Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Lila

"If you sign here and here, you'll be the proud owner of Lila's Pet and Paws." Jett sits behind his large wooden desk, his lips curved into a warm smile as he gestures to the papers before me.

The pen feels heavy as I press it against the crisp white paper. My heart races as I take a deep breath. This is it. This signature secures the future I've envisioned—my dream.

Without hesitation, I scribble my name across the line. When I lift my pen, a wave of euphoria washes over me, pushing aside the constant sense of dread.

I did it. I'm an official business owner.

When I dropped out of college and cared for Jake, I never thought I'd see this day. Life comes at you hard, but I persevered. I didn't let my lack of a college degree and single motherhood get in my way.

That's not to say I didn't have help. I'm fortunate to be in this position. The owner's trust in me and perhaps the banker's crush played a part, but had it not been for my hard work, I wouldn't be the new owner of a pet grooming store. That's something to be proud of, regardless of how I got it.

"Now that the paperwork is officially done, I'm putting my banker hat aside and asking how you are doing with everything in your life?"

His question throws me off. Jett has been a client of mine for the past nine months, and I knew he was interested in me, but to come out and ask such an intrusive question is jarring. Totally unexpected.

"It's been…" Rough, horrible, happy, sad—pick an adjective. With the rollercoaster of emotions I've been through, they all seem to work. I settled on, "A wild ride, for sure."

"I can't imagine. Fans can turn on you quickly if you slip. Drake's sudden turnaround and apology letter helped with public relations, but none of that helps you."

"No. No, it doesn't."

And it certainly doesn't help Drake is gone. We need a night to sit down and have a serious conversation. We didn't get to have one before he left. After that bombshell dropped, I couldn't look, let alone talk, to him. I couldn't speak to him the first few nights after he left. It was too hard. I needed time to process everything. It killed me knowing he had slept with my best friend. My own best friend! The more I dwelled on it, the angrier and more hurt I became.

But what grounds did I have to be mad? We weren't together. It had been four months since our breakup, which in college dating time was equivalent to years.

Should he have told me sooner?

Definitely, but I understand why Drake kept it from me. The idea of becoming a father, not just to a baby but to a seven-year-old, must have been overwhelming for him. If the results came back positive, he would've missed out on so much of Jake's life.

I even understand his need to protect me from Darci's betrayal.

Despite everything, I just miss him. He's protected me from day one, and I don't want to stay angry. I want to choose happiness.

But we talked the night before and had a pleasant talk. The relief he blew out when I told him I could forgive him made me smile for the first time since finding out. I'm tired of tiptoeing around truths. I'm exposing them all. Otherwise, they'll stay buried like roadside bombs. Most of all, though, I'm tired of being in this state of funk. I've been in it for the past seven years, and dredging up her betrayal is like losing her all over again.

Truth be told, I hope that the paternity test results show a match for Drake. It would make things easier for the little guy. And if Drake moves to the West Coast, I'll have to deal with it. I don't want to stand in the way of his contract offer, which he will probably receive. But I won't move with him. That's why I signed on the dotted line. My life is here in Boston. Athletes don't play sports forever, and I plan on running this business for a long time. I proved I can do it. I'll be here waiting for him at the end of his career. I made the mistake of making him my entire world once. No matter how much I love him, I won't fall into that trap. I need my own identity.

The corners of my lips lift. "But it's okay. It came as a shock to both of us. But Drake and I have known each other since we were eight. We'll always remain friends."

"I'm glad things worked out for you." His voice is sincere. It's a shame Jett never lit that spark for me because he's a nice guy.

"Me too."

"Though I won't lie. I wish our relationship could've been more than platonic."

"You're a great guy with a great dog." I flash him a small smile. "Truth is my heart was taken a long time ago."

I just hope this time he doesn't leave it shattered.