Tell Me It’s Right (Sweetspire #1)

Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

GRACIE

Carson pulls into a spot down the street from Brooks Tattoos and shifts the car into park. For one of the first times this summer, our days off lined up, so we spent the afternoon lying out on the beach and then binge-watching old reality shows we loved in high school. I’m a little sunburned and still fighting my way out of a food coma from the amount of chips and guac we consumed, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Thanks for the ride,” I say as I gather my bag and jacket sitting at my feet.

She smiles, her cheeks also looking crisp and red. It’s less noticeable on her though. Maybe it’s having less contrast with her hair so dark, or it’s because she already had a much better base tan than I did. “Tell Liam you need days off more often. This was fun.”

I snort.

“I’m serious! What’s the point of banging your boss if you don’t abuse the perks?”

“I—we are not?—”

Carson pats me on the head. “We both know you are.”

I scowl, but before I have a chance to reach for the door, my phone rings.

I fish it out of my pocket and almost let it go to voicemail when I see it’s an unsaved number, but something about it makes me pause. “Is 267 a Philly area code?”

“Yeah, why?”

I turn the phone to Carson. “It might be one of those jobs I applied for.”

She flaps her hands frantically. “For God’s sake, pick it up before it goes to voicemail!”

“Hello, this is Gracie.” I cringe at the squeak in my voice.

“Hi, Gracie, this is Savannah with Bezzels. We spoke at your interview a few weeks ago.”

“Of course! I remember.”

“I wanted to deliver the good news to you myself. We’re pleased to offer you the position…”

Carson watches me with wide eyes, and I have to keep pinching myself to stay focused on what the woman is saying enough to process her words, my brain still tripping over We’re pleased to offer you the position.

I was really beginning to think this day would never come. But I’d done it. I’d done it. After dozens upon dozens of form rejections or no response at all, I managed to find a company who thought I looked worth hiring. One in my field—not that I’m particularly passionate about fashion or designers, but it’s a huge company, and some experience there could open even bigger doors. And they have lots of other designers working there, ones I could hopefully learn from. Keep improving. Network.

First is the shock. Then the delight, the excitement. And then…

I feel the blood drain from my face as my gaze slowly swings to Liam’s shop.

If I’d gotten the call months ago, even weeks ago…

But now ? When it feels like things are finally all going so well?

I must start responding at some point, but I think I black out because the next thing I know, I’m sitting with the phone in my lap and Carson shaking me by the shoulders.

“You just got the job!”

“I got the job,” I repeat numbly.

“Gracie is employed!” she cheers.

I blink, coming back to the car. This is a good thing. It is . The thing I’ve been killing myself for all summer.

She cocks her head to the side. “How are you not so totally thrilled right now? Wait—is this not a good one? We didn’t want this one?”

“No, we did—I do .”

She follows my gaze to Liam’s door, her expression softening.

I open the car door before she can comment on it, my brain already running a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out how I’m going to tell him. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

She nods as I climb out onto the sidewalk, then leans across the seats before I shut the door.

“Congratulations, Gracie.”

I wave as she drives off, but I don’t start walking. Not right away.

The Closed sign is already hanging in the window, but the lights are on, so he’s here. Working late, as always.

He’s sitting at the front desk when I step inside, and his grin when he sees me is immediate. I barely make it a few paces into the room before he jumps up, throws his arms around my waist, and lifts me in a hug so tight it steals my breath.

“You just couldn’t stay away, could you?”

“What can I say? I’m a workaholic,” I mutter.

He’s grinning as he sets me on my feet, but the smile falters as he takes in my face. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, yeah!” My voice comes out too fast, too high. “I wanted to surprise you. Thought maybe we could get dinner. And there’s something I need to tell you.”

His eyes sweep my face like he can read my thoughts there. “Okay.”

“Do you want to…come sit down?” I gesture to one of the stations.

He nods and takes the rolling chair he usually tattoos from while I sit cross-legged on the table.

“What’s going on?”

I take a deep breath and stare at my hands in my lap. I smile when he reaches over and lays his hand over mine.

“I got a phone call,” I explain. “From the hiring manager of a company I applied to a few weeks ago. I did an interview with them over Zoom, but then never heard anything, so I assumed I didn’t get the job. But…I guess I did.”

He blinks once, twice. “You got the job?” he repeats.

I nod.

