Silence.
“Please tell me there is more than one Ally Day in your town.”
I snorted. “Not that I know of.”
“Dude!”
“I know, I bloody know,” I said with a shake of my head. “She told me she was sorry for every mean thing she had ever said to me. I forgave her, but it will be a long time before I can shoot the shit with her, you know?”
“Totally,” Roman quickly said. “I’m proud of you for forgiving her in the first place. I know how much she and that Anna bitch messed with your self-esteem.”
“I’m just happy Layton isn’t secretly dating Anna. I would have exploded altogether.”
Roman laughed, which made me smile. “Are things okay with your family?” he asked.
“They are. I sorted things with my family. We’re all very good.”
“I’m so happy to hear that, babe. I know how much they mean to you and how much it hurt that you rarely spoke.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “That sucked arse.”
Roman chuckled, then said, “Are things with Kale any better?”
My shoulders sagged. “Yes and no.”
“Bitch, explain that,” Roman demanded. “I want to know everything.”
“He doesn’t hate me like I feared. He has spoken to me, joked with me, and he took care of me on the day of my uncle’s funeral. He was, as usual, his perfect caring self, but there is an emptiness in him, Ro. I see it in his eyes. I know that sounds crazy, but I can see the difference in them.”
“His son died. I don’t think that kind of pain will ever go away; it will just get easier to bear over time.”
I rubbed my face with my free hand.
“It feels like I’ve been home years instead of just four days.” I exhaled. “I’ve learned so much, and it’s draining.”
“Do you feel any better with your newfound knowledge?” Roman asked.
“Yes and no. It hurt to learn about Kaden and my uncle’s condition, but if I hadn’t been left in the dark, I don’t think I’d have made the decision I did.”
“What decision?” Roman quizzed.
Tell him, my mind urged.
“I’m staying, Ro,” I whispered.
He cleared his throat. “I had a feeling you would.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a moment. Roman had never given me any inkling that he thought I would ever return to York, so his admission stunned me a little.
“Can you repeat that?” I asked, my eyes wide, when I placed the phone back against my ear.
Roman chuckled. “You’ve been away from home for six years, and while you think you’re pretty good at hiding your feelings, I can see how much you miss your family when you talk about them. Throw in your uncle dying and finding out your best friend’s kid died . . . there’s no way you’re leaving your family – or Kale. You’re home.”
My throat was tight with emotion.
“I just want you to know that I’d have been lost without you. I love you with all of my heart – well, with what’s left of it anyway.”
Roman sniffled. “Shut up. Stop talking like we’re never going to see each other again. We’ll talk all the time on the phone and Skype.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me.
“Will you stay in your parents’ house?” Roman asked.
Uncle Harry’s will, I reminded myself.
“Actually,” I chuckled, “my uncle has sorted my living arrangements for me.”
Roman gasped almost instantly. “You got his house?”
“He left me everything,” I emphasised. “His house, his money, his possessions. Everything.”
“Oh, my God,” Roman breathed. “I love your uncle so much for taking care of you.”
I swallowed. “He is still looking out for me.”
“He always will,” Roman stated.
I smiled. “He is sneaky, though. I inherit everything on a condition written in a letter he left me. I haven’t read it yet, but I can only imagine what he wants me to do.”
“Lane, you’ve been in York for four fucking days! How could all this have happened in four days?”
“You know what, Ro?” I laughed. “I’ve been asking myself that exact same question.”
Roman and I laughed and talked for a few more minutes. He assured me he would pack up my apartment and reminded me to email my landlord about my moving out. When it came time to say goodbye, I felt so much better about everything. Roman was a true friend and would be the only thing I would miss about New York.
When we hung up, I re-entered Jeffery’s office. My family and Jeffery were chatting, but when my father spotted me, he crossed the room and stood before me.