Coming Home

Chapter 22.

*So sorry! Somehow Wattpad uploaded these chapters out of order. I have reordered them correctly for those of you who may not have noticed and got a little confused when reading. Thank you and I hope you're enjoying the story! We're so close to the end!

The next few weeks pass in a blur. Adrian left for New York immediately after our last conversation without a word. A few days later, movers arrived to pack up his entire condo and emptied it. I begin to feel the realization that my life will no longer include him in it, but I can't seem to take the ring off just yet. I've caught myself searching the New York business and society pages nearly every day, hoping to read anything about him to satisfy the ache in my heart. I open the society column and my heart drops.

Young playboy is back! New girl every night and no sign of slowing down!

I read through the column and see that it writes that Adrian has been at a new nightclub every night this week. A different girl is photographed on his arm at each location and my heart aches.  The doorbell rings and I push back tears and steel myself.

I answer it to see my mother holding a cake. "Hello sweetie. I made a cake for the block party and thought I'd bring you some from the test batch."

I give a strained smile and let her in, taking the cake and placing it quietly on the counter.

"What's wrong honey? You look upset. Is everything all right?"

I try to smile, but before I can say anything, tears flood from my eyes and I begin to sob.

My mother reaches me and throws her arms around me to comfort me. "Caroline talk to me. What's wrong? Please sweetie. It's ok. Calm down."

She holds me and lets me cry until I calm myself down. I pull myself away and wipe the tears from my face. "Oh mom. It's just been a terrible few weeks. Adrian left and it's just all messed up. And now I see that he's been out with a different girl every night."

"What?! He's cheating on you? I can't say I saw that in him. He seemed so crazy about you." Her eyes are wide in anger and confusion.

I shake my head and a few more tears fall. "No Mom. We broke up. I've been wallowing like an idiot and it turns out he's fine. He's going out and right back to normal, seeing all of these women and it's like we never happened."

"Oh, honey. Instead of dealing with it, men usually throw themselves into distractions to try and move on. That's all he's doing. It doesn't mean he isn't grieving as much as you are."

Heat rises to my cheeks and the sadness is replaced with anger. "So he gets to just take home floozies throwing themselves at him while I sit at home bawling my eyes out every night?"

She searches my eyes in confusion, trying to put together the pieces. "Honey what happened? You two seemed great when we saw you last. How could it have ended so quickly?"

"We just couldn't figure out how to make it work. His business is all in New York. I didn't feel right leaving you behind, and I knew you wouldn't leave yours and Dad's place. He can't pick up his company and move it. There's just no way it could work. Reality set in and I had to let him go."

A look of sadness comes across her face and she looks away.

"Mom I'll be ok. It's like you said. I'll find someone here. It will be fine. I will be fine. I just need time."

Her gaze falls immediately to my left hand. "Is that why you have the ring on still?"

I look down at the sparkling diamond ring sitting on my left ring finger. "I'm just not ready to let him go in my heart yet. I guess it's time. But, I don't think I can do it yet."