Unexpected Harmony

20. Reunited

Chapter 20

Reunited

A spen picked up her phone, looked through the texts she’d sent to Zoey, and wondered why she hadn’t gotten any in return. Concern laced through her. Maybe she was struggling with music? She’d even tried calling Erin’s business to check in but they were closed for a few weeks. Since Zoey was averse to social media, there was nothing else Aspen could do to get in touch with her.

Unable to reach Zoey, Aspen found New York drearier than she remembered. Yes, she knew it was the city that never sleeps, but sometimes sleep was needed. Sleep with the Pacific Ocean lulling her into slumber, preferably with Zoey’s arms wrapped around her, or hers around Zoey—they traded off big and little spoon.

Wanting—no needing —to get back to California and make sure Zoey was okay, Aspen rushed through the last of packing her house. All the stuff wouldn’t fit in her tiny cottage on the beach, but that was what storage units were for. She could have had some people pack for her, but there was something cathartic about cleaning up, getting rid of things she no longer needed, and looking to the future.

Needing to feel connected to Zoey somehow, she played the song she and Zoey had recorded together on repeat. Aspen’s mind worked through some lyrics while packing up her kitchen. Laughing at her attempt to rhyme Zoey with heart-y, Aspen startled when she turned and saw Morgan standing in the room, looking at her like she was a slab of meat.

“You scared me,” Aspen said, keeping her distance. “We talked about walking into my house. Plus, you’re fired. Get out.”

“Aspen, come on. I’ve only ever had your best interests at heart. Why did you even fire me?”

“I’m tired of your bullshit. I didn’t realize how manipulative you were until you were out of my life. I’ve been your puppet too long. I’m cutting the strings.” Aspen huffed, opening her notes, wanting to incorporate something like that in a song.

“You seriously think I don’t have your best interests at heart? Everything I did, I did for you, but you’re too self-absorbed to see what’s right in front of your face.”

When Aspen didn’t respond, Morgan’s features twisted into something of a monster. “Let me ask you this, Aspen. You’ve been in New York for a while now. How often has your little girlfriend contacted you? Don’t you think she should talk to you more? I know you, Aspen. Better than anyone.”

“Why are you asking about her? Get out of here, or I’m calling the cops.” Aspen couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to see the real Morgan.

Standing rigidly by the island, Morgan didn’t act like she had even heard her before she lunged at Aspen.

Morgan’s arms latched around Aspen’s neck as she tried to press her lips against Aspen’s, but Aspen twisted to get away. She ducked under Morgan’s grasping limbs, pushing off to put some distance between them.

“What the fuck are you doing? Get off me. I’m calling the police.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Morgan held her hands up, looking lost and broken. “You don’t know what it’s like to work with you, wanting the best for you, and having you never even look my way. I thought it was because I wasn’t famous, but then you had to fall for her .” The vitriol in the word made Aspen flinch. “I was here the whole time, Aspen, waiting for you to notice me. I love you.”

Aspen dropped her elbows on the counter. She wanted to laugh or maybe cry. Most of all, she wanted Zoey and home. “Morgan, I’ve only ever thought of you as a sister. I’m sorry, but nothing you said excuses your behavior.”

Morgan searched her eyes. Not finding whatever she was looking for, she turned and walked out of the house, leaving Aspen to blink in her wake.

“What the fuck was that?” she said out loud, just for the sake of hoping it made her feel better.

Reaching for her phone, she called Zoey’s number again. It rang, but nobody picked up. Looking at the foreign block in her hand, she ached to hear her voice and wondered what the heck was going on.

“I’m still unsure when I’ll return, but the house looks perfect. Can we put in a tentative offer?”

As she talked with her realtor, Aspen’s voice echoed in her empty house. The house her realtor had sent over was perfect. It had a space that could be turned into a recording studio. Pianos would fit in different rooms, and, best of all, it would be close enough to Zoey’s parents that they could visit. She could easily get rid of the cottage, but she was attached to the little piece of land, especially now that it was the place she first met Zoey.

