“Hey, hey bitches,” Olly shouts as he enters the apartment.
“Olly,” I scold. “Don’t call the baby a bitch.”
“Jokes,” he laughs, as his eyes dart around the room looking for Annie. “Where is my main bitch, anyway?”
I frown at him. “She’s taking a nap, so keep it down.”
“Oh, babe,” he says as he hugs me into his chest.
“It’s fine, it’s all fine. I’m a mature adult now, making rational decisions.”
“Come on, Amelia, who are you shitting? This is me.”
“Okay, okay,” I whimper. “I’m fucking broken, but I need to do this. He isn’t happy being here in New York. I have to let him go. I just don’t know how.”
Olly hugs me tighter. “I know, babe. For the record, I think you are making the right decision taking this step. A man like Blake needs to do what he needs to do.”
“I think so too. It’s just Blake who won’t accept it. I can’t see how this can continue though.” I cry again. After such a long period of calm bliss, I feel so confused.
“How was it when you said goodbye this weekend? Did Blake say anything more?”
I shrug, pull away from his hug, and wipe my eyes with my sleeve. “He was okay. He thinks it will all be fine.
“We had amazing goodbye sex. It’s hard to imagine not being able to have that. It’s such a waste.”
Olly laughs. “Well, it doesn’t have to be the end. You can be his booty call when he comes back to New York. There are worse things to be.”
“No. I couldn’t let it fuck with my head like that. But I know I’ll go crazy if he ever meets anyone else.
“If this happens, please be here, Olly, telling me I’m a psycho bitch and slapping me.”
“Hell, I would be going crazy with you,” he cackles. “You know what we need though?” he adds.
I raise my eyebrows. “Don’t even say Zac Efron.” We both giggle.
When Annie wakes, we take her for a walk in the park. Olly loves spending time with her, and she adores him.
I love the life we have created and the people we have around us here in New York—it’s made my decision easier.
If we had moved to Chicago, we would have been so alone, and Blake would have been working all day, seven days a week. I’m confident I have made the right choice.
A week has passed so fast. I barely got a chance to speak to Blake between his video calls to Annie and his work schedule.
It’s been impossible to get him alone in a quiet place to talk about anything important.
Blake’s dad is driving to the city with Bree this afternoon. They’re taking Annie for the night and Blake’s going to be flying in Saturday, picking her up and bringing her home.
He said he should have news for me. I’m nervous. But hopefully, it’s better news than his last lot, when he dropped the Chicago bomb.
With no baby and no early morning wake-up, I have agreed to go out with Jane, Olly, and Lisa. I’m sure I’ll regret my decision in the morning, but hell, life is for living!
“Here she is, ready to get off her face,” Jane shouts in a terrible English accent. She sounds like she has already had her limit of alcohol and needs to be taken home.
I accusingly turn to Olly and Lisa. “Who filled her up on pre-drinks?” I ask. They both look away. No one’s taking responsibility for this mess.
“Let’s get some shots,” Jane bellows as she waves the staff over.
She isn’t doing so great after she thought she had found the love of her life, and he turned out to be the biggest dick to ever walk the Earth.
“Not for me, thanks,” I reply as I snatch the drinks menu from her hand.
“You can’t keep up with my liver these days, England. You have pussied out on us for too long,” Jane shrieks as she takes another shot.
The statement is partly true. I haven’t been on a night out with them in a long time, not a proper drinking session.
I always had a baby to deal with in the morning. But today I’m totally free to get as fucked up as I want.
“Let’s do this then, you dirty pirate hoe,” I shout. If I can’t let my hair down tonight, when can I? And my friend needs some moral support.
From that moment the night went downhill quickly. Don’t get me wrong. I was having a great night. It always is when I’m with my people, but I’m so wasted.
It’s just like old times, and Jane’s right, my liver can’t take it anymore.
Three a.m. and I am sitting with Olly in a bar I can’t remember the name of. Jane has left with Lisa, and we are putting the world to rights on the rooftop.
Earlier I gave strict instructions that under no circumstance can I call or contact Blake in my drunken state. He would be asleep anyway, as he had an early flight.
When I look at my phone, I see Cal is online, and for some stupid reason, I make a drunken decision and video-call him.
Olly has been desperate to meet him, and when I’m off my face drunk, there seems to be no better time.
“Amelia?” Cal says as he answers my video call.
“Oh my God, Cal, I have a friend that’s desperate to meet you.”
He ignores my comment. “Are you pissed?”
I laugh. “Ha, nothing gets past you, does it, Cal?”
“HELLO, CAL,” Olly shouts as he steals my phone.
I can hear Cal being polite and talking to Olly. I know he’s sober and wondering what the fuck we are doing, as it’s early morning in England.
“What’re you doing?” I ask as I snatch my phone back.
“Well, some of us have to work,” he grins. I can see he’s outside. He’s wearing a T-shirt and looks as hot as the day I saw him around my folks’ pool.
“When are you getting your sexy English arse over here?” Olly shouts, and Cal sniggers. He must think we are batshit crazy.
“I don’t think Blake will want me around somehow,” he smirks.
“Oh, Blake is long gone, my friend, he’s not even in the same time zone. You should head out on the next plane to sort our girl out.”
“Olly,” I cut in. I’m drunk but not that drunk. I pull the phone from him again.
“Sorry, Cal. He’s trashed and doesn’t have an appropriate bone in his gay-arse body. Blake and I are fine. He’s just working at the other end of the Earth for the time being.”
“Hang on, I’m just looking at flights,” Cal says in a serious tone.
I laugh.
“I like him,” Olly adds.
“No, honestly, Amelia, are you okay?”
“Good, I thought Blake would appreciate that.”
I smirk. Blake did hate it and went and bought her something with an American flag just to balance it out.
I don’t think it was the Paddington or the Union Jack flag that bothered him though.
The fact that it was from Callum was the main issue, and also the fact that he had also sent the cutest set of pink Union Jack vests when she was born.
“He does know she’s American, doesn’t he?” Blake commented. I had to laugh.
“Anyway, we will let you get back to work. I’ll be in touch with you all soon. Annie is desperate to meet her British family.”
“Great. Can’t wait. Bye, Olly.”
Olly blows a kiss down the phone, and Cal laughs before hanging up.
“He is so hot,” Olly comments. I nudge him. I should be angry with him for blurting out about Blake, but I can’t get mad at his pure, innocent face.
