The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(17)

I open and close my mouth a couple of times, but nothing seems to filter through.

“They called me.” She bends to grab the milk from the fridge in our tiny kitchen. You can barely swing a cat in here, but we also don’t spend much time in here either. “Weeks ago, actually. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to tell me.” She gives me a pointed look, and I know I need to say something.

“I wasn’t going to go before,” I rush out the words awkwardly, then realise what I’ve said and cringe. God, I basically just told her I’m leaving. “I changed my mind, literally this weekend—maybe.”

Her smile is instant and genuine, and it makes the grip I had on the bannister loosen.

“You did?”

“I think so,” I mutter, still knotted up at the idea of leaving. I can’t visualise it, not fully. It’s so out of my comfort zone I find it impossible to think it’s real. “It’s what I should do.”

“Absolutely it is!” Jean sings. She hands me a mug of tea and nods to the stairs to sit.

She wears the same smile as my mum did when I told her I received the offer. She’s happy for me. They all are.

I sit beside her and wait, choosing to let her say what she wants to.

“I was surprised when you didn’t snap up the offer the first time. This is wonderful news, Lucy.”

“You didn’t say anything?” I say, instead of agreeing.

She gives me a pensive look as I sip my tea. “I knew you’d make the right decision for you. You always do.”

“No, I don’t.” I laugh.

“Yes.” She nods. “Yes, you do.”

I frown as I watch her.

“So, you lack a little self-assurance.” She waves it off, and her infectious grin pulls at my lips. “I know who you really are and the designer you’ll become. I have every bit of faith in you. You just need a little time to see it.”

“What will you do?” I ask, my tone full of concern.

“I’ll find someone else,” she quips. “How long do I have?”

“They want me now. I told them it will depend on how soon we can fix everything here.”

“Lucy, with all the love and respect—and yes, I’m likely to crash and burn without you around.” She nudges my shoulder playfully. “But there isn’t anything to ‘fix’ here. You need to go, then you go. Don’t wait around for me to sort myself out. We both know how long that’ll take.”

“You think I should go now?”

“Do you want to go now?”

I lick at my lips, then quickly pause.

I don’t even know if I want to go at all.

Nerves clench my stomach tight, and I think about the excitement my mum had when she found out I had the offer again, the way Elliot was so adamant it was what I needed. I go with that. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.”

“You’ve said, I think, three times now. That indecisiveness won’t take you anywhere far.”

“I want to go,” I tell her, nodding my head. I feel better now that she knows. Something sparks in my stomach, a flare of something warm.

Dare I say I’m excited.

Indecisiveness won’t take you anywhere far.

“Thank you so much, Jean. I wouldn’t even be in this position if you didn’t take a chance on me all those years ago.” Tears well in my eyes, and she quickly throws her arm around my shoulder, pulling me into her.

“Come on, love. None of that.” Her hand rubs at my arm in a brisk but comforting motion. “And thank you. You’ve kept me going, you know. You’re a special human being who deserves everything coming your way. I’m excited for you.”

Why am I leaving?

I should stay.

I could have an easy life here.

But would I be happy?

I’m not sure I would be.





It’s just after one when I leave the shop. We don’t work long days on Wednesdays because it’s never busy enough to warrant staying open late six days a week. We split it, so every other is a late, and we stay until five thirty—or at least one of us stays.

Before I head over to my mum and dad’s house to tell them my news, I go and tell the person I worry about the most. And not because she can’t manage without me, but because she will miss me—and I will miss her.

Over two decades of friendship, and we’ve never been apart.

My throat burns, tightening as I push through the doors at L&M fitness. It’s a multilevel building that houses a gym and leisure facilities and my best friend’s dance company. It’s gorgeous—the whole place. The gym is top of the line with a boutique feel in the decor, which just works, and the dance studio, which sits on the top floor, was designed by Mason himself. It’s so Nina; it’s scary. He knew what she’d want, and he made it happen.

I wave at the receptionist Gemma and skip up the stairs, a slight spring in my step. It feels good to be positive when I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve allowed myself to believe in this dream.

Nina is still with students when I get to her level, so I move to sit on the piano in the corner of the room while I wait. I watch as she instructs them, picking up on things I can’t even see wrong. She’s a perfectionist and an insanely talented dancer. To see her finally living her dream after all life has thrown at her gives me hope. Hope not only for myself but for anyone with a heartbeat, trying to withstand perfectly in a world filled with so many hurdles.