Welcome to Westbrook

Chapter 11

Eleven

When I woke up the next morning, I stared straight up at the ceiling for hours. Having woken up before sunrise, I let my mind wander over everything that happened the day before. My fight with Jack left me feeling very uneasy, yet I knew it had to be done. It was obvious we couldn't pursue any sort of future together, so it was better that things ended now rather than later.

Unable to remain stagnant anymore, I got up and started packing my suitcase. Once I finished my own suitcase, I moved onto packing Ben's clothes in his. I was going to make sure we could get to the bus station by nine, meaning the taxi would be here shortly to take us there.

"Are we leaving, Mom?" Ben asked after waking up, watching me pack his suitcase.

"Yes, baby. It's time to leave and get to grandma and grandpa's house."

"But I like it here. Can't we stay longer?"

"No," I said curtly, before regaining my composure. "Come on, let's get you dressed."

Twenty minutes later, I was rolling both suitcases behind me down the stairs, with Ben following in tow. As soon as we made it downstairs, Lorena came from the kitchen.

"Oh dear, is it time for you to go already?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so," I replied.

"I don't want to leave but Mommy says we have to," Ben interjected, frowning.

Lorena offered a smile, clearly trying to remain positive about our departure. "Your Mom knows best, Ben. Just know that you can visit here anytime you want. Both of you," Lorena said, looking over at me. Ben hugged her, causing Lorena to get teary eyed. I almost did the same, but forced myself to keep calm. It was for the best that we were leaving.

"I need to talk to Lorena for a minute. Wait by the door for me, okay?" I told Ben. He nodded and slowly walked over to the door, allowing me to talk with Jack's mother for a moment.

"I can't lie to you, Evelyn. I'm sad to see you both go," Lorena stated.

I nodded, but chose not to respond to her statement. Instead, I handed her a piece of paper. "This is for you."

She looked between the paper and me, obviously confused. "What is it?"

"It's the article I wrote about the inn. My editor approved it last night."

"Article? What—wait, this says it's by E.J. White!" She looked at me with wide eyes, finally connecting the dots.

"Yes, that's me. I'm the one who writes articles about places like the Ashford Inn. Places that deserve recognition for their hidden beauty and charm. You have a beautiful inn, Lorena. I'd hate to see it go to waste and miss out on customers."

Lorena continued to look at me with a deer-in-headlights expression. "I can't believe it was you," she said, almost in a whisper.

I made sure I stuck to business, trying not to appear too attached to Lorena and this inn. "Like I said, this is a wonderful inn. You might get some more guests after my article is published, but I suggest you make a website to advertise the place. You'd get a lot more traffic coming in and out of the Ashford Inn."

"We don't need your suggestions," Jack interrupted, glaring at me. Lorena gasped at her son's bold statement and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're right, I've only written about dozens of inns like this," I replied sarcastically, glaring back at Jack.

"Writing about an inn doesn't compare to running one."

"Just like spending time around a child doesn't compare to raising one," I argued, pointing out a major issue with our former romantic situation. Before either of us could continue arguing, Ben came running over to us.