Holding the phone, I hesitated for a solid two seconds, wondering what Conrad wanted from me this time., Fanny nudged her chin at me, signaling to pick it up.,

"Felicia,

" came Conrad's voice from the other end, calling out to me.,

"What's up?

" My tone was as distant and cool as ever., Even though things had ended badly with Ernest, there was no going back with Conrad. So every time he reached out or came close, I instinctively raised my defenses.

"I'm back,

" he said, his words carrying a weight as if he had returned from a great ordeal.,

"Yeah, I know,

" Dustin had already filled me in., There was a pause on Conrad's end,

"Can we meet? If you don't want to see me alone, you can come over to the house. My folks would really love to see you.

", I could almost see Herschel and Jacqueline greeting me at the airport, their concern for me was undeniable.,

"There's something I need to tell you,

" Conrad broke the silence,

"It's about Jefferson, and... it involves Ernest too.

", My breath hitched. I was done with Ernest. Whatever involved him, how could it possibly concern me?, But that thought was fleeting. I found myself agreeing,

"Okay, I'll come over.

",

"Great, I'll tell my mom. She's been saying she wants to make you some pot roast when you come over,

" Conrad's voice brightened with anticipation. Hanging up, Fanny sighed,

"Ex-boyfriend is really making a move, huh?

", I ignored her tease,

"He said it's important, also involves Ernest.

",

"He's just using Ernest as bait. You're done with Ernest, right?

" Fanny reminded me., I knew she was doing it on purpose; she knew I hadn't moved on that easily.,

"It's not about Ernest. It's about the Herschel and Jacqueline. Jacqueline said she'd make pot roast,

" I retorted, stubbornly., Fanny snorted, clearly not buying it.,

"They owe you more than a third of their estate, let alone a pot roast. You saved Conrad's life,

" Fanny remarked., Mentioning that made me revisit my doubts, but Herschel and Jacqueline had explained everything. They were so open about it, dwelling on it any further was just looking for trouble. ,

"You and Conrad, sharing that rare universal donor blood type. The odds are slimmer than winning the lottery,

" Fanny looked at me,d point clear without saying m ,

"I asked Herschel and Jacqueline about it. They said they knew about our blood types, and so did my, parents. The engagement was partly because of that,

" I confessed., , Fanny nodded,

"If you ever need a transfusion and Conrad hesitates even for a second, I swear I'll knock some sense into him.

", She sighed,

"Looks like our great plains road trip is off the table again.

",

"You were serious about that?

" I had thought she was joking.,

"Absolutely. I'm all for a spontaneous trip,

" Fanny said, patting her pocket,

"We've got the funds to do whatever, go wherever.

", On this, Fanny and I were on the same page, knowing well that financial freedom was our greatest asset.

"Then you'll have to wait for me,

" I too wanted to unwind, the last time being after my split with Conrad. Fanny recalled that, teasing,

"Maybe this time you'll run into someone even more reliable than Ernest.

", Her joke made me laugh,

"Then it wouldn't be a trip, but a hunting expedition.

",

"If this one doesn't work out, there's always the next, better one,

" Fanny comforted me., I didn't respond. Moving on to the next wasn't as easy as it sounded., Leaving Conrad for Ernest was possible because Conrad had broken my heart time and again. But this time with Ernest was different; my own issues had driven him away., This wasn't a relationship I wanted to end. Even if clinging on was futile, letting go wasn't any easier., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.