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ALEXANDER Entering through the parking garage, I took my private elevator directly to my office, wanting to avoid passing Caleb in the main lobby, where I had Nathan seat him. He could have waited on my floor, but I didn’t want him to overhear anything he shouldn’t or go snooping. “Mr. Kingston
“Then you should probably worry a little less about me and a little more time with a math tutor.” I lifted my coffee mug, taking another sip as I held his stare. “Just stay away from my wife and child!” Caleb yelled. “Oh, but they’re no longer yours, are they?” I said as all the pieces fell into p
BAILEE “You bitch!” Caleb screamed. I had heard him call me countless times before, but it was humiliating having witnesses. Yet, even though he was shouting behind me and I could hear the commotion of the security guards escorting my ex-husband from my ex-boyfriend’s office, I couldn’t pull away.
BAILEE EIGHT YEARS AGO (Sixteen years old) “If it isn’t Baby Evans!” Jacob mocked, pulling on a chunk of my hair and jerking my head back. “Ow!” I snapped, spinning around to swat his hand away. “Leave me alone!” “So touchy! What’s wrong, Baby Evans? I thought you liked getting your hair pulled. I've heard all about you.” Jacob said, grabbing a fist full and yanking on my hair again, this time forcing me back so far that I stumbled, crashing into a warm body. “Let her go,” The deep, familiar voice made me tense, but as his arms wrapped around me, I froze. “Come on, Xander!” Jacob laughed, grabbing the strap to my backpack and tugging on it. “Lighten up. Ben’s not here, and she’s not your sister. I’m just having a little fun.” “Don’t fucking call me that, and get your hands off her!” Alexander growled, and my hands grabbed his sides to hold myself up as Jacob gave one last tug on the strap. Ben’s friends hadn’t always bothered me, not until I hit puberty a few years ago,
BAILEEHe was nowhere to be found for the rest of the day, and after dinner that night, I walked down to the docks and dangled my feet into the water. It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps on the wooden planks behind me. The hair rose on the back of my neck, and tingles of nerves shot through my skin as Alex approached and kicked off his shoes to join me. “Are you okay?” He asked, sitting next to me, his thigh touching mine. “Were you suspended?” I whispered, guilt flooding through me at the thought because I knew how hard he was working to better his life since his dad had been sent to prison. I had overheard him telling Ben about his plans to get into a law school, and this could ruin that. Alex let out a bitter laugh before sighing. “Yeah.” “Are your foster parents angry?” “Don’t worry about me, Bailee. I can handle it. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He hadn’t answered my question directly, so I knew that was a yes. “Me? I wasn’t the one in a fight today!” I ex
BAILEE It had taken several days for Brinley’s fever to break and a few more for me to feel comfortable enough to send her to daycare. I had resisted when Caleb demanded we get a nanny instead of sending Brinley to daycare, but I lost that argument. Now, I finally had the chance to do what I
“You were on a dream vacation with your boyfriend, expecting your own ring and happily ever after. I wasn’t going to dampen your excitement over your future with my drama!” I exclaimed, hearing the bell chime from the front of the store. I always had two employees working up there, so I ignored it
BAILEE By the time I got into the car to end my day, I was hot and sweaty. My hair was sticking to my face, and my shirt was uncomfortably damp from walking the giant bouquets of roses up and down the street, giving them to other businesses. Twenty-Six. He had sent me twenty-six bouquets.
BEN Bailee gently hit his arm with the back of her hand as she walked by him to a cabinet to grab a glass, and I laughed. “It was a week ago. Where is Brinley?” I asked, looking around for my adorable niece. She would probably love to hear my news with them. “She said she had to go find her train.
BEN I wasn’t sure when I decided to return to the city. Still, I found myself pulling up to Alex’s house five hours later, my back irritated from being in the car for so long, and only one text from the manager of the rehab center checking in and asking if they could get me anything since I missed
HAVEN “Hey, have you guys seen my…” Calum said as he trailed behind the security guard who stormed past us, but he stopped in our way when he saw my face. “You’re crying?” “Not now, Calum.” He ignored her, but I didn’t want to discuss this with him. We were just co-workers, not friends. He fli
BEN My hands were sweaty, and a chill went through me. I couldn’t trust anyone. Not my parents, staff, or even Haven after her repeated lies over the past week. If she had told the truth this time, I would be in serious trouble. My staff had access to everything that controlled my life. I wou
BEN My heart twisted in my chest. After seeing her picture, I knew in my gut that Siri was mine, but Haven had lied so many times that even hearing what I had wanted to hear, I wasn’t sure I could believe it. “There wasn’t anyone else?” I repeated. If there wasn’t anyone else, then Haven hadn’t
HAVEN “That’s not possible,” I said, shaking my head back and forth. This room was too small for us to hash this out now. I felt like I couldn’t breathe with Ben so close, and his body heat made me uncomfortably warm. “Look at me, Haven,” Ben demanded, and I ripped my eyes away from the stack o
HAVEN I had resented Benjamin Evans for many things over the years, but the feeling of dread that now bubbled in my gut when I drove to work was the cherry on top. This job was finally something I had outside of my home that I had worked hard for, and that made me happy, and he made me not want t
BEN “Haven, like your old assistant Haven?” Bailee asked, and I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “The one and only,” I grumbled in response, rubbing my temples as I tried to fight the headache that was rapidly coming on. “That’s great! Did you guys talk?” Bailee asked, sounding as excited
BEN “Bailee,” I answered, tucking the envelope under my arm as I swiped my key card and opened the door to my suite. “How are you feeling?” She had another baby on the way, a boy this time, but she had been having some stress-related complications that had worried everyone around her. Granted, sh