Chapter 84 84

Chapter 84 84
His words were teasing, but they hit closer to home than he knew. I had been maintaining a cover story, in a way. My entire life now in New York, separate from my past in London with Tyler, and the careful way I had built walls between who I used to be and who I was now. All of it felt like a kind of cover story.

"Something like that," I said vaguely.

Before Wilson could respond, Jennifer returned with three cups of coffee balanced expertly in her hands. She set them down on the table and reclaimed her seat.

"Alright," she said brightly. "Now that we're all caffeinated, let's talk about these properties. I think you're going to love what I've found."

As Jennifer launched into her presentation, showing us photos and floor plans and talking about square footage and lease terms, I tried to focus, but my mind kept drifting back and forth.

Clara, that silly little witch, after all these years, and after everything that they did to me, had the effrontery to show up in front of me and mention that scumbag’s name. As if that wasn't bad enough she almost made me feel miserable. The thought made my stomach churn with disgust.

"What do you think, Ms. Claire?" Jennifer's voice broke through my thoughts.

I realized I had no idea what she'd just asked me. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Jennifer's smile faltered slightly, concern creeping into her expression. "Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit distracted."

"She had a rough morning," Wilson said smoothly, coming to my rescue once again before I could even say anything. “She has also been through a lot in the past few weeks.”

"Oh no," Jennifer said sympathetically. "That must have been difficult. Would you like to reschedule? We can absolutely do this another day when you're feeling more up to it."

I was about to say yes, to accept the easy way out she was offering, when I caught Wilson watching me. There was something unsaid in his expression. It was a kind of quiet encouragement that seemed to say "You can do this." without him having to say anything.

"No," I said, straightening up in my chair and forcing myself to focus. "No, I'm fine. Let's continue. I really want to see these properties."

Jennifer looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I said more firmly. "This meeting is important at this time, and I've already delayed it twice. I need to move forward with this."

"Okay," Jennifer said slowly. "But if at any point you need us to stop, just let me know."

I nodded.

For the next hour, Jennifer walked us through each of the three properties she'd selected. She showed us photos, explained the pros and cons of each location, discussed pricing and availability. And despite my earlier distraction, and despite the emotional upheaval of seeing Clara, I found myself genuinely engaging with the information.

Wilson, true to his word about being there for moral support, asked intelligent questions and occasionally pointed out things I might have missed. He never overstepped or tried to make decisions for me, but his presence was oddly comforting. It felt like he was a missing piece meant to be where he was supposed to be.

By the time we finished reviewing all three properties, I felt like I actually had a clear picture of what each location could offer.

"So," Jennifer said, closing her tablet. "Would you like to go see them in person? We could visit all three today if you're available, or we could schedule visits over the next few days."

I glanced at Wilson, suddenly unsure. I wondered if he was really planning to keep up with the charade all day?

“Surely he should have better things to do than pretend to be my boyfriend while I look at office spaces.” I thought to myself.

As if reading my mind, Wilson spoke as he checked through his phone, "My friend just cancelled our meeting, so I'm free for the rest of the day if you want to see them now. But it's completely up to you."

"You really don't mind?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, I really don't mind," he confirmed.

For a moment, I stared at him, wondering why someone who barely knew me was willing and ready to protect and stay by my side all day. I don't know why but I found him so easy to talk to. He was brilliant and so well-spoken. He didn't need to even do too much or impress anyone. I wondered if this was what they talked about whenever they talked about guardian angels?

I turned back to Jennifer. "Let's see them today. All three, if possible."

"Perfect," Jennifer said, gathering her materials. "Let me just use the restroom quickly, and then we can head out. The first property is only about ten minutes from here."

As Jennifer walked away, I turned to Wilson. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "For everything. For stepping into the situation outside, for staying, for being willing to spend your whole day helping me with this. You keep stepping in to save me and I feel indebted to you. I don't know why you're doing it, but I'm grateful. Believe me, I'm absolutely grateful."

Wilson took a sip of his coffee before responding. "Maybe I'm just curious to see how this story ends."

"What story?" I asked, completely confused.

“The story the universe is trying to write.” He said simply. "Seeing how our paths keep crossing, the universe surely has a hand in it and I'm sure fate is probably at work here."

His words left me confused but I just played it off, while saying, “I don't even know what that means.”

"Even I don't know what I just said," He responded and my brows furrowed in confusion.

“You don't know the meaning of what you said?” I asked him, my confusion still evident.

"Yes," Wilson responded, taking the last sip of his coffee. “It's a popular line in a movie I watched recently.”

Before I could give a response, Jennifer returned. "Ready?" she asked cheerfully.

"Ready," I confirmed, standing up.

As the three of us headed toward the restaurant exit, I couldn't help but glance around nervously, half expecting Clara to still be lurking somewhere nearby, but thankfully she was nowhere to be seen.

We stepped out into the bright morning sunshine, and I took a deep breath of fresh air.

Just as we headed towards the parking lot, Wilson's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and his expression changed immediately.