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She calculated the flight from Colorado to New York at three hours and forty-five ed -the sides of the seat, palines prepared for takeoff She had never been fond of flying; in fact, it scared the living shit out of her Though she did re 30,000 feet in the air was actually hile - the first tie, an escape to a tropical island, or a visit to see her beloved family However, this trip included none of those enjoyrief

Looking at her was one of the reasons she still woke up every day - her boyfriend, Dillon She could tell he noticed the look on her face was filled with the uncertainty of what lay ahead

As he held her hand, Dillon leaned over and stroked a piece of hair away froht, Eround again"

She forced a s the snowcapped mountains disappear beneath the clouds Her heart sank further as she inwardly said goodbye to the only true hoainst theand let her mind drift over the past several months

In late October of her senior year in college, she received the call Until that ood Dillon had corades here they should have been, and her roommate, Olivia Martin, had turned out to be one of the closest friends she would ever have Picking up the phone that day, she never expected the news she received

"The tests cae Four breast cancer"

With those last six words, life as Emily kneould never be the same Not even close Her rock, the woman whom she adored most in her life, and the only parent she had ever known had less than threeshe could have never prepared for Long weekend trips from ’The Ohio State University’ back home to Colorado to aid in her mother’s last few months would become Emily’s nor, vibrant soul she once had been to the weak, unrecognizable woman she had become before she died

With sudden turbulence jolting her nerves, Eave her a quick s her know they were fine Resting her head against his warm shoulder, she started to think about the role he had played through everything Countless flights froifts he sent to take her ht calls talking with her tofor the funeral, giving her advice on selling her childhood ho her out to New York It was all part of why she adored him

As the plane descended into New York’s La Guardia Airport, Dillon looked at Eht chuckle and leaned over to kiss her "See, that wasn’t so bad," he said, stroking her cheek "You’re now officially a New Yorker, babe"

After what seeh the airport, Dillon hailed a taxi, and they made their way to the apartment Emily would share with Olivia That had become a sore topic with Dillon When he and Emily spoke about the ht it was best, at least for the ti the trek across the country was a hard enough adjustment by itself, and she didn’t want to add h she loved Dillon - and she loved hi fierce - there was a tiny voice in her head telling her to wait It was so that would coave in to her decision but not without putting up a decent fight of his own

Once they arrived, Ehts of the city i, brakes grinding, and sirens wailing shattered through the air People talking and yelling with their footsteps pounding against the busy concrete sidewalks and the frantic flow of tightly packed cars consisting of a sea of yellow taxis were unlike anything she had ever seen or heard before Stea up fro trees and clear lakes in Colorado were now being replaced by steel and concrete, loud noises, and a clusterfuck of traffic This was definitely so in a deep breath, E The door her know that they were there They made their way up to the fifteenth floor, thankful for the elevator

Upon entering the aparth-pitched squeal when she saw E "I’ her hands over Eot through it without needing any drugs or alcohol," Emily smiled "So I would say it ell"

"She was fine" Dillon walked over and snaked his ar happen to her anyways"

Rolling her brown eyes in Dillon’s direction, Olivia crossed her arht, because you’d be able to stop a plane fro, Dill-Pickle I mean, Dillon"

Dillon shot Olivia a hard look and placed Eht, Oliver Twist I’et it"

"It’s been a while since I’ve been around you both at the saot how fond you two are of one another"

Olivia smirked and reached for Emily’s hand "Co Emily down the hall, she turned around to Dillon "Make yourself useful and unpack her belongings or so Olivia, Dillon sank himself into the couch and flipped on the television

"Ohbehind her "Where the hell do you think up these names for him?"

"Pfft," Olivia waved a dismissive hand "Heto drive me nuts now I can feel it"

"I make no pro so, friend"

As Olivia gave a grand tour of her new home, Emily noticed it was a sleek modern aparth ranite countertops, and stainless-steel appliances A largein the living room paraded the direction of Columbus Avenue, a nice area in New York’s Upper West Side The apartly beautiful to Emily, and if it weren’t for Olivia, she would have never been able to afford so like it - at least not without Dillon’s help Although Olivia worked and took care of herself, she came frorowing up on Long Island’s North Shore, Olivia and her brother, Trevor, were two of the most down-to-earth people E Emily settle in, Dillon left the to Erabbing a bottle of red wine and two glasses, Olivia dragged Ene blonde hair to the side, she gave Eh a ton, but I’m really happy you’re here"

Emily cast a smile that matched Olivia’s Her emotions levied between the sadness of the circumstances that landed her in New York to happiness that she was taking a huge leap in her relationship with Dillon bywith him

She took a sip of wine and propped her feet on the ottoman "I’m happy, too, friend"

Olivia wore a curious expression "Did Dick give you anyements?"

"No, he didn’t," she remarked, "but he definitely wants me to move into a place with him by the end of the su to have to fighther head, Ehed at Olivia’s stateive you soht noith thisanywhere for a while" E on the stacks offorward to that," she said, gesturing toward them with her head

"I don’t have to work tolass of wine "We’ll do it then For now, let’s just relax a bit"

Over the next few hours, that’s exactly what they did Relaxed No talks of cancer No talks of death No talks of life’s expectations Just two close friends sharing a bottle of wine in their apartrew up in and one friend beginning a new chapter in her book of life

Teeks later, Emily stood in front of the Italian restaurant located in Midtown Manhattan She pushed the door open to ould be her new job for the summer Her eyes scanned the place for the man that hired her a few days before - Antonio D’Dinato, a native New Yorker in his late twenties

"There you are, Emily," Antonio smiled as he approached her "Are you ready for your first day?"

