Prologue
"Are you sure you’ve packed everything?" Nick asked as I tried to close yet another suitcase full of my things.
“I think so,” I replied, glancing once more around my small apartment where I’d lived for the past two years.
It wasn’t very big, but it was enough for my needs.
Normally, it was tastefully decorated, full of flowers and mismatched little trinkets. And now? It was cluttered with tons of boxes filled with the things I’d managed to gather over that time.
On shaky legs, I walked over to the black bag that was supposed to be my carry-on. I had deliberately placed it on the couch so it would stay in sight. I looked inside, flipping through its contents.
"Documents, passport, money... " I listed out loud, mentally trying to figure out if I had forgotten anything." I feel like I’ve missed something.”
"Relax, babe," he said gently, trying to calm me down.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his head lightly on my shoulder.
"I need to double-check everything, just to be sure," I continued, pulling away from his embrace. I took a thick folder full of documents out of the bag.
" If anything’s missing, I’ll bring it to you. My contract ends in a month anyway, so I’ll be able to join you then, just like we planned. "
" I need to make sure I’ve got all the documentation for my business. I can’t afford any oversight,” I replied, flipping through the papers.
" Are you sure this is a good idea, moving the company? " Nick raised an eyebrow, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants. His light blond hair was still damp from the shower, falling over his forehead.
We didn’t live together, but he often stayed the night, so he kept a few clothes in my closet and treated my place like his second home.
"Why wouldn’t it be?"
"It’s a bit of a risk" he said carefully. I could tell he was choosing his words not to upset me. “I just don’t want you to feel pressured."
"I’ve already built my brand. I don’t want to start everything from scratch,” I replied firmly. After confirming that all the documents were in order, I closed the folder and placed it on top of my bag.
"England's not the US" he pointed out. "You’ll still need to find new clients."
"I’ve already made up my mind" I said, putting an end to the unnecessary conversation.
We’d been having these pointless discussions for the past two months. A year ago, I decided to take a leap and started my own business. It was supposed to be a small event planning company. But it turned out to be a hit. More and more clients came in, and the business grew so fast that I had to hire additional staff to keep up.
Unfortunately, three months ago, I received news that my visa would not be extended, and I had four months to leave the country. At first, I thought it was a joke. I ran around offices trying to fix the situation, but every time, I was sent away empty-handed. There was nothing anyone could do. I felt like the ground was crumbling beneath me, and all that I had worked for was about to vanish.
Once I accepted the fact that I really had to return to the States, I decided to do everything I could to bring what I had built here back to my hometown. I had no intention of becoming dependent on my parents again. Sure, they were wealthy, but I didn’t want to be a burden to them. I had already taken care of all the necessary paperwork—all that was left was to find and set up a location. I had two places in mind that met my requirements and had appointments scheduled to view them. I hoped we’d finalize everything quickly so I could get back on track with growing the company.
Unfortunately, Nick couldn’t just drop everything and fly with me. He worked for a consulting firm and had to stay another month to tie up loose ends. So I had to fly alone, which didn’t exactly fill me with optimism.
Los Angeles wasn’t my place in the world.
I had left my past behind there and never planned to return —but life, it seemed, had other plans.
Cruel, ironic ones.
