Page 6 of The Meeting
Her dad was right about everything, of course. But she wasn’t ready to give him the satisfaction of being right while she still sorted through her own feelings regarding all of it.
“Of course you can! It’ll be a slumber party like old times! We can even put our pillows and blankets in the living room.”
Kailynn laughed. She wasn’t sure if Abi was serious, but she knew Abi suggested it to cheer Kailynn up.
“Thank you. So I’m actually sitting in your parking lot right now.”
Abi laughed. “You’re welcome to swing by my office to get my key. I won’t be able to leave until later this afternoon.”
Kailynn started her car. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll head that way now.”
They hung up and Kailynn was about to pull out of her parking spot when Mr. Suit-and-tie jogged through the lot to his car. She watched as he slid into his car carrying a pizza pocket and some files and left the lot in a hurry.
She smiled as she watched him pull out of the lot. She hadn’t even been out of her relationship for a day yet and she was already scoping out new men. In a way, she had been for years. She and Drew had been drifting apart for so long that at some point it became all business, but she hadn’t noticed she lost the love aspect.
A stray tear traveled down her cheek and she wiped it away before pulling out onto the street to head to the office where Abi worked as a dental hygienist.
While she drove, she dialed Jessica’s phone number.
“Hey, what’s up?” Jessica asked.
“Hey. I just wanted to let you know Drew and I broke up this morning so you aren’t blindsided if you go into the office.”
Jessica stayed silent for a second. “Wow. Are you okay?”
“Honestly? I think so. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Okay. Where are you going to stay? Or is Drew moving out?”
“I’m going to stay with Abi for a bit.”
“Oh, so Drew is keeping the apartment?”
Kailynn shrugged and furrowed her eyebrows. What a weird question for Jessica to ask. “I guess for now. I don’t know what he’s going to do after this month. We’re on a month-to-month basis with our lease.”
Kailynn made a mental note to call the leasing office for her apartment complex to make sure they knew she wouldn’t be signing on after their current month ended.
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” Jessica said.
“Thanks.”
After they hung up, her thoughts swirled around how complicated the next several months would be as she tried to navigate the new life she had dropped herself into. It had to happen at some point, and it was better to do it sooner rather than later, but she still dreaded it.
She pulled into the parking lot and walked into the waiting room of the dental office. She let the secretary know she was waiting for Abi.
“She just took a patient back, but she wanted me to give you this.”
The secretary produced a key, and Kailynn thanked her before taking it and walking back to her car. She drove the short distance back to Abi’s place and grabbed her duffel bag and a box out of her trunk before walking to Abi’s apartment. Letting herself inside, she set the stuff in the living room before making the trek back outside.
Within five trips, she had all of her items stacked in Abi’s living room. She looked around at her meager belongings and sighed before dropping onto the couch.
* * *
The door openingand closing again startled Kailynn awake. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep and certainly didn’t realize how tired she was. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head.
“Hey!” Abi said as she dropped her purse on the kitchen table. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No no. I didn’t even mean to sleep.” Kailynn stood up as Abi approached.