The part about being close to Zoey’s parents was putting the cart before the horse, but Aspen didn’t even care. It had been too many days, and she was bursting to hear Zoey’s voice and tell her she loved her, even if it was on the phone on different sides of the country.

Love was love, right? It didn’t matter where or how it was said.

“Yes, that’s fine. I have someone who can inspect it. If he gives the go-ahead, I’ll put in the offer.”

Part of her thought buying a house she hadn’t seen in person was silly, but she had a gut feeling about it and knew it wouldn’t stay on the market for long, especially with the ocean view right off the deck.

“How’s the traffic noise at the house?” Aspen asked suddenly.

“Oh, nonexistent. The road is gated, and as you know, it’s right on the ocean.” The random question was handled professionally, the realtor not missing a beat with her answer.

“Perfect.” Aspen closed her eyes, imagining the tranquility of the ocean and stillness of the night—exactly the opposite of what she was getting right now.

The itch to return home was growing by the day, not only because she couldn’t get ahold of Zoey. There was nothing left for her here, that was abundantly clear. Everything was back in California. A smile grew on her face as she thought of calling California her home.

“I’ll have my guy contact you about the inspection.” Aspen popped open a bottle of wine and poured some into a red solo cup. For the next few days, she would live out of disposable dishes and takeout as she finished packing. “Oh, one last thing before you go,” she called out. “Do you work listings in New York by any chance?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I’m planning a visit out that way in a few days. I can stop by.”

“Do I need to be here for it? I can leave the details with my assistant, but I might need to head back to California soon.”

“That’s fine. I’ll work with Andi to get everything taken care of.”

“Great.” Aspen looked at her watch. “I’ve got to head to another appointment, but we’ll stay in touch.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, Aspen rushed to the office building that rented out meeting rooms hourly. Andi had helped her narrow down three potential managers, and she was meeting the first one now. A coffee shop would have been better, but she wanted to avoid dealing with the hubbub of people taking her photo or interrupting them. At least for the first meeting, she needed the calmness of an office.

After getting the room ready, Aspen waited, sending another text to Zoey. She tucked her phone away when she saw interview number one wringing her hands as she waited in the lobby.

An hour later, Aspen was reasonably sure this woman wouldn’t be the one. She was too shy for the business and seemed uncomfortable with the fact Aspen was a lesbian. That wouldn’t do.

After the fiasco of Morgan, what she craved was stability—someone who was steady and wouldn’t play mind games. Now that she had the clarity of distance, she realized Morgan had been messing with her mind long before everything went down.

The second interview was fifteen minutes late, which wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker since she understood that sometimes life happened. What was hard to get around was how he froze, his eyes twinkling in star-struck admiration. He seemed competent in a few areas, but Aspen couldn’t have her manager fawning over the famous company she sometimes dealt with.

Aspen’s head was throbbing as she got ready for the third interview. It finally made sense why she’d kept Morgan for so long. Trying to find a new manager was impossible, especially since all the competent ones were already managing other people.

She walked to the lobby to collect the third person while mentally drafting an email to Andi about how they’d need to return to the drawing board and add a few questions to their initial screening.

“Geno?” she called. A few people were waiting, but she recognized the man from the photo Andi sent.

“That’s me.” Geno shot up, throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder. “Geno Malone, but my friends call me GiGi. You don’t have to—I’ll answer to Geno.” He laughed at the befuddled look on her face.

“I hope one day I’ll be comfortable enough to call you GiGi. For now, let’s stick with the name your mother gave you.”

“Fair enough. Do you mind if I use a notepad? I have a good memory but find my concentration can wander if I don’t have something grounding me.” Geno set his bag on the chair before sitting down.

Aspen took in his relaxed posture and kind smile. There was a hint of nervousness at the tight corners of his eyes, but everything else screamed confidence.

“By all means,” Aspen said, glad he was comfortable enough to ask.

Halfway through the interview, her phone rang. Instead of letting it go to voicemail, she dug it out of her pocket, hoping it was Zoey. Her shoulders sagged when she saw it was her contractor, no doubt ready to tell her something about the house she was buying in California.

“Sorry about that.” She shrugged sheepishly.

