rest of the day to grieve and cry for York. But once morning came back around, she was going to work double-time to finish Johanna’s job and find a way to steal the vase from Warwick Bank.
She gave herself three days to be out of New York City.
It was an accelerated timeline. It would be damn well impossible, but she had to get away. She had to put as much distance as possible between herself and York, and his compassionate eyes, his warm smile, and his strong embrace.
Josie slipped on her comfort clothes, ordered sushi, and plopped down on the couch with a box of tissues and the remote. She put on Overboard. It had been her and Rose’s favorite movie to watch. Not only because Goldie Hawn was a badass, but because Kurt Russell was a hottie. The fact that those two had been together since 1984 was inspiring. That was 37 years of being there for each other, of a real partnership.
She and Rose had dreamed of the men they would marry one day, hoping they would be as long-lasting as Goldie and Kurt’s relationship was.
York was twenty times hotter than Kurt, which was saying something. And there was no doubt in her mind that if they had worked out, 37 years would have been as easy as pie to get through with York. Maybe they would have had little baby dragons, who could also inherit some of her magic.
Josie watched the movie, letting her imagination and tears run wild.
When the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of her takeout, she didn’t bother wiping her tears away. She padded over to the front door like the sad sack she was.
But of course, it wasn’t the delivery guy.
York was standing on the landing, hands stuffed in his jeans, his tan sweater making his green eyes appear darker. His smile slipped off, and his brow puckered in concern when he saw her.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, taking a step forward to wrap her in his arms.
She stepped away from him. “I’m watching Overboard. It always makes me cry.” Her voice was a watery, wobbly mess.
He arched a brow in confusion, so she went on.
“It was me and my little sister’s favorite movie. I watch it when I’m sad or when I feel like talking to her.”
“Does she live far away?” He tried to move closer again, but she back away.
Josie swallowed hard. “She…” her voice cracked. “She died about five years ago.”
“I remember,” he whispered, recollection flashing in his eyes. “The MS?”
“Complications of it. She got a bad case of pneumonia, and she fought to get better, but her body was already under so much strain.” Josie held her breath. This day was turning out to be quite the emotional roller coaster.
York reached out and took her hand in his. “It’s hard to lose someone.”
“Yeah,” she sniffled. “So, as you can tell, I’m having a day. Let’s talk later.”
She shoved against him, hoping he would get the clue and leave her to her moping. He didn’t. Instead, he closed his arms around her.
“Johanna said you left suddenly. She was worried about you. You were in tears when you barely said bye to her. What’s happened, love?”
The last word out of his mouth made her sob against the solid wall of his chest. Why was he here? Who did that? Who left the very important job, they were basically addicted to, in order to check on a woman they’d only been on two dates with? It made Josie dizzy, and it made the entire situation much more difficult.
“York, why are you here? Really?”
He frowned, pulling away just enough to look down at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I appreciate you checking up on me, but you need to go.”
His eyes flashed with hurt, and Josie hated herself a little bit for having spoken the words. If he wasn’t going to let her ghost him, then she had to be a woman about it and use her words.
“We shouldn’t be together,” she whispered.
York clamped his mouth shut. A full heavy, loaded minute passed in silence before he spoke. “Oh? And why not?”
“Because…” Tears formed in her eyes, and she sobbed. An actual sob. Why was this so hard? Only a week ago, she hadn’t been anything to York Warwick, and he had been nothing to her. “Because I fucked up. Big time. I won’t let you get involved in the mess I’ve made.” She pushed away from him and started pacing