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The harder I close my eyes, the more her face appears. It’s been almost two years since I spoke to Jessa, the night at Austin and Ava’s wedding. We argued the same night, but just before I stormed out, she ran after me and called my name.
“Andy, stop!”
My heart was thumping loud, filled with anger and hurt over Jessa’s actions. Why should I give her anything when she couldn’t even give me the respect of telling the truth? But my feet stopped before I could even finish my thought. Dad continued to walk to the car, purposely leaving me behind.
Slowly, I turned around with her only a few feet away. Her expression was remorseful, and maybe Jessa finally realized what she’d done.
“Don’t hate me because I chose someone else.”
The words cut deep, a knife-edge which slew with only the tip but enough to cause the damage to inflict tremendous pain.
But then, something sparks inside me—an urge to fight for what I wanted.
Lost in this trance clouding any rational thought, I took long steps toward her until my hands cupped her chin, allowing me to smash my lips onto hers.
The moment my mouth touched hers, my whole body fell into an abyss, freefalling like nothing I could’ve ever imagined. Her taste was pure, sweet, and everything my body craved for the longest of time.
As my tongue softly caressed hers, I heard a moan, albeit faint, escape her lips. But with force, she pulled away, her breaths shallow as her chest rose and fell.
Shaking her head, she clutched her stomach. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“Harder? You’re leaving me to go marry some man you barely fucking know!”
“Andy, please—”
“No, Jessa.” I stopped her, fueled with anger. “You’ve made your bed. Now go lay in it with your fiancé.”
It was just a kiss.
I’ve done much worse than that, slept with dozens of women, sometimes multiple women at the same time. But how is it possible that nothing can compare to the kiss of a woman I’d once called my best friend?
I refuse to fall down this rabbit hole again. Closing my eyes, I force myself to sleep.
* * *
“Andy,” Kate greets with a smile, extending her arms while I hug her for a quick moment. “It’s been forever, and you’re just as handsome as I remember you.”
“Age does wonders for a man,” I tease, glancing at Lex. “Look at this old fella. He can still pull in the ladies.”
Kate laughs. “Say that in front of Charlie and see if you still have balls.”
Beside Kate, Noah extends his hand, his eyes focusing on me, and the familiarity forces me to bury the memories once again. Despite what happened with Jessa, there’s no bad blood with Noah. At least, I assume there isn’t since I’m not the one who married his daughter and knocked her up.
Yeah, she’s got a kid now, apparently playing happy families across the other side of the world.
“Andy, it’s been a while. How have you been?” Noah asks politely.
“Busy, a lot of work here in Manhattan.”
“Sit, please,” Lex commands.
Inside the penthouse office, the views are amazing. I expect nothing less from Lex since he can afford the best of the best. However, upon sitting here with Lex on the opposite side of the table, I can see how intimidating it can be for people. Not me, though. Lex will forever be the man who annoys my mom and vice versa. They remind me a lot of Luna and me. We’re exactly like them. My younger sister, Willow, is just like Dad—quiet with her head constantly buried in a book.
“Let’s get right to it, shall we?”
Lex begins with a presentation showcasing 3D images of the hotels and the interiors. Each building is located in an iconic part of Europe. As I watch on, I can see their vision, the experience they want to create for guests, which many people will pay top dollar for.
In total, twenty new boutique hotels are expected to be launched in the next twelve months across various locations. The deadline appears tight, but if anyone can pull it off—it’s these three people.
