The Exception

  I didn’t like hearing her say that. It killed me inside to think that I might lose her. She had only been in my life for a short while and I wanted many more years with her. She was my sister and I needed her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Drew

  I had just returned from a meeting when I heard my office door open.

  “You can’t—” I heard Lia’s voice.

  “Oh please. And really? Those shoes?”

  I turned around and clenched my jaw when I saw Jess.

  “We need to talk, Drew.” She stood there with her hand on her hip.

  I sighed and took a seat behind my desk.

  “Jess, what are you doing here? I told you that I didn’t want to see you.”

  “I know, but I needed to see you. Please just hear me out.”

  “There’s nothing to hear. It’s over.”

  “Stop saying that. I’m sorry for everything. Please give me another chance. I can’t bear to be without you.” Tears started to stream down her face.

  “No, Jess. It’s over. You deserve someone who can give you everything you need.” I got up from my chair, walked over to her, and clasped her shoulders. “I can’t do that. And you know why I can’t?”

  She slowly shook her head.

  “Because I’m not in love with you. I don’t mean to hurt you, but it’s how I feel and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

  Her bottom lip started to tremble. “But I need you. Don’t you understand that?” Streaks of mascara ran down her face.

  “You don’t need me, Jess. You need a man who can love you back and I’m not that man.”

  “God, I hate you!” She began to pound her fists into my chest. “I spent a year with you. I gave you my everything. I gave you my heart and my love and this is how you repay me?”

  I grabbed her wrists and held them tight so she’d stop pounding into me.

  “Darling, the only thing you ever gave me was a headache. Now please leave before I call security.”

  Letting go of her wrists, I turned around and headed towards my desk.

  “You’ll regret this, Drew. You’re going to wake up one day and realize what a mistake it was letting me go and then you’ll be the one crawling back, begging me to take you back!” she shouted.

  Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Goodbye, Jess.”

  “Fuck you, Westbrook!” She stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind her.

  After a few moments, when I knew she was out of sight, I opened the door, looked at Lia, and shrugged.

  “She’s crazy. What can I say?”

  “You did the right thing, Drew. I didn’t like her.”

  “Nobody did.” I winked.

  Lia, my secretary, was an excellent employee. She was a forty-year-old single mom of two girls. She came to work for me as a temp while my other secretary, Joy, was on maternity leave. When Joy decided to become a stay-at-home mom, I hired Lia right on the spot. She excelled at her work and needed the stability of a full-time permanent job so she could provide for her children since her deadbeat ex barely paid his child support.

  “I need you to do me a favor,” I spoke as I walked over to Lia’s desk.

  “Sure. Anything.”

  “See what you can find on a girl named Jillian Bell. She’s from Seattle.”

  “Really?” The corners of her mouth curved upwards. “You’ve never done anything like that before.”

  “I know. I feel like a damn stalker.”

  “Who is she?”

  “She’s a woman that I spent some time with in Hawaii. Actually, we met on the plane. She had the seat next to mine and we stayed at the same hotel. Let’s just say she’s someone I can’t get out of my head. Maybe you can track down a phone number or something.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” She smiled.

  “Thanks, Lia. I’ll be in my office.”

  Just as I shut the door and was walking back to my desk, my phone rang and it was my mom.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Drew. How was Hawaii?”

  “It was good.” Only good because of Jillian.

  “Did you and Jess get some things worked out?”

  I leaned back in my chair. “We sure did. I ended things with her.”

  “Oh?” There was a hint of excitement in her voice.

  “It’s okay, Mom. Just say it.”

  “You want the truth, Drew?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “I’m happy you ended it with that little witch. You know how your father and I felt about her.”

  “I know you didn’t like her and I’m sorry I didn’t end things sooner.”

  “Well, what matters is that you did end it. Listen, honey, I have to get going. Why don’t you come over tomorrow night for a barbeque?”

  “Sounds good, Mom. I’ll be there.”

  After ending the call, I set my phone down on my desk. I wished they could have met Jillian. She was the type of girl that my mom would fall in love with.

  “Excuse me, Drew,” Lia softly spoke as she poked her head in the door.

  “Come on in. Did you find anything?”

  “The only thing I could find on Jillian Bell was this article.” She handed me a white sheet of paper. “I don’t think that’s her, right?”

  “That’s her.” I smiled as I stared at her picture.

  “She left her fiancé on their wedding day?” she asked with a twisted face.

  “Yep, and for good reason. Her story is a little complicated.”

  “She’s pretty.”

  “Pretty is an understatement. She’s a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.”

  “I’m sorry that’s all I could find, Drew.”

  “It’s okay, Lia. Thank you.”

  I could have just hired a private investigator to find her, but I wouldn’t do that. I said goodbye to her for a reason and I wasn’t going to interfere with her life. As badly as I missed her and wanted to talk to her, I needed to respect her journey. I had no clue what I was thinking when I asked Lia to see what she could find out. Jillian had my number and, hopefully, one day, she’d think of me and call.

