BAILEE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO (Seventeen Years Old) Ben acted awkward around me the entire weekend, constantly staring at me as I moped around the house before I finally got sick of it and locked myself in my room, ignoring my parents yelling at me for missing work. It wasn't like they could
BAILEE SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO (Seventeen Years Old) Two letters. One syllable. Just no. That was all I was worth and all I was going to get? “Why don’t you be a big boy and tell me the truth.” I waited a moment, but he didn’t open his mouth to speak. Was he really going to continue ignor
BAILEE I chewed on my lip nervously while waiting for Nathan to let me into Alex’s office. I was almost excited, but I didn’t know why. We had argued the last time we saw each other, but getting so much out in the open between us had been therapeutic. I would probably never get total closer for
ALEXANDER “When we first ran into each other at the bar, I had just wanted information from you about your ex-husband,” I said, Caleb’s title rolling off my tongue with disdain. Bailee wobbled, and I watched her eyes flicker back to the chairs before me as if she regretted not sitting when I had
ALEXANDER “She’s clearly not your match! Pair with Lola, you fucking idiot!” Mason screamed at the television as he jumped up from the couch, his hands in his hair. Ben looked just as angry from next to him, and I shook my head as I watched two of my best friends screaming at the reality dating s
BAILEE Taking a day off during the week was rare, but I really needed it. Mom guilt was very real, though. Even though I had used my morning to go to a doctor’s appointment, my decision to take the next couple of hours to myself was overshadowed by the guilt of my daughter being at daycare instea
ALEXANDER My eyes widened as I heard my assistant approaching. I knew he would have my morning coffee in one hand and any documents for today’s meetings in the other. Nathan was always prepared. “Oh, look what you made me do! Look what you made me do! Look what you juhhh-jesus!” Nathan exclaime
ALEXANDER Lorna stared at it as if she were scared to open it, but eventually, she gave in and pulled out the second stack of photos. Only this time, she was the star. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that Harrison Matthews?” I asked as she stopped on an intimate picture of her being pressed
EPILOGUE “Go, go, go!” Sebastian screamed from next to me, standing and leaning over the person in front of him as if Ben could hear him over the crowd and the glass. Then again, with how loud the man was, he just might. I had only known Bash in passing from when I worked for Ben as his assista
HAVEN ONE MONTH LATER My eyes kept moving from the woman before me to the clock on the wall behind her. I wanted to be here, but I had more important places to be. She had run over with her last client, which made us run over and caused me to be late for an important game. Ben had been stressin
BEN Haven was empty for the next few weeks as she flew back and forth, cleaning out the house her ex-husband had left her. It had been Cynthia’s home, too, and Haven had been taking extra care and devotion to ensuring things were handled and gone through properly. I had gone with her a few times,
HAVEN Her hand was cold, and I adjusted her blanket to cover her arm. The lawyers had come in and refused to admit any fault of the hospital, even though Cynthia had her ID on her and even knew one of the paramedics who brought her in for them to have given the hospital her name. They should ha
HAVEN Sitting in the airport in the middle of the night with a toddler who got angry each time the loudspeaker called for another flight and disturbed her sleep was not what I had been prepared for. My mind was a foggy mess. All I could picture was Cynthia falling down the stairs. How long had sh
BEN Being excited about an ex getting involved in my life might not have been the best thing when things were already tense, but fuck did it feel good to know I did indeed have friends in high places and they were watching my back. Was I still expecting them to hold it over me and try to get me t
BEN It was odd pulling up to the house and finding there wasn’t a single paparazzi in sight. After today’s news, I expected them to be ready to break down my gate for a story, but no one was there. Instead, a blacked-out SUV sat across the street, and my stomach twisted when I realized it was pro
HAVEN I needed to get out of the house. Staying inside was driving me crazy, and I couldn’t take it anymore. My last job interview was a week ago, and while I keep applying, no one wants to hire the woman all over the tabloids with a sex tape. Our PR team managed to get it taken down, but it stil
BEN “Rangers player Benjamin Evans is today’s hot topic. Now fans were petitioning for him to be traded for his performance last season. Even I wanted him gone, and I’ve followed his career since he was being scouted.” The reporters around him laughed, and I gritted my jaw. “I know. I remember hi