“Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.” I touch her curls, taking in the vibrant red dress.
A small crowd gathers in the family room. Mason and Ivy, ever the social animals, have taken advantage of their parents’ offer and invited friends to join us.
But my eyes are searching for one person.
James stands by the fireplace with a glass of champagne in hand. His gaze meets mine, and the rest becomes white noise, the way everything disappears when you find your rhythm on a long run. He’s breathtaking in a dark gray tailored suit. His hair, normally a wild overgrowth of curls, is pushed back and tamed. His face is… clean-shaven. He’s always worn trimmed stubble, a line drawn between him and the world.
But tonight, it’s gone. He’s changed, too.
“You ready, Syd?” Jules asks, her eyes saying more than her words.
“Yep, I’m ready.”
Ivy and Mason are too caught up entertaining their friends, graciously fluttering from guest to guest rather than keeping a close eye on us. It leaves James, Jules, Tom, and me to our own devices. And we take full advantage, slipping into our familiar foursome in a quiet corner.
“That’s an awfully nice dress.” Jules leans in close, whispering near my ear.
“Thanks. It felt right when I saw it at the boutique in town.”
“Ah. So it’s new.” She grins, a devilish glint in her eyes, as she turns her attention to the two men across the table. Tom and James are deep in conversation, easy in each other’s company. “This is nice. The four of us. They have a serious bromance brewing.”
I nod absently, pretending to listen while trying to hide how distracted I am. But I feel him before I look up, the caress of his eyes like a physical one.
A smirk plays on his lips as our eyes meet. The heat in his gaze sears through every layer of clothing between us. He bites his bottom lip, and heat pools between my thighs, leaving me aching and squeezing my knees together.
I barely register Jules still talking, “…his rugged good looks. Massive hands…”
“What?” I sputter, snapping back into focus.
“Just checking if you were paying attention, because the way you and James are eye-fucking each other? I think it’s time we have that honest conversation.”
I try to school my expression, to smother the flush creeping up my neck. That constant hum that lives under my skin whenever he’s near.
“You two are into each other. It’s been obvious for years.”
“We’re friends.” I drop my gaze, watching the bubbles rise in my champagne.
Jules chortles, loud and unfiltered. “Oh, please.” She leans in, dropping her voice low. “I havefriends, Syd—and not one of them looks at me like they’re dying to memorize the shape of my mouth, or as if touching my hand might actually ruin them. That’s not friendship.”
She grabs my hand, dragging me deeper into the corner. “Tell me the truth. I know you well enough to know this isn’t just physical. Are you in love with him?”
I shake my head. I can’t answer that.
Jules exhales, her grip on my hand tightening. “Do you remember that time in the sunroom, right after your pregnancy was announced? You asked me if I was ever lonely, and you said something like,I’ve never let myself want something just for me.” She holds my hands, refusing to let me look away. “I haven’t forgotten that. And you know what? I’ve seen you more alive and more broken in these last few years than I ever did in the previous ten. This thing with James? It’s not nothing because it’s bringing you out. The real you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall.
“Syd, people get divorced. Kids adjust. Life goes on.” She tugs on my hand again, forcing me to look at her. “And everyone else? They’ll survive. So don’t push aside your needs and wants because you’re worried about all of them. You are too important to waste away in this half-life.”
My heart kicks up. He stares at me, lips parting as his gaze trails down my body before returning to my face. Something dangerous burns in the depths of his stare. The same look I’ve been catching since that morning in the sunroom. It’s a look that tells me everything.
He loves me.
I blink, unable to breathe as all my desires and wants crash against me. I… I love him too.
Jules has slipped away in my stunned silence. She takes control of the speaker, and the shift in music is so seamless I don’t register it at first. The first few notes sweep through the room, bold and confident, the kind of song that makes you want to move without thinking. It's not background music; it's the kind that demands attention, that makes you feel powerful in your own skin. The bass slams straight through my ribcage, a thrum I feel low in my stomach, in my pulse,everywhere, my body brimming with excitement and trepidation. Jules’s smug face suggests she knows exactly what she’s doing.
Exactly why she chose this song as the lyrics kick in. ToMake Me Feel. It’s saying everything I’m not. Each lyric lands sharp and dangerous, a dare I can’t unhear.
