I press my lips together over the emotions that are sloshing around inside me. “I’m so sorry, Janice. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
She rubs her fingers over her sparkly diamond earring and leans against the kitchen counter. “I know. We never intend to hurt the people who love us.”
I smile weakly over the tears that keep coming. “I’ll never forget everything you’ve done for me. And if you never forgive me, I understand. But…” I shrug and wipe my eyes. “I’ll always be grateful for you. You made me feel like a part of your family and I’ll never forget that.”
She smiles softly and sighs. “I really wanted you to be a part of it.”
“I know.” I put my hand over hers. “Drew is really lucky to have you.”
“Oh, pfff…I don’t think he would say so.”
“He is.” I give her a sincere look. “Take it from someone who didn’t have a mother growing up. He hit the jackpot with you.”
She smiles over the sadness in her eyes. “Thank you.”
I reach into my purse and pull out my key and garage door opener, placing them on the kitchen counter. “I suppose it will be a little while before I see Drew again. Will you make sure he knows I left these here?”
“I’ll make sure he gets them.”
“And would you please tell him to call me when he gets back?”
“I’ll tell him.”
“Okay. Well, I should probably get going. I’ll just go get my things from the garage.”
“Wait.” She pulls me into a quick hug, wrapping her long, skinny arms around me. “Take care, Lucy.”
“You too, Janice.”
* * *
“Lucy,” someone calls across the parking garage while Miles and I are unloading my belongings from his trunk. I look over my shoulder and see a bouncing brunette walking over to us with a glossy smile on her face. “Lucy, hey!”
“Hi, Molly.”
“Do you guys need some help?”
“We got it,” Miles says shortly.
“Thanks, I think we’ve got it,” I say cordially. “But maybe you could get the elevator for us?”
She smiles and bobs her head. “Absolutely.”
I text Sam to let him know we’re back, and then I pick up one of the heavy bins and follow Miles over to the elevator.
“So does this mean what I think it means?” she asks with curious eyes.
“It means you need to mind your own business,” Miles says to her, and I shoot him an exasperated look.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“You don’t have to apologize, Molly.” I cut my eyes at Miles. “Yes, it does. But please don’t say anything to anyone, for now.”
She presses her lips together and winks at me. “My lips are sealed.”
I give her a tentative smile as we wait for the elevator doors to open, and when they finally do, we step inside. Molly presses the button for the first floor and we begin our slow ascent to the main level of the parking garage. When the doors eventually open again, I’m surprised to see Sam and Tristan waiting on the other side of them.
“Hey,” Molly and I both say to Sam at the same time.
He looks at Molly and then he looks at me. “Hey,” he says, reaching for the bin in my hands.
“You didn’t have to come down here,” I say to him, but he ignores me and proceeds to carry my things to the building.
“Is this everything?” he asks.
“Yep.”
He glances over his shoulder at me and gives me a small satisfied smile.
“Let me get that for you, Sam,” Terrance says when we walk into the lobby.
Sam smirks. “Thanks, but I think I can handle it.”
“Oh, I know you can, champ.” He walks beside Miles. “How about you, Miles? You need any help?”
“I might be a little thick around the middle, but I can carry a plastic storage bin, okay?”
Terrance laughs and shakes his head. “I don’t know, I see you struggling.”
“Get outta here,” Miles says, and Sam and Tristan laugh.
“I’m Tristan, by the way,” he says to Molly, flashing a big, bright smile at her.
“I’m Molly.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Molly.”
Miles turns around and looks at them over the bin in his hands. “Molly and Sam used to screw.”
“Miles!” I shout at him and he walks backward into Sam, who has stopped in front of the bank of shiny stainless steel elevators.
“Just saying.” He shrugs.
“Say less.”
He smiles and turns back around to stand beside Sam.
“Real classy,” Sam says to him.
“Hey, Miles, why don’t you let me take that from you,” Tristan says, reaching for the bin in his hands.
“Nah, I got it.”
“How about you let Tristan take that from you,” Sam says.
Miles looks at Tris and hands it over. “I got shit to do anyway.” He shoves his empty hands into his pockets and begins to make his way back across the lobby.
“Miles,” I call, and he spins around. “Thanks for going with me.”
His face softens and he gives me a small smile. “Anytime, sweetheart.”
We take the elevator up to Sam’s apartment, stopping on the sixteenth floor to let Molly out.
“I’ll see you guys later,” she says to us. “It was nice meeting you, Tristan.” She smiles softly at him.
“I’ll see you around.” He winks at her over the bin in his hands before the doors close.
When we get to Sam’s apartment, Tristan deposits my bin in the foyer and picks up his gym bag. “I’ve got to go. But we’ll start the same time tomorrow. Six thirty.”
Sam stacks the bins together. “Yeah, okay.”
“You”—Tristan points at me—“make sure he gets up on time.”
“All right. I will.”
Tristan gives me a wide smile, coaxing an unabashed smile back from me. He winks and turns around for the door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Tristan.”
Sam closes the door behind him and narrows his eyes at me. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
He shakes his head and smirks. “You got all girly just now.”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
I step around him and pick up one of the bins. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You fell for the old Tristan Kelley charm.”
I carry the bin to the bedroom and put it down on the floor. “Well, even if I did, so what?” I turn around and look at him. “He’s got nothing on the spell you’ve cast over me.”
He reaches for my hand and pulls me close to him. “Is that so?”
I smile and gaze into his watercolor eyes, the brown bleeding into the blue, and willingly succumb to the power they have over me. “Yes.” I drop my eyes to his mouth, which yields its own kind of control over me.
“I need a shower,” he says, releasing me with a knowing grin. “I’ve been training all morning.”