Sth hair "As ready as I’ll ever be"

"A little overwhelirl, but your resuh experience to handle the place I’ht in"

She followed him into the kitchen where he introduced her to the cooks on the line Each of the her way through college that the friendliness would soon co at her to pick up her orders from the , and no doubt their faces would be less jovial She threw on her black apron when Antonio directed her to a young waitress around her age With a smile on her face, Emily studied her hair It was a rainbow fest of every color ih an overlay of bleached blonde

"Hi, I’m Emily," she smiled as she approached her "Antonio said that I’irl returned the smile and handed Emily an order book and a pen "So you’re the new cat on the block, huh? I’m Fallon; it’s nice to meet you"

"Yep, the new cat It’s nice to meet you, too"

"Well, have no worries I think I started working here straight out of the birth canal" Her laughing gray eyes ide "I’ll show you the ropes, and before you know it, you’ll be able to run around here with a blindfold on"

"Sounds good to hed

"I heard you’re from Colorado?"

"Yes, Fort Collins actually," E her a cup of coffee

"One of my addictions, thanks," Emily took the cup from her "Have you lived in New York your whole life?"

"Born and raised" She took a seat at the coffee bar, gesturing for E to her watch "The rush will start within an hour or so"

Elanced around the restaurant, watching as the busboys set up the tables Antonio spoke to them in what Emily assumed to be Spanish His voice rose in an anxious tone as he motioned out to the streets of New York

"So what brings you across the country to the city that never sleeps?" Fallon asked "Are you an actress or model? Which is it?"

"Nah, neither of those reasons," she replied, trying to ignore the pain anchoring itself in her chest The fresh wound still searing deep felt like salt had been sprinkled over it "My, uh, mother passed away in January There was really no reason to stay out there after she died"

Fallon’s face softened "I’ sucks, that’s for sure My dad died a few years ago from a heart attack, so I kno you feel" Fallon let out a sigh and looked away for a e, race, or economic status we hold, death touches us all at one time or another"

Eain she knew death see at life once soone "It does I’m sorry to hear about your dad"

"Thanks Not a day goes by that I don’t think of hiht "What about your dad? Did he move out here with you?"

Another sore topic, but these days sore topics were plentiful and unavoidable "Nope I haven’t had any contact with him or his family since I was five I really don’t re a zero here with you," Fallon joked "Sorry Maybe I should ask about puppies or so her head, Emily smiled "Don’t worry about it It’s cool Besides, I don’t have any puppies so that would be a dead end"

"Neither do I They’re cute, but I don’t do the shitting all over the place that well," Fallon laughed, tossing her hair into a ponytail "So what made you come to New York specifically? Do you have any other family here?"

"Not here I have an older sister in California though" Emily took a sip of her coffee "Bute sweethearts, huh?"

"No, actually, he was already living here in New York e e, Olivia, has a brother who came to visit her one weekend, and Dillon ith hi people together?" Fallon stared into Emily’s eyes "I mean, had your Dillon not taken the trip with your roommate’s brother, you tould’ve never met Life is all kinds of weird like that"

Eree with that Fate and the roads that get placed in front of us It’s like one huge puzzle that ultimately fits in the end"

"Exactly," Fallon sraduated with a teaching degree I’ve started to put out so for this fall"

Fallon frowned, her lip ring shi us by the end of the summer?"

"Nah, I’ll probably work part ti to her feet, her tall, lengthy fra over Emily’s "So do you club?"

Eo out clubbing," Fallon replied, shaking her hips fro," Ehed "Yes, in Colorado I did, but I have yet to do it here in New York"

"Killer I love breaking in newbies to the club scene"

"Well, I’ broken in Letthis older guy in his forties, and he gets me into soe at all"

Emily nodded and took a sip of her coffee

"The sex is just an extra bonus," Fallon added

Emily nearly choked on said coffee "Oh, that would definitely be an added bonus for sure"

"Yeah, that’s what I figured," she s here"

Throughout the day, Emily followed Fallon She showed her how to use the computer and introduced her to quite a few of the restaurant’s regular customers They shifted between very upscale business-suit types to your "Average Joe" construction worker There was a heavy lunch rush that came around noon, and one of the waiters had called in sick, so Eh she wasn’t familiar with the h without any major proble hich guests tipped the best to which servers were the cutthroat types For the ht it ell

On her way out the door, Antonio stopped her with a to-go box filled with food "Emily, my delivery boy quit," he said, his eyes thick orry "Do you head in the direction of the Chrysler Building?"

"I don’t, but it’s only a few blocks away, right?"

"Yeah, it’s right on Lexington and 42nd"

"Do you needto the box he was holding

"Yes, please"

Eed "Not a problem I’ll walk it over and just take a cab home from there"

"Thank you so h of relief "I’ll throw a little extra cash into your pay next week"

"No need, Antonio I like sightseeing anyway"

"Nah, nah, nah, I insist We’ll see you to, Emily shook her head, amused at her new nickna shoes and stepped out into the hot, humid air June in New York was undoubtedly warh the city wide-eyed, still in awe at the fact that she lived there

The air was thick with the bustle of traffic and the aro to New York better than she had anticipated Fro subway underneath her feet to theabout the city intoxicated her mind It was sensory overload at its finest Three short blocks later and quite sweaty froh his father had told hi, until that fateful afternoon, Gavin Blake had believed that love at first sight didn’t exist Even though he had the full attention of the blonde sitting at the information desk, his eyes locked on to Emily when she walked in He took in the way she suard approached her Her beauty instantly hit him But more so, he felt drawn to her as if a rope bound his waist, and she was on the other end pulling hinetic connection