I gave him one of my signature, menacing smiles. “Hey, hey, hey. No need to be so nervous. We all make mistakes. Have your boss send the invoice to the estate like we were planning, and…” I looked around and made sure Willow was nowhere to be found, and then slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out a hundred dollars. “If she asks, I didn’t tip you. If she tries to give you more money, take it, and maybe all of our conversations stay between the two of us. You two only talk business, clear?”
The waiter took the bill and quickly slid it into the pocket on his shirt. “Yes, sir.”
The rest of the visitation went off without any more problems. I didn’t try to approach Willow again while she was busy hosting. I didn’t want to add to her stress, so I kept myself occupied in a corner until people started to leave. I helped Ricky say goodbye to everyone, and then he left to go help his grandmother get comfortable after the day’s events.
The manor was finally emptied out apart from Gabriel a
nd me. He was sitting in a chair with his head falling to one side, dozing in and out. I took off my suit jacket and draped it over him before making my way through the manor halls, out into the back courtyard. The sun was descending toward the horizon, and the sky was a kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, and purples. My gaze followed the cobblestone path up to the marble fountain in the middle of the courtyard. A grin crept up without my asking it to. Willow was sitting on the edge of the fountain, running her fingers through the water, and watching the sunset.
There was a colorful, verdant garden surrounding the fountain that filled the air with a mixture of sweet smells. It flooded my mind with memories of sitting out on the fountain, holding hands, and talking until the sky was dotted with stars. It was Willow’s favorite place to be at her grandfather’s house.
I stuffed my hands into my pockets and meandered up the path. I walked the long way around the fountain and moved to sit on the fountain’s edge next to Willow. We sat in total silence until I heard soft sniffles. I looked over, and tears were streaming down her face.
I put my hand over hers. “I’m so sorry. I know you were close.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t even come and visit him once after I left. He probably thought I hated him.”
“No, he didn’t,” I assured. “He used to tell me all about how you were a big deal in L.A. He’d go on and on about his famous granddaughter.”
She looked over at me. “Really?”
“Hand to god. He, uh…” I huffed out an awkward chuckle. “He still thought we were together, so he’d ask me how you were doing. Ricky would fill in, but I always made sure to tell him that you loved him. I knew that was true.”
Willow sniffed. “Thank you.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t want to move. I was afraid that if I did, she would remember that she hated me and leave.
“I’m sorry,” she said between sniffles. “About your dad.”
My heart thudded. It had been almost two years, but it was still as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. “Thanks.”
“I…I’m sorry I didn’t come to his, you know.” She shivered. “I didn’t think you’d want me there, and I couldn’t make myself comfortable enough.”
“I didn’t expect that you would come after everything.”
I nibbled at the inside of my cheek. Silence spanned between us again. I looked down at my hand, still resting on top of Willow’s. There were a thousand things I wanted to say.
I never got over you.
I’m sorry I let you down.
You’re still the love of my life.
I knew why I couldn’t tell her that, so I settled for pulling out one of my business cards. I flipped her hand over and set it in the center. “I know this is a long shot.” I looked up into her hypnotic eyes. “Call me before you head back to Cali. I’d love to get dinner and talk some things over.”
Willow stared at the card in silence for a few minutes before closing her hand over it. She stood up from the fountain and looked down at me. “Thank you for coming. I know it means a lot to Pop Pop.”
She opened her mouth like she was going to say something else, but then closed it again. She smiled at me and then turned her back to me, the same way she did when we parted ways all those years ago.
5
Willow
“There she is!” A wave of warmth crashed over me as my high school best friend, Bella, came racing up the sidewalk toward me. She stood at a comical five foot two, and her long, red hair fell all the way down her back, stopping below her butt. “My baby!”
She opened her arms, and I leaned down into a hug. “Hi!” I said. We parted, and I smiled down at her. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you, Miss Major L.A. Buyer, walking the red carpet with movie stars.” She pointed a finger at me. “That bitch knows I’m your only real best friend, right?”