again. “I guess they feel like you’re worth chasing after. They’ve actually become good friends in your time away.”
“Wow…” I shook my head in surprise. “I didn’t expect that. They’re nothing alike.”
“They share a common interest.” She narrowed her eyes. “You. Nate has already chased you once—this wasn’t that much of a stretch for him.”
“They aren’t upset that I left?” I stared at the floor for a moment. “I thought they’d be furious.”
“You’re a special woman. They see through the minutia. The last mile is up to you.” She pulled a card out of her purse and handed it to me. “This is where they are staying. You should talk with Connor and be open with him.”
“I’ve been honest since the beginning. He knows about Nate and Devlin, but I’m not sure his eyes are fully open.” I sighed and took the card.
“Then help him see through his blindness. The key to opening the door that leads to your future is truth. It’s been that way from the beginning.” She tucked her purse under her arm and stood.
“Leaving so soon?” I looked up at her.
“This is out of my hands now. I’ve done all I can do. I’ve showed you the way, I’ve ripped apart your shell, and now you have to figure out where your future lies.” She smiled and nodded. “It’s been a pleasure to work with all of you.”
“Wait—so I won’t see you again?” I stood up quickly. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
“The answers to everything are in front of you.” She nodded and leaned in for a hug. “You just have to find them.”
Once Angelina was gone, I was even more confused than I was when she arrived. My heart beat fast in my chest when I thought about Nate and Devlin being in New York. I knew where they were. I could go to them. Part of me wanted to do just that. The other part was worried about where that would leave Connor. The truth had kept the plates spinning, so if I was going to find a way to keep them going, I would have to embrace it once again. I waited around the rest of the day with my thoughts consuming me. When Connor arrived, I fixed drinks for the two of us and sat down on the couch. It had been another challenging day for him at work and I considered waiting another day to tell him about Nate and Devlin, but I didn’t want it lingering in the air.
“So, I had a visitor today.” I sipped my vodka and tried to judge his reaction.
“Angelina?” He looked at me and tilted his head.
“How did you know?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“I knew she would show up at some point. Based on what you told me, I was certain what we had wouldn’t last forever. It was one last lightning bolt in the storm—eventually the clouds had to clear.” He sighed and nodded.
“I’m here for you.” I reached out and took his hand. “No matter what. I didn’t want to keep it a secret from you, especially since Nate and Devlin came with her to New York.”
“You gave me a brief glimpse of happiness, but the direction I was on wasn’t going to change. You were a wonderful distra
ction.” He smiled and nodded. “I can’t be the man that holds your beautiful curves forever—I barely hold onto my own sanity.”