Chapter 274
Summer’s POV
I stacked the last report into my outbox and stretched my arms over my head, feeling my vertebrae crack pleasantly after being hunched over spreadsheets all day. The first workday after the Stark Group anntial party had dragged on forever, filled with endless Manhattan West Side project revisions. All I wanted now was to get Home, kick off my heels, and-
“Summer! Let’s go shopping!”
Heather appeared in my doorway, practically vibrating with excitement, her designer handbag dangling from one wrist as she leaned against the frame.
I glanced up, already feeling the weight of everything I needed to deal with tonight. “Shopping? Where’d that come from?”
“Oh, come on,” she wheedled, sweeping into my office and plopping down in the visitor’s chair. “I haven’t seen you in days. I need some retail therapy to reward myself for surviving the work day.” Her eyes narrowed as she studied my outfit–a simple black pencil skirt paired with a cream silk blouse. “Seriously though, you always blow me off when I suggest shopping, but your clothes are amazing. Where do you even shop? And when? Do you have some secret boutique connection I don’t know about?”
I shrugged, avoiding her eyes. “Just picked it up somewhere. I don’t make a big deal about shopping.”
The truth clenched in my chest like a fist. Starting today, I couldn’t go back to the Hamptons estate. Brandon and I needed distance. This whole secret marriage situation was becoming more painful by the day, making me feel like I was living half a life. But with the tangled mess between the Taylor, Stark, and Thompson families, what choice did we have?
“Whoa, what’s that look for?” Heather leaned forward, concern creasing her brow. “You went all sad–puppy–eyes over a shopping conversation. What’s going on?”
I forced myself to snap out of it, plastering on a smile that felt too tight. “Nothing, it’s fine. Shopping sounds good, actually. Let’s hit Manhattan Mall. I need to pick up some stuff for my apartment anyway.”
“Yes!” Heather bounced to her feet, beaming. “I’ll grab my things. Meet you in the lobby in five?”
As she spun toward the door, my phone lit up with Brandon’s name. My pulse quickened like it always did when he called, even after months of marriage.
“Hey,” his deep voice rumbled through the line.
“Hi,” I replied softly, feeling warmth spread through me despite everything.
“I’m sorry, June,” he said, regret lacing his words. “We can’t go home together tonight.”
My stomach dropped. I glanced at Heather’s retreating back, lowering my voice. “It’s okay, I’ll manage. Luckily I never gave up my apartment, so I’ll just move back there temporarily. We can arrange to have my things sent over gradually. Don’t worry–once this blows over, I’ll come home.”
“Damn it,” he swore softly. “I hate this situation.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the frustration in his voice. “Trust me, I’m not thrilled either.”
Silently, I added: But this isn’t the right time, ‘Brandon. I want to be with you, spend my life with you. And that means eventually winning over your family, not antagonizing them further.
“I know,” he sighed, his voice softening. “Go ahead and get settled in.
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Chapter 274
“Actually, I’m going shopping first, I told him.
His tone instantly sharpened. With who?”
“Just a coworker, 1 hastily explained. “You might remember her from the annual party–Heather? She was sitting next to me when Leo won that car.”
Brandon’s relief was almost palpable. “That’s fine then. Have fun with your colleague. Buy whatever you need–you still have the card I gave you, right?”
“Yes, dear, I teased. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to max out your creditimit. Anything else?”
We said our goodbyes and hung up. When I looked up, Heather was standing right in front of my desk, nearly giving me a heart attack.
“Jesus Christ!” I gasped, clutching my chest. “Make some noise next time!”
A sly grin spread across Heather’s face. “Jumpy much? Got a guilty conscience? Who was that on the phone? You were practically glowing–boyfriend alert!”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide my smile. “Fine, yes, it was my boyfriend. Happy now? I was just telling him I’m abandoning him tonight to hang out with you.”
Heather squealed and flung her arms around me. “Aww, you do love me! Let’s go blow some serious cash!”
Manhattan Mall was packed with after–work shoppers, but being only a few blocks from my old apartment made it the perfect choice. While Heather attacked the designer boutiques like she was on a mission, I stuck to the home goods stores, picking up essentials I’d need for my temporary living situation.
By the time we finished, Heather had somehow accumulated what looked like half the mall’s inventory, and I ended up carrying three of her shopping bags along with my own purchases. Thank god I’d driven today. After dropping Heather off at her place, I headed toward the apartment I hadn’t lived in for months.
“Miss Taylor? Is that really you?”
My landlady, was watering plants in the lobby when I staggered in with my bags. Her eyebrows shot up so high they neatly disappeared into her hairline.
“I didn’t expect to see you back!” She gave me a once–over, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Are you… moving back in? Trouble with the boyfriend?”
Though she’d never met Brandon, she had definitely noticed the black town cars that occasionally dropped me off, the expensive gifts that sometimes arrived, and drawn her own conclusions about who I was dating.
Too tired to think of a better explanation, I just nodded. “Yeah, I kept paying rent just in case. Looks like that was a good call.”
Her face immediately transformed into a mask of sympathetic outrage. “Oh, honey. Men are such trash these days. Don’t you worry- there are plenty of fish in the sea! A pretty young thing like you will find someone better in no time.”
I blinked, suddenly realizing what she was assuming. “No, Mrs. Henderson, you’ve got it wrong. We didn’t break up. It’s just… complicated right now. This is temporary.”
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She patted my arm, clearly not buying it. “Sure, sure. No need to put on a brave face with me. Look at all these bags–let me help you up with those.”
“Really, I’m fine,” I insisted, bacing toward the elevator. “It’s late and I’m sure you want to get to bed. I can manage.”
After finally convincing her I didn’t need a shoulder to cry on, I escaped to my apartment. I fumbled with the keys, juggling shopping bags while trying to remember which one opened the door
Finally, I got the door open and stepped inside–then froze in my tracks.
I blinked, looking left and right, certain I’d somehow entered the wrong apartment. This couldn’t possibly be the place I’d left behind months ago when I moved in with Brandon.
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