4

I decided to give Evan one last day.

Not because I was waiting for him to come around.

I just wanted to see how much worse it could get.

Janet took the early bus to Ashford to bring me my documents and a change of clothes.

She didn't want to bother Evan, so she baked a beef pot pie that morning and planned to drop it off and leave.

When she arrived at the company lobby, the security guard stopped her at the turnstile.

"Only visitors on the approved list can go beyond the lobby."

Janet fumbled for words. "I'm Evan's..."

She trailed off.

We weren't married.

She couldn't even call herself his future mother-in-law.

Just then, Nicole's mother walked in.

The guard opened the gate for her immediately. "Morning, Ms. Pearce. Go right up. You're family here."

Nicole's mother took the insulated lunch container and looked Janet up and down, her gaze lingering on the jacket that had been washed so many times it had faded.

"Here to deliver lunch?"

"I'm Mia's mother."

"Oh, so you're her."

She smiled thinly. "Evan's mother mentioned you. Said your daughter has a habit of making a fuss over nothing."

I grabbed Janet's arm and turned to leave.

Evan happened to step out of the elevator.

"Why didn't you come up?"

I pointed at the turnstile.

"Why does Nicole's mother have permanent guest access under your account, but my mom doesn't?"

He looked at the security guard.

"That's how it's registered in the system, ma'am. Please don't put me in a difficult position."

Nicole appeared from behind him.

"I added her. My mom drops off documents all the time, so permanent guest access is easier. Mia, you're not going to take issue with this too, are you?"

Evan took the insulated container from Janet's hands.

"It's a system thing. Let's not argue about it in the lobby."

Janet waved it off quickly.

"It's fine, really. I came at a bad time."

The more understanding she was, the worse I felt.

At noon, Evan agreed to have lunch with us.

The food had barely arrived when Nicole called.

She was representing the company in a press interview that afternoon and suddenly felt short of breath right before going on.

Evan got up to leave.

"My mom's bus back to Riverside leaves in three hours."

"I know."

"You promised to take her to the station."

"This interview matters for the company's image."

"She has plenty of colleagues there."

"But I'm the only one she trusts."

I looked at him.

"If I were the one leaving today, would you stay?"

He frowned.

"Why does everything have to turn into a choice?"

"Because you always have one."

"And you never pick me."

He was quiet for a moment, then softened his tone.

"Give me one hour. I'll be back the second the interview is done."

Before he left, he took the beef pot pie Janet had baked.

Later, Nicole posted on Instagram.

She sat in front of the camera with flawless makeup, and our insulated lunch container was on the table beside her.

"Nothing scares you when you know someone has your back."

Evan liked the post.

We waited two hours. He didn't come back.

Janet took my hand and we walked to the station ourselves.

While we waited, she pulled out the transfer notice.

"Sweetheart, if you're not happy here, don't take the transfer."

"I'm not afraid of you being far away. I'm afraid of you losing yourself."

My tears fell onto the paper.

For years, everyone had told me that building a company wasn't easy for Evan.

That I should be understanding, patient, willing to wait.

But no one ever asked me if the waiting hurt too.

My phone lit up.

"Interview went well."

"Come stay at the apartment tonight. Nicole is moving into company housing. Happy now?"

He was treating the place that should have been mine all along as a prize for winning a fight.

I closed the transfer page and called my regional manager, Daniel Walsh.

"Is the manager position at the new Bayshore store still open?"

He sounded pleasantly surprised.

"It is. But you won't know anyone there. Are you sure?"

I looked out the window.

The train cut through the dusk, and Ashford's skyline shrank behind us.

"I'm sure."

After I hung up, another message from Evan came through.

"Once things settle down, I'll come see you with a present."

At the next station, I took off the promise ring I had worn for three years and dropped it onto the tracks.

No explanation. No goodbye.

I used to believe love meant holding on.

Only now did I understand what actually deserved holding on to: not shortchanging myself anymore.

The train pulled into the station.

I held Janet's arm and walked into the crowd without looking back.