Chapter 161
I’m happy to arrive in California, though it doesn’t distract me from my thoughts and recent past as much as I might like.
The new Roberts Corp apartments are amazing. Aaron has made my dream a reality. Not all of them are finished, of course, but the site manager takes me on a tour through the apartments that are completed and furnished, but don’t have occupants yet. They soon will, however, as he tells me there’s even a waiting list of people wanting to move in, because the homes have proven
so popular.
“You made the right call on this, Leah,” James tells me as I stand in a kitchen and imagine a family living happily here together, partly because I made it possible. “This had turned out better than anyone could have predicted. You should be proud.”
I am proud, but also sad that my project is all but finished, and I didn’t have a direct hand in bringing it to life.
The site manager says something about assuming I’ll be staying in the Rathborn apartment and I look at James in confusion, who agrees on my behalf.
Once the site manager has gone back to his job, James leads me to the elevator.
“What Rathborn apartment?” I ask as soon as the elevator doors close.
James gently takes my hand and presses it onto a screen that turns out to be a security scanner. A new option pops up that wasn’t available before-the upper floors.
James presses the button for one, and then the elevator silently whisks us upwards.
I don’t bother asking again. James is quiet at the best of times, and I know he won’t answer no matter how many times I ask
It was one thing I learned when I was still a kid and first arrived at the Rathborn mansion. No amount of trailing or pestering would get James to change his mind on anything.
I suppose he’d had a younger sister in Jessica, so he was used to those tactics. And lord knows she was way more annoying and insistent than I was.
The elevator arrives, not to a hallway lined with doors like I’m expecting, but a foyer, meaning this apartment takes up the entire floor. It’s the size of eight apartments in one.
We step forward and again, James uses my hand on a palm scanner to open the door.
We step into a flood of evening Calafornian sun. The far wall is entirely windows, looking out over the valley.
“What is this?” I ask, looking around, noticing the small things.
Art hangs on the walls by artists I like. A color palette I would’ve put together if I was designing a living space for myself. Thick carpet, soft blankets, large, soft cushions scattered about on both the huge couch and floor. Even lush plants and one of those floating fireplaces that takes pride of place in the center of the living room.
“This is your home away from home, Leah,” James says in a gentle voice. “Aaron designed it specially for you.”
The knowledge that Aaron is behind this-a perfect space pulled straight from my dreams-hits me hard and fast.
“I think I need to lay down for a while,” I say to James, my voice thick.
If he notices anything is wrong, he doesn’t say so, but I don’t wait for him to react anyway, I simply flee, and find my way to the master bedroom.
I collapse onto the bed in a mess of tears, crying until my throat is raw and my eyes are aching. Through all that, I think I can
catch a hint of Aaron’s scent in the blankets, and wonder if he has stayed here recently. It only makes me cry harder.
Eventually, I fall into a fitful sleep, but thoughts of Aaron chase me into my dreams.
