The Neighbour

EIGHT

🌷Anastasia🌷

Caroline leads me into her gorgeous kitchen where her marble breakfast bar is currently doubling as a university party drink's station. There's every type of wine going and I'm sure that's a bottle of Tequila I can see.

"Alcohol or no alcohol?"

"No alcohol, please."

She holds up a can of lemonade and when I nod, she hands it to me.

"So, I didn't want to say anything before because I didn't want you to feel awkward..." she begins, snatching a can of lemonade for herself. "But I just want you to know that I keep work and my personal life very separate. I'd hate for you to think we couldn't be friends because of what happened last month."

I'm pleasantly surprised by her kind words. The fact she's taking time out of her own daughter's birthday party to make sure I'm okay is quite honestly astonishing.

"Thanks, Caroline," I say, momentarily abandoning my drink. "You've no idea how much I appreciate that."

She shoots me a smile in return. "How are things?"

I shrug, surprisingly finding myself wanting to be honest with her. "I'm... getting there."

She smiles.

"I know it can be a long process, but I'm desperate to find my old self again," I admit.

I reclaim my drink, needing my fidgeting hands to be doing something.

Caroline mulls this over for a few seconds. "What if finding the old you isn't what you should be focusing on?"

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she begins. "Perhaps you need to find the new you in order to move forward. Start a fresh."

I'll admit, what she's saying makes perfect sense, yet I've never thought of it myself.

"The new me?"

Caroline nods.

"What does Anastasia Mason look like in six months?" she asks.

I momentarily picture myself reading romance books in bed, surrounded by gorgeous sunlight and the smell of lemon cookies baking. I have the biggest smile on my face and am happy from the inside, out. I take pause for a moment, truly appreciating the smaller details when suddenly a shirtless man walks in, holding a small child. He leans over to kiss me on the lips and when he pulls away, I see that it's Freddie. He tastes sweet and—although I want nothing more than for him to take me, I find myself reaching for Charlotte instead, desperate to hold my gorgeous girl.

"I like that," I share.

"Yeah? You can start today," she says.

"How?"

I may be asking a lot of Caroline, but she seems to know what she's talking about and I feel comfortable opening up to her.

"Well, start acting like that version of Anastatia. Ask yourself what she'd do right now."

I reply without hesitation. "She'd probably sleep with Freddie."

We both laugh.

"So, sleep with him."

She makes it sound so simple.

"Can I do that? I only left Josh a month ago."

Her eyes turn serious, but her smile remains in place. "Girl, you're in control of your decisions. No one else. You can do whatever the fuck you want."