“Expecting someone?” Geno asked. “You seemed disappointed at whoever it was, or maybe it was whoever it wasn’t that caused such a reaction.” His gentle question broke through Aspen’s window of insecurity.

“I’ve been seeing someone back home, and ever since a few nights ago, she’s not answering any of my calls or texts.” Aspen stared at her phone.

Geno rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “A few nights ago? What were you doing then?” he asked, continuing to doodle on his notepad.

“I was just out with a few friends.” Aspen scrunched her nose. Morgan had also been out that night, but that shouldn’t have mattered.

“And she just stopped responding?” Geno sat forward, grabbing the edges of his notepad with both hands.

“Yes. There was nothing after that night.” Aspen knew she should try to get back to the interview, but this had been bugging her for a while.

“What was the last message you received?” Geno gently prodded.

Aspen wasn’t one to hand over her device, but with a surge of a lifeline at maybe getting to the bottom of Zoey’s silence, she unlocked the device and handed it over. “Here, take a look. Her name’s Zoey.” Part of her wanted to snatch the phone back, but another part was at the edge of her seat, hoping he would find something.

“Zoey Cinderella. That’s adorable.”

Aspen blushed. “It’s an inside joke.”

“My husband of five years is in my phone as Bathroom Whoopsie, and I don’t have the heart to change it.” He tilted his head as he studied the phone.

Surely, he was snooping. Shit, this was a horrible mistake. Aspen was about to demand her phone back when he clicked his tongue.

“What is it?” Aspen’s body tensed.

“Someone blocked her number. Once that happened, your texts and calls wouldn’t go out, and you obviously wouldn’t get any of her stuff.” Geno handed her phone back, pointing to the block.

“Son of a bitch.” Aspen unblocked Zoey’s contact, seething at the sabotage. Her conflict with Morgan came back to her. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m in the best frame of mind to continue. Can we postpone?”

“Of course. You have my contact info.” He grinned. “I’m a huge fan of love. Go get your girl.”

Aspen had a good feeling about him as soon as she met him, and as the interview went on, that feeling had solidified. Standing, she reached across the table. “Oh, one important aspect. Do you have a problem with me moving to California? I’m not expecting you to move, but we must look at the logistics.”

“I grew up on that side of the country and my husband has been wanting a change, so that wouldn’t be a problem,” Geno said smoothly. “Let me know when you want to reschedule.”

Knowing she should walk him out of the office, but unable to move from the desk, she waved him out and triple-checked that Zoey’s name was no longer blocked before hitting call.

Crawling out from the nest of covers, Zoey squinted at the clock, pushing away a bare leg to see the blurred numbers.

The room smelled of stale booze and bad decisions. She could no longer say she’d never been hungover. Her head spun as she sat up, patting the hip of her bedmate.

“Kels, wake up. We’ve got to get ready for the family picnic.” It was amazing she could string together a sentence let alone remember plans.

Her cousin sat up like a vampire rising from their coffin, the sheets twisted around her waist.

“I blame you for the fourth and sixth drink. Those were definitely what pushed us over the edge last night.” The words came out thick before she leaned over the bed to the wastebasket.

The smells didn’t help the room’s overall ambiance. Rushing to the window, Zoey flicked open the latch before yanking open the frame. She let the cool air caress her sticky face, waiting for her nausea to pass.

Zoey pulled up her hair in a ponytail. “I’ll take responsibility for the first and maybe the third, but the rest were between you and that lovely patron—or was it the bartender? Damn, maybe both now that I think about it. I’m surprised you woke up in my bed, of all places.” She hovered over the trash can, knowing it would be a miracle if she made it through the whole day without upchucking the bar. Who knew that names like sex on the beach and fuzzy naval would cause such destruction the next day? “I can’t believe I finally gave into peer pressure to drink that much.”

Kelsey rubbed her mouth with the blanket. “I couldn’t ditch you since we were celebrating your success. Plus, you were so sad I had to ensure you didn’t end up sobbing in the bathroom.” Leaning over, she grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table.

“You’d be sad too if your girlfriend ghosted you.” Zoey’s stomach rebelled for an entirely different reason.

