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While Victoria was based here in New York, she wasn’t in town often because her job required her to constantly travel the world. We always managed to catch up when she was here, though. Smart and beautiful with a wicked sense of humor and forthright manner, she was a delight to be around and we were both very fond of her.
Although we didn’t flash our wealth around, we certainly enjoyed it. We had our own private company jet and we weren’t shy about using it to take a short break somewhere when we needed it. We generally favored Hawaii or the Caribbean if some sun and sand was in order.
I supposed some people wondered how we could stand being around each other all the time, but nobody knew how tough it had been growing up in the foster home we had. Our foster parents, Gary and Angela Johnson, had been religious zealots. Those outside the house had believed they were good Christian people doing God’s work, but the truth had been so much darker.
I pushed them out of my mind, not wanting to take a trip down that particular memory lane. Not today. I wanted to focus on my best friend and making her heart a little lighter.
We met back in the large living room. I picked up the television remote and held it between us. “Do you want to pick the movie, Em, or shall I?”
Her brows furrowed as she stared at the device, then me. “Movie? You brought me home to watch a movie? Jase, we have a company to run.”
“Yes, but it’s not going to fall apart if we take one afternoon off. Now pick a movie while I fix us something to eat.”
I made some sandwiches and a large bowl of popcorn to share, and once we’d settled on our large, comfortable sofa next to each other, we put our feet up on the footstool and watched the comedy she’d chosen.
We’d both seen it before, but it was one of our favorite films, and she laughed throughout it. But when I realized her laughter had turned into sobs, I paused the movie and pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly and stroking her hair while she cried.
“How could he do it to me, Jase?” she whispered against my chest. “How could he cheat on me like that? In our club?”
I kissed her head. “I don’t know, sweetheart. He’s a fucking douchebag and I’ll rip his throat out if I ever see him again.”
Despite her pain, she let out a small laugh and looked up at me. Fat tears clung to her lashes, her beautiful brown eyes glistening. “No, you wouldn’t. You’d make Connor do it.”
I reflected on that for a moment. “Yeah, that’s probably true.”
She managed a smile before burying her face in my chest, her arms sliding around me as she cried some more. I simply held her, rocking her gently and wiping her tears away.
“Can I ask you a serious question and you’ll give me an honest answer?” Her face was turned up again, her eyes searching mine.
“You know you can.”
She sucked in a deep breath before speaking. “Why am I so unlovable?”
Her question hit me like a punch to the solar plexus, and my heart hurt inside my chest. I looked straight at her so she could see I was telling the truth. “You are not unlovable, Emilia Lucille.” My lips pressed against her face. “You are an amazing woman. Kind, intelligent, beautiful, and caring. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life.”
I wrapped my arms more tightly around her. “I know I am, and guess what? I love you.”
Her hands came up to frame my face and she brushed her lips against mine affectionately. “I love you, too.”
We only had each other to love and turn to in our lives. Although we surrounded ourselves with people we could trust to help run our businesses, had a handful of people we could call friends, and we’d dated others over the years, our inner sanctum consisted of exactly two people.
Me and her.
I pressed my lips to hers again, letting them linger, although it was a chaste kiss. We’d kissed like this plenty of times over the years but had never crossed the line to lovers.
Emilia and I had come to an agreement a long time ago that being in a romantic relationship would complicate everything we’d worked so hard to achieve. We worried that if the romantic aspect didn’t work out it would jeopardize the business side, even though we were sure we’d always be able to make our friendship work.
No, that line had been clearly drawn in the sand a long time ago. We were best friends and business partners, equals in everything, and that was how it would always be.
How it had to be.
But in that moment, as she lay in my arms, her tears wetting my T-shirt, I began to wonder why the line existed at all.