His entire face breaks into a grin. “Jesus fuck, Gracie. You were acting like someone died or something.” He rolls his chair closer and takes my face between his hands. “Congratulations. I’m so proud of you! Why don’t you look excited about this?”

“It’s in Philadelphia,” I say quietly.

The look on his face doesn’t change. “Okay?”

My brow furrows as I look between his eyes. “So I…I’m leaving.”

He runs a hand over my hair until it comes to rest at the nape of my neck. “Not ideal, obviously. But it’s not that far. That’s, what? An hour and a half drive? I’ll come up to see you a few times a week or on the weekends, we’ll talk on the phone—we’ll make it work. I knew it was never your plan to stay here.”

He says it so confidently, so casually, like it’s obvious. The relief that surges through me is immediate and violent.

Tears break free onto my cheeks, and my lower lip starts to wobble.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”

“I thought—I thought you’d break up with me.”

He shakes his head a little, looking absolutely bewildered. “Why would I do that?”

I throw my hands up. “I don’t know. We’ve been together for, like, a second. And I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to do long distance again, and?—”

He kisses me, his hands coming to cup my cheeks. “I wouldn’t care if you told me you were going back to Portland,” he murmurs. “I would want to make this work with you no matter what. And I want you to take this job. This is everything you’ve been working for. This is a good thing, Gracie. Are you not excited about it?”

I wipe my cheeks with the backs of my hands. “No, I am. I am . I just… Well, I’ll miss you.”

“Sweetheart,” he breathes, and it almost sounds like a laugh. He pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my head. “You and me, we’re going to be fine. Please don’t let that ruin this for you. Tell me everything. When do you start? Are you planning on looking for an apartment? That’s too long for a commute, right? Wait, what company is it? What part of town? Do they pay as well as I do?”

I pull back, and the complete sincerity on his face makes my smile widen. I take his face between my hands and gently press my lips to his.

“I love you,” I murmur.

He brushes my hair behind my ear. “Of course I’m going to miss you around here, but did you really think I wasn’t going to be happy for you?”

“It’s not that, I just…I don’t know. I got worried.”

He gives me a slow smile, then pulls me into a headlock of a hug. “If you’re trying to get rid of me, you’re going to have to try a lot harder than that.” He loosens his grip but doesn’t release me. “Come over to my place tonight. Let me make you dinner.”

I lift an eyebrow. “You cook?”

He shrugs. “You’ll find I’m a man of many talents.”

Liam squints from his phone to the bustling grocery store aisles around us, the basket hanging from his forearm. “Let’s start at produce,” he decides after staring at the recipe for another minute. “I definitely don’t have any avocados.”

“We really don’t have to do something fancy?—”

“We’re celebrating a fancy job offer. Yes, a fancy dinner is required.” He stops beside the avocados and carefully sifts through and squeezes them until he finds three he likes. “Speaking of the job offer, I want to know everything.” He frowns at his phone again, then throws a few limes into the basket.

“It’s an apparel renting service, so people can rent higher-end pieces for special occasions or whatever. The position is technically junior graphic designer and social media coordinator.”

“So it’s two jobs, basically.”

“With the paycheck of one, yeah.” A very sad, very small paycheck, especially considering what I’ve been getting from Liam. “ But they offer corporate housing, which was one of the big sellers for me.”

“Corporate housing?” Liam asks as he takes my hand and wanders until he finds the spice aisle.

“It’s a fully furnished apartment in the city, so I wouldn’t have to worry about a long commute, and it’s fully paid for by the company.”

“Oh nice, so you don’t even need to worry about looking around for an apartment. Have you looked up the building? Do you like it?”

I shrug as he throws another few ingredients into the basket. “It’s a studio, but it’s no smaller than Leo’s basement. No amenities really, other than a common workspace and a tiny gym, but it has in-unit laundry!”

He glances at me sideways. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more excited about a washing machine.”

I swat his chest and gesture for him to move on to the next aisle. “Like you’d want to drag your laundry around the city to a laundromat.”

“Fair enough.” He swings our arms between us. “Does your building have parking?”

“Yes! And they pay for that too!”

“Damn. Rolling out all the stops.”

I don’t bother explaining the living accommodations basically is my compensation, and the starting salary is basically a little here’s a treat offering because there is no way someone would be able to afford to live in the city on that alone.

“When do they want you to start?”

“Next week.”

His hand tightens on mine for a moment before relaxing again. “Next week,” he repeats softly.