I Don't Mix Business with Pleasure

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

                                               𝓕𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

"Are you sure you're ready to head back to New York? We can stay as long as you feel that you need to," Landon says patiently awaiting my answer.

"I'm sure. We've been here for five days and we really should be getting back. I'm not going to lie, I miss New York."

Landon cocks his head in surprise. My mother has been urging us to get back to our lives. August flew back to Florida yesterday morning, and Lars insists on spending more time here. I feel more comfortable leaving this time.

One thing I'm not sure about is if I'm ready to be alone. Over the last four days, I've found myself holding back on being too affectionate with Landon. I've fallen for him and it's scary to admit. I've always excelled at hiding my feelings, so I doubt he even knows how much I've started to care about him. I haven't acted any differently towards him, though I've wanted to.

"Just know you don't have to get right back into work. My dad meant it when he said to take your time."

"I might take a day or two longer just to adjust to getting back, but I'm ready to return and distract myself."

I'm not ready to face Hudson. What he did was selfish, especially in my time of grieving. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to forgive him for that.

—————————————

We finally made it back to New York after a two-hour layover. As soon as I got dropped off at my apartment and checked my phone, I had twenty-two text messages from Hudson asking if I could "hear him out," there's nothing to hear out.

Absolutely nothing.

Since I got back, I've done nothing but pace my apartment, staring out the window, and open and close my empty fridge twenty different times, hoping there'll be something in it the next time I look, but of course, there isn't. I wasn't as prepared to come home as I'd thought.

My phone vibrates, snapping me from my thoughts, and as soon as I see who it is, my mood changes- for the better.