The Wright Mistake(85)

It was on brand with the Wrights. Jensen did what he could to protect the family and the company.

“Thanks, Jensen.”

The car stopped in front of the giant building, and we were brought inside.

“Mr. Wright,” a man said, approaching us.

“Yes, Austin,” I said, shaking his hand.

“And you must be Jensen.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m Bartholomew. We’re glad to have you here. Right this way, and we’ll get you checked in and settled into your new villa.”

Villa?

I raised my eyebrows at Jensen, and he just shrugged.

“We want you to be as comfortable as possible. We think treatment shouldn’t be in a hospital-like setting where more stress could fracture your recovery. We just want to help you succeed, and everything we do here is focused on that goal.”

“Great,” I said skeptically.

The man laughed. “You’ll fit right in here. Everyone has that same tone when they first get here. But, while it might seem luxurious, your days will be packed with activities and therapy to get you on the right track.”

When Jensen realized I wasn’t going to say anything, he smiled at Bartholomew. “That’s excellent. I’d expect nothing less.”

“You do want to get better?” Bartholomew asked me, ignoring Jensen and staring at me straight in the face.

Did I?

Fuck.

I wanted to say, Yes. I wanted to say, Of course. I wanted to say so many things. But the truth was, the thought of professional help scared the shit out of me. What if I was a lost cause? What if, despite the six thousand dollars a week that Jensen was going to fork over for this insane rehab center, I couldn’t get my shit together?

“I’m ready to try,” I finally said.

Bartholomew nodded with a kind smile. “That’s all we ask. We can help you with the rest.”





Julia


Austin hadn’t slept with Maggie.

I’d actually made that phone call even though I was terrified to. I’d thought that maybe he’d told me to call Maggie as a bluff. He hadn’t thought I’d actually call her. But, hey, I’d pulled a gun on my ex-boyfriend. One phone call couldn’t be that bad.

Maggie had admitted that he had stopped at a kiss, that he’d gotten all mopey about me and then tried to apologize for using her. She’d laughed, as if she was using him. Then, she’d threatened me within an inch of my life if I ever called her again and hung up on me.

But I believed him now. Didn’t make him inviting her over or that kiss any better. But he’d been honest. It was a step in the right direction. Even if I wasn’t ready for a relationship…and had no clue if I ever would be again.

He’d found the honest bone in his body and then fucking left.

He’d really, really left.

Landon told me that he was at some ritzy rehab center in California with security that even paparazzi couldn’t get through. The program he was in required no outside contact for the first thirty days. He’d start family therapy after that, and Landon was excited to get to go to California and see him. I was sure he was also interested in taking a vacation, but I didn’t say it.

Not that I was checking up on Austin or anything.

Okay, maybe a little.

It was really quiet around here without him. But I was kind of glad that I had time to process.

Plus, it helped that, two weeks after Austin left, I finally found the most perfect apartment ever.

“I am so sorry I stayed here for so long,” I told Heidi and Landon on moving day.

“I’d be more okay with it if you helped move this couch,” Landon grunted.

“Shit, sorry,” I said, jumping into action.

“We really should have hired someone,” Heidi said.

“My back is going to love this,” Landon grumbled.

“Aw, poor baby,” Heidi cooed.

“Can you keep your lovey-dovey bullshit to yourselves until after we get this couch out the door?” Patrick groaned.

Heidi laughed. “No apologies from me.”

Morgan wrinkled her nose. “Just keep all this shit to a minimum when Sutton gets here.”

“She’s coming?” I asked in shock. I ran my back into the doorframe and dropped the couch. “Fuck!”

“Yeah, Jensen and Emery are bringing her. We’re trying to get her out of the house some. Kimber said she’d watch Jason,” Morgan said.

“Wow,” I muttered. “How has she been?”

Morgan shook her head and glanced away.

Eesh. That bad.

“Julia, couch,” Patrick grumbled.

Somehow, I felt more like I was part of the Wright family than ever despite the fact that Austin was gone. I didn’t know if they were doing it out of obligation because of him or if they just liked me, but I was grateful. It was hard not to feel loved when these amazing people reached out to me.