Chapter 25

Shirley

As quiet as a mouse, I step out of the room, my eyes scanning the entryway as if expecting to find shattered glass and carnage. However, everything is still perfectly in its place and my eyes are left landing on the only movement I can spot in the hallway.

Jean is standing there, hugging herself as she looks toward the door. I don’t say anything as the seconds tick by, giving her space to gather her thoughts as I prepare myself for whatever reaction she’ll have once the adrenaline wears off.

It takes a good five minutes and my feet are sore as my heels press into the ground, but finally - Jean blinks. Then she repeats the action, but her eyelids become more rapid, fluttering quickly before tears begin to fall. The moment she looks over at me, she releases a sob.

“Shirley,” she tries.

I rush over, throwing my arms around her as I shut my eyes tight and squeeze her tighter. She trembles in my arms as her cries fill the hall, and I just let her empty out every single emotion she’d been holding within her. And soon - I’m not even sure why - I begin to cry too.

Maybe the last few weeks are finally catching up with the both of us, or maybe I’m just glad this is finally over. Regardless, Jean and I cry ourselves dry and hold one another, knowing that despite everything that has happened that we still have each other. No matter how draining this has been, I would do it a million times over for her.

At some point, we finally gather ourselves again, causing us to both sniffle as we pull apart and wipe away our tears. I almost think that Jean is going to start crying again based on the way her lip quivers, but she surprises me when she begins to laugh.

“What?” I ask, confused what to make of her sudden reaction, especially as a few more tears escape her eyes.

“Nothing,” she says, still laughing. “I think I’m just in a bit of shock. I mean, he did it…he really did it.”

“He did,” I confirm, my eyes softening as I stare at her.

Jean breathes in deeply before she huffs it all out, staring out at her home. Or what is no longer her home. I think she stomachs that same realization as I notice her eyes become harder, her expression a little more serious.

“I guess it’s time to pack up my life,” she states, her gaze then sliding to me. “You have enough room in that fancy apartment for me and a two-year-old?”

Her words cause a gentle smile to creep onto my lips, my head already nodding as I release a laugh of my own.

“Of course.”

~

Jean and I have been hauling ass to get her entire life packed up in mere hours. We’ve made a lot of headway and now Jean is just working on a few more bits and bobs. However, she informed me that there were a few other loose ends she needed to tie up before she simply left town, but I volunteered as tribute so she could focus on preparing Eliot’s things.

So now I’m in my car, driving toward the town again with a list of Jean’s errands tucked into my pocket. We both planned my exact route for the afternoon so I wouldn’t potentially run into Ralph - that was the last thing we needed.

First, I go to the post office, informing them that all and any of Jean’s mail needs to be forwarded to my address. I also make sure to tell them not to give that information to anyone if they ask. I then head to the library to return a few books that Jean checked out - bless her kind heart for wanting to make sure she met their deadline.

After that’s all done, I finally drive down the road, not needing to go far before I’m pulling into a parking spot. Locking the car behind me, I speed walk toward the general store in order to grab a few more boxes that Jean requested. Only, I barely make it two steps onto the sidewalk before I hear someone calling my name.

Or rather, Anya’s name.

I straighten at the deep, dragging sound as I slowly turn. And that’s when I spot Keith, his gaze as fierce as ever as he walks toward me.

Seriously - how does this man happen to be everywhere?

Yet, despite my question, I don’t whine or moan from his appearance. Instead, I give him my full attention as he comes to a stop in front of me. His warmth brushes me again, but it’s not from anger, disgust. This time it’s just his genuine body heat, mixed with his enticing scent that tries to wrap around me.

But I mentally shake it away. I can’t let it bind me because I can’t afford to stay here for long. Only, it would be a mistake to let Keith sense my urgency - I need to appear perfectly normal. So I keep my feet planted and simply ignore the smell wafting into my nose.

“Yes?” I ask him when he doesn’t speak.

“Everything okay?” he asks, a bit reserved. “You left in a rush.”

“Oh,” the word pops out of my mouth. But I force myself to smooth away my surprise. “Yes, I just had to make a few private phone calls.” Let him do with that what he will. Honestly, the last he’d heard my “identity” had been posted in the paper and it wouldn’t be odd if I needed to go call some people about any potential threats.

“Right,” he clips out with an equally short nod. However, I can tell there’s something on his mind based on the way he eyes me, causing my tongue to act on its own accord again.

“What?” I ask, staring back at him with the same indifference, preparing myself for whatever he’s holding back. And I’m glad I do because Keith cuts right to the chase.

“Has Ralph accepted your offer?” he asks, his voice dropping lower, firmer. “Did he reject Jean?”

Of course that’s what he’s worried about. I can’t say I blame him, but - Goddess - this man was never going to give this up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d tailed me the entire afternoon to make sure nothing happened, though I pray that he hadn’t.

Slightly off base, I can’t help but laugh at his question, nearly shaking my head from his unending concern. But I need to act fast, put this to bed before he realizes I’m in the middle of planning both Jean’s and my escape. So I feed him line after line, shaking him off my tail.

“You can’t actually think that Ralph is going to reject her,” I tell him in disbelief. The words sound odd as they leave me, but not enough to warrant concern.

“If you really believe in the sanctity of the mating bond then you have to know that Ralph is lying through his teeth,” I state. “Trust me. It’s just false promises.”

Following my claims, Keith’s hand finds my arm - the unmotivated touch startling me as his eyes search mine.

“You really believe that?” he asks, and the words are strangely soft, almost trusting. They strike me in my core, shaking me as I try to manage another breath.

“I do,” I nod, feeling tension in my chest. “Really, Keith,” I begin. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s nothing.”

I pull my arm away from his hand, suddenly needing space to think. And Keith allows me to step back. As our touch breaks, I feel a shiver go down my spine, especially as I still see that same unguarded look in his eyes - a look I’ll never forget.

It almost makes me want to blurt out the truth, but I remind myself that I can’t. Everything has gone according to plan and now we’ve finally reached the end.

The end.

It hits me like a tidal wave. This may be the last time I see Keith and for some reason it makes my stomach drop so low that I fear it may suddenly drop to the sidewalk. Staring at him…I have the urge to throw my arms around him, but my arms are too busy twitching at my sides as I’m restless with determination. Jean and I are hours from getting out and I need to ensure that happens.

But why does a part of me…a very large part….want to stay? Why?

“But I do need to go…again,” I tell both him and myself. “I’m just grabbing a few things before I go back to my hotel to make more calls.”

More like go back to pack up my things.

“Okay,” Keith states back, that single word swirling around in my head. But despite the spin, I still give him a lulling nod before I begin to turn away. Only, I stagger as I hear him speak again.

“I’ll see you later,” he practically murmurs.

I thank the universe that I’m not facing him because suddenly I’m looking up, feeling shaken as I stare up at the sky. All I do is give him a responding nod as I take in a breath through my nose, and then I lower my head back down as I walk away from him.

With each step I think of his words, knowing they’re the last words he’s ever going to say to me. Once more, I’m feeling off balance with that abrupt realization, but I don’t look back. And I don’t know why…but I commit those last words to memory, remembering the sound of his voice as he brushed them out.

“I’ll see you later.”

No…you won’t.