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“I love it! I even told my girlfriends, why can’t there be men out there like that who aren’t afraid of buying feminine products for their girlfriends and then running through the store, buying her everything that she wants?”
“Well, there are. You’re looking at three of them right here.” He points his thumb at Damien and me.
And hey, I haven’t actually done that for a woman I’ve been with, but I would for Amelia in a heartbeat, so I’ll let him include me on principle. “So, let’s get back to the problem here. My man, Ethan, needs to get inside this event to surprise his girlfriend. He wasn’t supposed to be here in time but took an earlier flight.” Nice, Jeffrey. Okay, maybe I was wrong about him…
But the girl winces. “I understand and really find that romantic, but we have a limited number of seats and meals paid for.”
“I can stand. I don’t need to sit,” I interject. “And I’m not even hungry.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Has someone canceled?” Damien chimes in.
“Not that I know of.” She looks back down at her list, scouring the pages, but then pauses when she goes back to the first page. “Oh, wait! One of the names is on here twice!”
“Well, there you go.”
“Brayden Anderson,” she says, and my adrenaline instantly spikes. Why on earth is he here? “He doesn’t need two meals.” She crosses off his name once on the paper as she laughs to herself and then writes mine instead. “There you go.”
Clearing my throat and tamping down my pulse, I button my jacket up and step forward. I can deal with Brayden later. “Thank you. Truly. You’ve helped me out so much tonight.”
“You’re welcome. And you,” she says, leaning forward again toward Jeffrey. “I’d love to hear how you came up with the idea for that commercial.”
His eyebrows lift. “Is that so?”
She bites her bottom lip, moving her eyes up and down his body. “Uh-huh.”
“Well then, after the event, I’ll be sure to come back out here and tell you.”
“Or you could just ask for my number now so we can hang out later?”
Jeffrey almost falls down as he tries to locate his phone at record speed. But I don’t stand around to watch if he falls or not. I’m on a mission, and I can’t fail.
“Thank you, man.” I pat Jeffrey on the shoulder and then Damien follows me as we enter the space, observing the crowd as the packed room overwhelms me.
Round tables covered in black tablecloths are spread out throughout the room. A stage is standing at the furthest wall from the entrance, covered in chairs with a gold and silver backdrop and the Los Angeles Times logo splayed across the fabric. Gold and silver accents are sprinkled throughout—in place settings, centerpieces with white roses, and serving trays held up by waiters.
The event is top-notch, but I don’t care about any of that. All I care about is making sure that Amelia can see me, that she knows I showed up for her.
“Our table is upfront. You might not want to sit there with the girls because they’re not your biggest fans right now, but instead find a spot where Amelia can still see you,” Damien explains as we walk further into the room, and I see Penelope, Noelle, and Charlotte standing together near the bar. But I don’t see Amelia anywhere.
“Okay. I’m going to keep a low profile and stay out of the way until Amelia goes up on stage. Thanks again for your help.”
“I’d better be able to still have kids after this, Ethan,” he jokes. “But in all honesty, work through your shit, man, if you love her and can’t imagine your life without her. Nothing else is as scary as living without her, knowing it was your decision that made you both miserable. Remember that.” And with a nod of his head, he walks away toward the girls.
Internalizing his words, I glide around the perimeter of the room, taking in familiar faces and strangers that I’m sure have some part in this evening’s festivities. When I found out about Amelia’s nomination during that dinner with her parents, my gut reaction was to want to be here to support her, even though, at first, I didn’t agree with her job. That right there should have been an indication that my feelings for her were unparalleled. And obviously, my thoughts about her career have changed in the last three and a half months. Now I have nothing but pride in what she does and how seriously she takes it.
I actually went online and researched the process of this event after that dinner and now know that every nominee gets an award. Amelia doesn’t have to make a speech, but she will receive a plaque to hang in her office, her name will be published in the Los Angeles Times, and of course, this event is held to honor all the businesses that have been nominated by citizens of L.A.
Before I get too far into the room, those blond curls that drive me insane catch my eye as Amelia heads for her friends. She’s wearing an emerald-green dress that has a slight shimmer to it and tall black heels. Her glasses are missing, which means she must have opted for her contacts, and she looks far more composed than she did the last time I saw her.
But then I see that Brayden is trailing her, close on her heels.
What the fuck? Is she here with him?
Straightening my spine, I slide into an alcove so I can spy from afar, trying not to be seen. Brayden stands next to her with his hand on her lower back, and my stomach begins to twist while rage rushes through me. He’s touching her, claiming her in a room full of people when she’s not his to begin with.
But she’s not exactly yours at the moment either, is she, Ethan?
Amelia smiles up at him before looking back at her friends, and suddenly, I wonder if coming here was a mistake. If she’s already moving on, does that mean I’m too late? Was my stupidity the straw that broke the camel’s back, and now I have to live with the fact that Brayden will be around the complex, picking her up for dates, bringing her lunch, and possibly fucking her in her office like I did?
The urge to throw up comes on hard.
I know deep down she’ll never experience the passion with him that we had. I know that being with him will mean she’s settling since she admitted the lack of chemistry with him to begin with. And I know that watching her fall for him will be like someone showing me one of my worst nightmares, the one where I lose the love of my life.
But can you offer her something different, Ethan? Along with everything else that she wants too?
I take a deep breath, ready to march across the room and draw my sword for battle, but a man comes over the speaker, asking everyone to take their seats so the ceremony can begin.
Taking the interruption as a sign not to do anything stupid and impulsive, I find a seat at a table in the back, smiling at the people sitting with me while I stew with rage and impatience. I know going over to their table and saying something will not produce the results I wanted to achieve this evening, so even though it’s killing me to sit here, I wait until the nominees are brought up on stage and use that as my cue to move to a position where Amelia can see me as she walks off the stage after accepting her award.
“What are you doing here?” I freeze in my steps and twist back to look at Nick, standing behind me with his arms crossed over his chest. He must have seen me and headed toward the back of the room when I wasn’t paying attention.
Names are still being called, and I haven’t heard Amelia’s yet, so I know I have time.
“I’m here for your sister,” I answer honestly, standing tall across from him as we stare each other down.
“I thought you didn’t want her, Ethan.” I go to reply, but he holds up his hand in front of my face. “Before you start spouting off excuses, let me say a few things.” Nodding, I swallow down my rebuttal and wait for him to continue. “I warned you not to hurt her. I told you how incredible she is and that you shouldn’t take her for granted, but you did anyway.”
“You’re right,” I interrupt him, “which is why I’m here. I want to support her through this, Nick. I wanted to show up for her like she’s done for Oliver and me so many times.”
He eyes me cautiously. “Why should I believe you?”
“Because you were the one that said it so eloquently—the best things in life are a good woman, a home, and a family. And when I was with your sister, I had all three. I fucked up, man, and it probably won’t be the last time, but I’m trying to show Amelia that I want to change—for her.”