  ****

  Jillian

  When Kristen and I walked through the doors of The Ellington on West 52nd Street, we stepped inside the elevator and took it up to the 28th floor where I was meeting, Rick, the realtor who was going to show me the apartment.

  “Hello, you must be Jillian.” Rick smiled as he held out his hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Rick.”

  “My pleasure, and this is?” he asked as he looked at Kristen.

  “I’m the sister.” She smiled.

  “Ah. Nice to meet you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you around this gorgeous apartment. Will it just be you living here, Jillian?”

  “Yes.” I smiled as I looked around.

  “Then this is the place for you. Come over here,” he spoke as he led me to the balcony off the living room. “Look at this view. You can practically see the entire city from up here, and at night, it’s gorgeous. All you need are a couple of lounge chairs, a small table, and an expensive bottle of wine.” He winked.

  “What do you think, Kristen?” I asked.

  “I think this place is great. I could totally see you making this space your very own.”

  “Me too.” I smiled as I continued to look around.

  “Oh, and the best part is that the laundry room is right down the hall.”

  “That’s a plus. How much is the rent again?” I asked.

  “Forty-five hundred.”

  “Okay. I’ll take it.”

  “Excellent.” Rick clapped his hands together. “I will let the owner know and I’ll draw up the lease agreement. How soon do you want to move in?”

  “This weekend if possible.”

  “Perfect. I will call you in a couple of days when the paperwork is ready, you can swing by the office to sign them, and I’ll hand you the keys.”

  “Great. I look
forward to it.”

  ****

  Drew

  I had just arrived home from work when my phone rang.

  “Hey, Rick,” I answered.

  “Drew, I have great news. I rented your apartment today to a very nice young woman. She’ll be moving in this weekend.”

  “Ah. Excellent news. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Any time, buddy. Have a good night.”

  “You too.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jillian

  In my hand, I held the keys to my very own apartment. I’d never had my own place before. Even when I was in college, I lived with Grant.

  “How about we do a little furniture shopping?” I smiled at Kristen.

  “Sounds like fun. I love to shop for furniture.”

  I hooked my arm in hers as we exited the realtor’s office and headed to the nearest furniture store.

  “Hello.” A nice-looking young man smiled at us as we walked through the door.

  “Hi.”

  “Can I help you?”

  “Actually, I’m going to be spending a lot of money in this store today to furnish my new apartment.”

  “Excellent.” He grinned as he saw dollar signs and a nice commission check. “I’m Heath.” He politely stuck out his hand.

  “I’m Jillian and this is my sister, Kristen.”

  “Nice to meet you ladies. Where shall we start?”

  Looking at my watch, I spoke, “It’s two o’clock. How about we start with a glass of wine? You do have wine, right?” I smiled.

  “Of course. Red or white?”

  “White will be fine. We’re going to look around.”

  “Please do. I’ll go fetch some wine and I’ll come find you.”

  “Thank you, Heath.”

  He gave me a smile as he walked away. He was cute with his six-foot stature, short blonde spikey hair, and green eyes.

  “So where do you want to start?” Kristen asked.

  “Let’s start with the living room first,” I spoke as I headed over to some displays.

  Heath walked over and handed each of us a glass of wine. “See anything that catches your eye?” he asked.

  “Actually,” I smiled, “I think I may like that couch over there.” I pointed.

  Walking over to where the dark gray leather reclining couch sat, I took a seat and instantly fell in love.

  “Nice color,” Kristen spoke as she sat down next to me.

  “Isn’t it? Patricia hates gray.” I smirked. “She says it’s the worst color in the world and is a reflection of the person who chooses to decorate in such a drab, boring color.”

  “Then it’s the perfect color for your apartment.” She grabbed hold of my hand.

  “May I make a suggestion?” Heath asked.

  “Of course, Heath. Suggest away.” I smiled as I took a sip from my glass.

  “Follow me.”

  Kristen and I got up from the couch and followed him over to a display where a dark red chaise lounge sat.

  “Oh. I love this,” I said as I ran my hand along the fabric.

  “Isn’t it fabulous? Envision it next to the gray couch you were looking at. And right over here, we have this lovely red square cocktail ottoman you can use as a coffee table.”

  “Perfect. Sold, Heath.” I grinned. “Now I need a TV. I’ll be hanging it on the wall.”

  “Our TV selection is over this way.” He waved.

  After picking out my living room furniture, dining table, and some lamps, Kristen and I headed over to the bedroom sets. There was one bed that caught my attention very quickly. It was an upholstered sleigh bed in a color called gunmetal. While Kristen was with Heath looking at another bedroom set, I made myself comfortable across the bed.

  “Excellent choice,” Heath spoke as he walked over. “This is our new Bombay collection that just arrived a few days ago.”

  Kristen lay down next to me and we both stared up at the ceiling.

  “This would be the perfect bed to fuck in.” She smiled as she looked over at me.

  Suddenly, visions of my and Drew’s night together filled my mind.

  “It would be. Too bad it won’t be getting any kind of action.”

