“Yeah,” I explain. “Max needs me to go to the restaurant to help Natalie close up tonight. A pipe burst and his condo is completely flooded.”
“Natalie?” Lena’s head jerks back slightly.
“She’s the sous chef Max hired, remember?” I slide my wallet in my back pocket and walk across the living room, meeting her in the kitchen.
“Oh,” Lena says, surprised. “I didn’t know her name was Natalie. I don’t think you told me.”
“I didn’t?” I stand in front of Lena in the kitchen, placing my hand on her waist. “I’m sorry. I thought I mentioned it to you.”
Lena subtly shakes her head. I can tell this conversation is awkward considering Abby’s standing within five feet of us. I glance at the time on my watch. The restaurant closes in one hour. Shit.
“I’m so sorry.” I lean forward, giving Lena a quick kiss on the mouth. “I have to go now or else I’ll be late. I love you.”
“Love you too.” Lena’s face is still, her eyes dim. I can tell she’s not happy with my sudden need to leave. But Lena also knows how seriously I take my job, so I know deep down, she understands.
I’m already to the door when I turn back, looking over my shoulder. I quickly punch in the pin to reactivate our security system. “I’ll text you when I get there.” I quickly look at Abby and give her a small wave. “Bye, Abby. It was good to see you again.”
I’m in too big of a hurry to know whether Abby responded to me or not. Even though I had to leave in a hurry, I at least know Lena is safe and with her best friend. Someone we can trust.
Seven
Lena
Abby: Can you meet me at the corner of 2nd and Madison? I have something to show you.
I read Abby’s text after finishing the last final touches of her mock-up design. I’ve spent the last three hours perfecting it, deciding to combine the dark purple and black colors with her initials. I was proud of the way it was turning out, I just hoped Abby loved it just as much.
It was nice having Abby back in my life. It felt normal. Natural. She was the piece of me that had been missing and like I promised myself, I’m determined to make up for last year every chance I get. The night we had dinner at my house changed everything for me. Abby’s presence in my life no doubt reminded me of what took place in Providence. College, blistering winters, and Julian. All of it felt like a lifetime ago. All of it felt like it belonged to a different person. I knew it belonged to me, but I didn’t want it anymore. It was like a reoccurring wound. As soon as the first signs of healing started to show, it would burst open again. And I knew my life in Providence was a life that couldn’t be erased.
Telling Abby about Julian breaking into Logan’s apartment that night was like ripping off a large Band-Aid. The image of the perfectly folded Boston Bruins T-shirt is forever seared into my brain. A tattoo that would never fade with time. It serves as a reminder that the past will always consume you, no matter how hard you try to fix it. The darker the past, the deeper the consumption.
Not only was I busy conquering the guilt I harbored with Abby, I also couldn’t get Logan’s new sous chef out of my head. Natalie. It’s not that I didn’t understand Logan’s schedule and the possibility that Max could call him whenever he needed him to stop by the restaurant. It was more the fact that he left out the part about Natalie. He forgot to mention her name or who she was. Logan, for as long as I’ve known him, has never been one to keep secrets. Nor omit details, no matter how insignificant they may be. So, I couldn’t understand why he had chosen to leave that part out.
I’ve never been a jealous woman. My father, the ever-strict litigation lawyer, always told me that an unconfident woman could never expect the world to be confident in her. Lack of confidence was a sign of weakness. For a time, I always thought that was my dad’s way of molding me to be the person he wanted me to be. He wanted me to carry on his legacy and reputation of being the most well-known, intimidating lawyer in New England. Just like him. However, I never shared my father’s passion for law. Instead, his years of pushing me caused me to pull away. I’d taken the confidence but left the rest behind.
I haven’t asked Logan about Natalie since the other night simply because I didn’t feel I needed to. Whoever this Natalie was, I assumed I would meet her at some point in the future.
I park my car alongside the curb near the address Abby sent me. I wasn’t entirely sure why she had messaged me to meet her in Seattle’s downtown business district. The neighborhood was familiar to me as Bistro 59 was only a few blocks over, closer to the water’s edge.
The logo and promotional images I had been working on for the past two weeks were nearly finished. I decided to bring my laptop with me, ready to show Abby what I had come up with.
When I step out of my car, I find Abby standing at the corner of the intersection. She’s wearing a green T-shirt tucked into her high-waisted jeans. Her hair is tied up into a high messy bun, matching the one I’ve been sporting all day. Even if we have the same hairstyle, I can’t say the same for the rest of our outfits. She was always the more stylish one out of the two of us. Her bold colors match her fearless personality. I grin as I approach her, still not completely believing she’s back in my life.
“It’s
