“Clearly,” she deadpans, and I swat her arm. “So tell me,” she says, her smile fading slightly. “Where do you go from here?”
“You know, I always thought that somehow my life wasn’t perfect unless other people thought so too.” The image of Callie Trenton materializes in my mind, her hand wrapped around her swollen belly as the sun casts a glow across her face. The same picture I’d seen on so many Facebook feeds. “But I would still constantly wrestle with that idea, often wondering, when I still didn’t feel authentically happy inside, if I needed to mimic what other people were doing to achieve that.”
“And now?”
“Now I don’t give a fuck,” I say, and smile. “I just want to live a happy life, no matter what that life looks like.”
Ruby puts her arm around my shoulder. “I have a feeling you’re going to find that happiness you’re looking for. Just don’t make me come back here again, okay!” she mock scolds me, her laughter vibrating her chest. “You take care, Kate,” she adds, before disappearing through the door almost as quickly as she came.
“Bye, Ruby,” I call after her.
“Who’s Ruby?” Liam’s head peeks through the sheer curtain.
“The woman who just left? Isn’t that how you got in here?”
Liam shakes his head. “How long were you in the sun today? There’s no one here. Jules gave me her key—she wanted me to check in on you. You haven’t been answering your texts.”
“Sorry, I threw my phone in the drawer and fell asleep for a few hours.”
“And you were dreaming about a woman named Ruby who was in your hotel room? Tell me more!” He laughs and deflects the swat I give him.
“Come. Sit with me,” I say as he plops down onto the chaise and wraps his arm around my shoulder, the same way he had at Nikki’s party right before he told me he loved me. But did that mean that those feelings would translate here, to the life I came back to?
“Are you really okay?” he asks, his tone turning serious. “Jules told me you said you were, but I need to hear it from you.”
“I am,” I say. “Things have a way of turning out exactly the way they’re supposed to.” I grab a grape off the plate, popping it into my mouth. “Where’s What’s-her-name? Your date?”
Liam glances at his watch. “Probably about halfway over the Pacific Ocean by now.”
“She left without you?”
“She wasn’t happy that I spent most of last night here with you and Jules. She said she didn’t want to compete with something like that.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I feel like it’s my fault.”
“Don’t be. It wasn’t going to work out anyway.”
“Why? Does she have a bunion or something?” I tease.
“Worse—she has a hamster. Named Mr. Magoo. What adult woman has a hamster as a pet?”
“What a travesty!” I smile and grab another grape, this time tossing it at Liam’s mouth, and he cranes his neck to catch it.
“So what now?” he asks. “You heading home?”
“No. I’m going to stay another week,” I say. I had called down earlier and extended my reservation, deciding that it would give Max plenty of time to move out of the condo and me enough time to absorb the new direction my life was going in. I look over at Liam. “Want to join me?”
Liam’s eyes shoot up and our eyes meet. “Are you sure?”
I nod my head. “Absolutely.”
“Then of course I’ll stay,” he says softly.
I reach over and wrap my hand around his, not knowing if it’s the right thing to ask Liam to stay, not sure if we might ruin our friendship if we try to make it something more. But as his fingers meet mine, I decide that I’m ready to take the journey, no matter where it might lead us.