Tentatively scooting out of the bed, Kelsey tested out her hungover legs. Finding herself on shaky ground, she sat at the edge. “Have you tried lately? I mean, she is famous. Maybe she was busy. Or maybe she forgot about you. Did you two say you were exclusive?”

Zoey wandered to her dresser, picking out her dead phone from the bowels of the drawer. Now that the score was over, she could afford the distraction and obsession of trying to get ahold of Aspen.

Plugging in her phone, she turned back to Kelsey’s green-tinged face, finding her trying to stand again. “I assumed we were exclusive, but assuming is never a good thing. I’ll try again today. Do you want the first shower?”

“Go ahead. I need to lie down again.” Kelsey gave up trying to walk and instead curled back on her side.

The park was filled with Zoey’s extended family, but she was tucked with her brother under a tree. Her eyes followed Kelsey, who was trying hard to hide her discomfort. The show was funnier to watch than trying to wrestle with one of her younger cousins. She hated that she was hiding but didn’t have the energy to dedicate to socializing.

Music played from different speakers around the park as people spread out in various groups. There was an indistinguishable buzz that Zoey found comforting.

They had been late getting ready and were hustled out of the house a few hours ago. Zoey itched to return for her forgotten phone but didn’t feel like battling the traffic that would be running rampant right now. Plus, it seemed silly to retrieve the device only for the sting of disappointment to bite her again.

Her back scraped against the tree. As she pulled up blades of grass, she let her mind wander. Thoughts of what she might have done to make Aspen ghost her plagued her.

“This is supposed to be my shining moment, and I can’t wrestle happiness in order to enjoy it,” she said to Theo. “I know I shouldn’t tie my happiness to someone, but it’s not that. I want to share in the success. Celebrate something I’ve worked towards with the person I love.”

Biting her tongue, she wished she hadn’t put that out in the universe. Shouldn’t she be saying that to Aspen for the first time? Did it just jinx them? Chuckling at her wildly swinging emotions, she felt a hand patting her back.

Theo might not speak, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t aware, and the fact that he was reaching out to comfort her spoke louder than anything he could have said in the moment.

“Thanks, bro.” She rammed her shoulder against his, which brought a smile to their faces.

“Hey Zoey, I’ve got a surprise for you. Come on,” Kelsey called. “Hi, Theo. You can come too if you want.” She waved them along.

Zoey stood, wiping the earth from her pants before offering her hand to Theo, who took it. She laughed when she launched him in the air to his feet.

“Let’s go see what the commotion is about. Yeah, yeah, hold onto your shorts, Kels. We’re coming,” she grumbled before murmurs started picking up. The younger kids squealed before their parents scolded them to behave.

“Zoey, Zoey. Did you see her? Can you believe she came again?” The excited voices were hard to distinguish as they walked through the park.

“Do you know what’s going on?” she asked Kelsey when two more cousins started jumping up and down.

“Of course, why do you think I grabbed you? It’s good you had that shower and have been airing out for the last few hours. Maybe you won’t smell like the floor of a bar,” Kelsey called over her shoulder before speeding ahead.

Something was going on, and the closer they got to the crowd of people, the harder it was to maneuver through them. She lost Theo among her aunts and uncles but easily followed Kelsey’s large sunhat through the group.

Finally getting to the middle of the pack, she saw her mom and dad talking to someone whose back was to her. She didn’t need to see her face to know who it was, the curly hair falling along her shoulders a dead giveaway. Pushing aside her boisterous uncle, Zoey tried to get closer.

“Step aside. Give the poor girl some room.” A booming voice caused everyone to settle and scatter. Zoey’s grandfather was at her side. “Go get your girl.” He winked before working crowd control and moving the family along.

Looking back to Aspen, Zoey now saw familiar blue eyes seeking her own. After so much time apart, Zoey found herself rooted to the ground. A surge of hurt and anger took hold, leaving her unable to process what Aspen was doing here now. She waited, watching Aspen’s progress through the crowd.

“Damn, I’ve been so worried. I’m so sorry.” Aspen gathered her in her arms in a crushing hug.

