Chapter 26

twenty-six

Fiona sat at her office desk, looking over her notes and schematics for the upcoming weekend wedding. She'd spent most of her day on the phone with the numerous vendors Leo had selected for the swank four hundred-guest affair, but tomorrow she would make on-site visits to the various locations to confirm that they were all on the same page. Everything would be perfect for the biggest event of the year.

She yawned as she clicked to her emails, ignoring the bone-dragging fatigue she couldn't seem to shake as she opened a message Simone had sent nearly three hours ago when the office had still been bustling.

Fiona,

I ran into Anthony Drake and his wife while I was at Cardoni's for a dinner meeting. He couldn't stop singing your praises for a job well done Saturday night. Keep up the excellent work.

—Simone

Reading the note several more times, she waited for the thrill of receiving such high praise from the boss herself, but mostly, it didn't seem to matter.

For years she'd worked her butt off, wanting to prove to everyone—but mostly to herself—that she'd earned her spot on Simone's prestigious payroll. Now, she struggled to care that she worked for one of the most sought-after event planners in the world.

Sighing as she stared out at the Seattle skyline, she longed for gluten-free dinners by the lake and building Legos with a five-year-old.

It was late in Vermont. Brady would have been tucked into bed by now, and maybe Cam, too. If she were still there, they would undoubtedly be snuggled up under his covers.

Shaking her head, she focused on her notes as Leo stopped in her doorway.

"Why am I not surprised to see you still here? I'm starting to wonder if you have a sleeping bag under your desk."

She smiled at her handsome friend, who still looked fit and fresh after fourteen hours on the job. There wasn't a blond hair out of place or wrinkle to be found on his slim-fit white pants, lapel-striped button-down, or navy-blue blazer. Leo's trendy outfits were always on point. "I'm wrapping things up now. I've been busy these last few days."

"And quiet. And sad," he said as he walked farther into her space.

She shook her head, struggling to blink back a fresh wave of tears that were always too close to the surface. "I'm fine."

Leo raised his brow. "Girlfriend, please. Neither of us believes that no matter how many times you tell me."

Staring at her desk, she fought to swallow over the emotion choking her throat. Giving up, she covered her face with her hands and started to cry. Because she'd never been more miserable.

"Fi." Leo nudged her up from her seat as his voice dripped with sympathy. "Honey, come here."

She stepped into his arms, returning his embrace as he hugged her hard.

"Tell me about it," he murmured next to her ear.

She sniffled, inhaling a shaky breath as she rested her head against his chest. "Work's not helping this time. It doesn't matter how early I get up or how late I stay, I can't stop thinking about them."

He nodded, rubbing his hand up and down her back. "It's going to take time. You've only been home for a week."

"Eight days," she corrected as she eased back to wipe at her cheeks.

He raised his brow again. "Okay. Eight days, then. But who's counting?"

She wanted to smile, but she couldn't. Because every second of the last week and one day had passed in centuries. She missed Cam and Brady.

Leo sighed. "Your heart's broken, honey."

She nodded while more tears trailed down her cheeks. "In a million pieces."

He guided her over to the couch. "Let's sit down."

She sat next to him, taking the tissue he plucked from the box on the side table, unceremoniously blowing her nose. "Thanks."

"Sure," he said, pulling another tissue from the box and handing it to her. "Now, tell me everything because you're not fooling anyone with your scarily bright smiles and ‘I'm fines.' You're especially not fooling me."

She nodded as another tear fell. "Cam and I… We were trying to be just friends, but after things changed, I wanted him, Leo. For as long as I could have him, I wanted whatever we could have."

Leo nodded. "I totally get that. That man's a delicious piece of meat."

She huffed out a small laugh as she rolled her eyes. Leo could make her smile in nearly any situation.

"Keep going," he encouraged with a gesture of his hand.

"I knew we were going to end. Neither one of us pretended anything different. I don't know how I convinced myself that our goodbye would hurt less this time."

Leo stared at her with compassion-filled eyes. "Have you talked to him?"

She shook her head. "He called again. On Saturday night when I was still at the Drake event. I want to hear his voice so badly . I want to know how Brady's doing, but it's better if we stop dragging this out and just go our separate ways. We promised each other simple, but nothing about me and Cam is simple."

Leo sighed. "I'm sorry this is so hard."

"Thank you."

He hooked his arm around her shoulders. "After we pull off this wedding, we're booking a spa day—and I mean the works . Pampering, relaxation, and several glasses of champagne are just what you need."

She nodded. "That sounds nice." But her face crumpled as she started to cry again.

"Fi, honey, what's going on?"

She wiped at her cheeks again. "I think my fibroids are back."

Leo frowned. "The heavy periods again?"

She shook her head, relieved to confess her latest worry to one of her very best friends. "No. I haven't had a period at all."

She more adamantly shook her head when hope filled Leo's blue eyes. "We both know I'm not pregnant. You were sitting right next to me when Dr. Miller told me about the sad state of my fallopian tubes."

"Yeah," Leo said with a sigh.

"This is exactly how it started the first time. No period for weeks and then wham , I'm practically hemorrhaging."

Concern furrowed his brow. "That was a scary time."

She nodded. "Something's off. I can feel that something's not right."

Leo pulled her against him. "You need to call Dr. Miller."

She nodded again as she sniffled. "I did. I have an appointment Thursday morning, but I'm afraid."

"Of course you are, honey. Every bit of that experience was traumatic. But Felix and I are going to be here for you every step of the way."

She nuzzled closer, treasuring his support. "What if Dr. Miller starts talking about a hysterectomy? What if she tells me babies aren't a possibility at all this time?"

Leo sighed. "Let's grab your stuff. You're coming home with me. I'm going to text Felix and tell him to cook us a late dinner—something full of comfort and calories. Then the three of us are piling into bed and watching sappy movies until we fall asleep."

She nodded, loving the idea of not spending another night alone. "Okay."

Leo stood, holding out his hand to her, helping her gain her feet. "I'll meet you at the elevators."

"All right." Quickly grabbing her laptop and cell phone, she shoved them in her bag before she shut off her light and started down the hall.

She needed this night with her good friends. Calorie-laden food and angsty movies did nothing to solve her gynecological issues, and they certainly wouldn't help her get over Cam, but it was a start.

She smiled as she met Leo by the elevators. "Thank you for this, Leo."

He hit the down arrow. "When you can't button your pants in the morning, I'll remind you that you said that."

She grinned as the doors opened. "I'm sure Simone won't mind if we show up for our meetings in sweatpants. It's not like any of this is for the governor's daughter's wedding."

Leo huffed out a laugh as they stepped into the car. "Yes, she'll definitely go for that. Maybe we'll start a trend, and she'll institute sweatpants Tuesdays."

Fiona laughed as the doors closed, hooking her arm around Leo's waist, adoring that her friend knew how to make her feel better.