  “Maybe not with two people, but maybe with one.” She laughed.

  “True. Very true, dear sister.”

  Heath cleared his throat to alert us he could hear our conversation. Getting up from the bed, I placed my hand on his chest.

  “Don’t feel sorry for me, Heath. It’s my own choice.”

  As I was paying for my new furniture, my phone rang. It was Kellan.

  “Hey, I can’t wait to show you my new apartment.”

  “I can’t come to New York this weekend, Jilly.”

  “Why?” I whined.

  “My mom is having surgery tomorrow and my dad is on a business trip over in London.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s having her breast implants taken out. Both of them are leaking and they need to come out as soon as possible. So I have to take care of her until my dad can get back home.”

  “Okay. Give your mom a huge hug and kiss from me and I hope she recovers quickly. Maybe you can come the following weekend.”

  “I’m already planning on it. Love you, Bean.”

  “Love you too, Kel. Talk to you later.”

  ****

  Moving into my new apartment was the easiest job ever. The deliverymen set up all my furniture and it didn’t take me long to unpack the only two suitcases I brought with me. Looking around my space made me smile. This was mine. My very own apartment and a symbol of a new start in life for me. I felt independent and I felt strong. Two things that I had never felt before.

  Three years ago, on my twenty-first birthday, I received a call from my grandmother’s lawyer, asking me to come to his office. I found it strange since my grandmother had passed away two years before. When I arrived at his office, he informed me that my grandmother had set up an account for me with the sum of four million dollars to be given to me on my twenty-first birthday with a letter she had written to me.

  My dearest Jillian,

  Happy birthday, my darling granddaughter. Now that you are coming into the age of adulthood, I am giving you something special for those rainy days. This is between me and you and your parents are never to know what I have given you. Use the money to do what you want in life. It’s yours and yours only. Travel. See the world and, whatever you do, do not marry Grant. I don’t like him, darling. I never have and, most importantly, do not trust him. He doesn’t make you happy and you deserve to be happy. I know you’ll make the right decision one day and this money will be there to help you. Take care, my love. I’ll love you forever.

  Grandma

  My grandmother and I were very close and I told her everything. She was never very fond of my mother and she’d tell my father every chance she got. She hadn’t spoken to my parents for a few years before she passed. I still didn’t know what the argument was about, but I suspected it had something to do with Kristen. I’d never forget after she passed away and we were all gathered at the table for the reading of the will. When it came to my father and mother, they were given nothing. My grandmother left her whole estate to my Uncle Leon with the strict instructions that all of her clothes and jewelry were to be donated to a women’s shelter and my mother was not to be given anything. My parents were outraged and my mom didn’t stop yelling for months over it. As for me, she had left me ten thousand dollars and a beautiful silver necklace with a diamond cross that I’d always admired.

  After Kristen and Noah left, I grabbed the open bottle of wine from the counter and took it outside on the balcony where I sat my ass down in my new plush and comfortable lounge chair. Rick was right; sitting out here at night looking at the brightly lit city was amazing. I hadn’t thought about Drew all day until now. As I held my phone in my hand, I pulled up his number and stared at it. A part of me wanted to get in touch with him just to say hi. But the
other part of me didn’t want to because I knew if I did, I would never stop thinking about him or that night we spent together. I just wanted to hear his voice. Maybe if I just heard it one last time, thoughts of him would leave my head. This was crazy. This wasn’t me. I didn’t think like this and I certainly didn’t just call up people to hear their voice. What the fuck was going on? Why for the love of God couldn’t I get him out of my head? I set my number to private and hit the call button under his number. My heart started pounding out of my chest. It was Saturday night so he probably wouldn’t answer. I would bet he was out with someone for the night. The hand that held the phone to my ear started to sweat.

  “Drew Westbrook,” he answered.

  SHIT!

  “Hello?”

  If I didn’t say something, he’d probably suspect it was me, so I cleared my throat and disguised my voice.

  “I’m sorry. I have the wrong number.”

  “No problem,” he spoke.

  I quickly ended the call. Wow, what did I just do? Who does that? A small smile crossed my lips as I set my phone down. Hearing his voice again was exactly what I needed. I could hear a lot of noise in the background, almost as if he was at a restaurant. The thought of him with another woman literally knifed my heart. Fuck! I didn’t need this. This wasn’t how my life journey was supposed to go. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about a man. I certainly had no problem forgetting about one in particular. Damn Drew Westbrook. I finished off the bottle of wine and climbed into my new comfy bed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Drew

  “Who was that?” Liam asked as he raised his brow at me.

  “Just a wrong number.” I frowned as I looked at my phone and set it on the table. “It’s weird because it came up as a private number.”

  Liam shrugged. “People do that all the time. No big deal.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” I took a drink of my scotch.

  “I’m sorry your Hawaii trip sucked.”

  “It only sucked when Jess was around.” I cut into my steak.

  “Yeah, well, she was a sucky person.” He smiled. “Now you’re back on the market. Any prospects yet?”