AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Are they all here?" Brady looks over my head. When he sees the Thompson clan, he gives them a wave.
"Well," I inhale sharply as my heart hammers against my rib cage. Even all these years later, my body still reacts to him. "I should get back."
"How long are you in town for?" he asks.
I wrap my arms around myself. "Uh, indefinitely."
"Indefinitely? Did you and Steve move back?"
"No," I shake my head, "just me and Brianna."
"Oh," Brady catches on. "I'm sorry."
"It's OK," I click my tongue.
"What are you doing for work?"
I shift my weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know yet. Our flight landed like 45 minutes ago."
Brady reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a business card. "I'm looking for a personal assistant. If you need a job, call me."
"I don't think that would be appropriate given our history," I hold up a hand.
"It'sancienthistory," he grins.
"Thank you," I say to him, "but I think I'll look somewhere else."
"You look good," he says again when I take a step back.
"You already said that."
"Because it's true."
"I should," I throw a thumb over my shoulder, "head back."
"Iz," Brady takes a step forward.
My traitorous heart beats faster as his eyes soften. "If you need anything, call me. I know how hard it is to start over."
I swallow hard. I met Brady when I was 18 and he was 22. At the time, he and his high school girlfriend, Maya, were on a break. I fell hard. So hard that when he and Maya got back together, I continued sleeping with him.
I know what people called me. I know what they thought. But I wassoin love. So blinded and so young. I thought that until there was a marriage certificate, I could win him over. I could make him see that I was better for him. I could show him that I was the right person for him.
Eventually, everything blew up in my face when I realized he was never going to choose me, So, I got on a plane with my heart aching. I stayed with Ava in San Diego for a few weeks and I met Steve. Brady showed up on the doorstep when he and Maya ended things for good, but I thought it was best to move on with my life. I chose Steve.
The rest, I guess, is history.Ancienthistory.
"I've gotta go," I whisper before taking another step back and colliding with a table.
Mortification burns my cheeks as I turn and power-walk back to my family.
When I'm seated, I glance over my shoulder.
Brady's still standing there, his face hard to read.
Chapter 3
My cousin Liam hands me a drink as I take a seat beside him at the bar. The Glorious Pig is a locally-owned business on the mountain that serves up alcoholic beverages and bad decisions.