Zoey stiffened in her arms, her body and heart battling around the touch. “Why the radio silence?” she asked a little harsher than she intended.

Aspen pulled away slightly to search her eyes. “Let me explain, please? I can explain what happened.” A worry bundle appeared between her eyes.

Zoey thawed minimally, but it was enough to move her hand into Aspen’s. “Come with me.” She led Aspen through the crowd that had dispersed enough to give them privacy. Aspen’s hand held tight, like she was afraid Zoey would disappear at any moment.

They needed to take a moment to clear the air. Just enough for the band to loosen around Zoey’s chest. Aspen wasn’t acting like they were done, but the fact she hadn’t returned any calls or texts was out of character, and hurtful.

Walking through the park, Zoey led them to the tree they picnicked under the last time. The shade provided a nice break from the overbearing sun.

Settling down in the grass, Zoey sat across from Aspen, who scooted close enough that their knees were touching. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her shoulders slumped. It was like she was waiting for Zoey to tell her a beloved pet just died.

“Want to tell me why you haven’t responded to any text or calls? Especially after you’ve said how important communication is to you. If you wanted to break up, you should’ve at least had the decency to say?—”

“No!” Aspen interrupted with a startled yelp. “No, I didn’t—don’t want to break up. It was… Morgan blocked you on my phone. It’s a long story, and I promise I’ll tell you everything, but please believe me if I had known I would have fixed it. Please believe me.” Aspen’s eyes were wide, the truth radiating from them.

Zoey took a moment to process Aspen’s explanation. The disappointment in Morgan sliced through. It made more sense than randomly getting ghosted, especially after how close they had gotten and how Morgan had treated her. They still needed to talk, but now that there was at least a foundation to work on, Zoey could relax a little and enjoy the fact Aspen was back in the same time zone.

“What the hell is wrong with her?” She shook her head at the sky as she asked the rhetorical question. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “I trust you, Aspen. We’ll talk more, but I’m glad to hear it wasn’t intentional.”

Zoey watched Aspen relax as a smile of relief grew on her face. “You believe me?” she asked, raising to her knees.

“I mean, it’s quite the story, and we can go over it later, but for now, the fact you tracked me down to make sure we were okay says a lot.” Zoey reached out to have Aspen help her from the ground.

Zoey stepped toward Aspen, who enveloped her in a hug. The connection they both needed after the last few days. Yes, they still had things to talk about, but right now, they could enjoyed being back in each other’s company. All the what ifs and paths of the future faded into the background as they got swept up in a kiss.

“Are you doing anything after this?” Aspen asked when they parted, her eyes bright as she soaked up Zoey’s presence.

“Yeah, my calendar is jam-packed with events. I might be able to squeeze you into my schedule, though. Should your people call my people, or how does that work?” Zoey teased, playing with the collar of Aspen’s button-down dress shirt. “Should we get out of here now and go talk things through?” Zoey searched the park for an escape.

“Oh no, you don’t think I’m leaving without eating, do you? Your family puts together one of the best picnic spreads I’ve ever been a part of.” Aspen patted her stomach and reached for Zoey’s hand. “It looks like you could use something to soak up that hangover. Did you have fun with Kelsey?”

“Aw drat, how did you know?” Zoey leaned into her side as they walked up to the tables holding the food.

Aspen tapped her nose with a grin. “Kels looks like death warmed over, so I took a shot that you went out with her.”

Finding her appetite, Zoey piled food on her plate. “How did you know we were here?” She grabbed a roll, biting off half of it and topping off her plate with the rest.

“My new best friend and manager, Geno, was able to find a guy who knows a guy who knew your grandfather’s number. When I finally figured out what was happening and still couldn’t get ahold of you, I called in the big guns.” Aspen studied the dots on the dishes, making her selections more carefully than Zoey had.

“I still have so many questions.” Zoey dipped the second half of her roll into potatoes and munched while she waited.

“All in good time. For now, let’s enjoy this beautiful day with great company.” Aspen leaned in to kiss her cheek.

And that’s precisely what they did.