Life Goes On

“What a fucking jerk!” Ashley growled, grabbing one of the colorful vodka shots from the table and pouring it down her throat.

I had no strength left to support her rage. We were sitting by the kitchen table in her apartment, more than a dozen little glasses prepared to soothe our nerves in one of the least healthy ways possible. My fingers slid around the rim of the glass as I numbly stared down at my liquor. I wished the alcohol could solve my problems or at least dull my restlessness. It didn't. I had rarely drunk strong liquor, and by now, I should have been hiccupping and laughing like a happy idiot, but after emptying six shots, I remained irritatingly sober.

Our team had bravely accepted the CEO's challenge. We had tried, we truly had, and we failed… miserably. This was an impossible task, and we had known it from the beginning. The CEO must have known that too. He had never wanted to give us a chance. He taunted us…  

“Arrogant bastard!” Ashley continued, reaching for another glass.

“And just who pissed you two off that much?” Aaron sauntered into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, facing us with one brow raised.

“Killian Blair,” we replied in unison. “The new CEO of Blair Digital Entertainment, the guy who fired us,” Ashley added.

“Do I want to meet him?” He gave us a saucy grin, exposing his perfectly white teeth. When we both glared at him, he just raised his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Oh, come on. Now I'm intrigued. Entertain me. Tell me about that guy. I bet he's a fine piece of ass… and a bad boy at that.”

“Well, he is exactly that,” I commented dryly, failing to notice the wicked curiosity forming on the twins' faces.

A giggle slipped through Ashley's throat. “Have you… seen his ass?”

Her brother's eyes zeroed in on me. “And how BAD in a scale are we talking about? A little kinky or fully-equipped sex dungeon kind of bad?” A wide grin appeared.

Ashely and Aaron… They were seriously more alike than they believed they were.

“Can you two just be normal for a day?” I was sure my face resembled a beetroot by now. “I've known this guy before. He... bullied me in high school.” I smiled wryly. “He was this guy whom every girl dreamed about. Of course, I had a crush on him too… until I caught him having sex in the classroom with one of the so-called popular girls.”

Aaron blinked, waving his fake lashes at me. “He had a tiny dick or something?”

I would have laughed at the comment, but there was nothing amusing in the memories I recalled. “Truthfully, I don't know what happened. Perhaps he was angry that I saw him, and it was enough for him to make me his target. Then he was hell-bent on making my life miserable.”

Aaron's expression cooled down, any traces of a smile disappearing in an instant. “Did you tell anyone about what you saw?”

A dry chuckle left my throat. “Why would I? I was too embarrassed about it.”

“I don't get it,” Ashley muttered, joining the conversation. “If you didn't tell anyone, what reason could he have to be pissed?”

I let out a long sigh. “I think this girl got scared that I might… ruin her reputation or something. She transferred to another school soon after that incident, and that was when Killian Blair decided to turn my life into a nightmare.”

Aaron frowned. “And now he fired you? Did he do that on purpose? Did he recognize you?”

Chills ran down my spine as I recalled the way he looked at me. “Truthfully… I have no idea.”

“What if he did? What if he fired all of us because of you?” Ashley mused, reaching for another shot.

That felt like a stab in the chest. I wished I could tell her he hadn't, but what if...

Ashley grabbed my hand and offered me a faint smile. “Then there's one good thing about him firing us... At least you won't be forced to face that hateful guy ever again.”

More bitterness pooled inside me. “There's nothing good about us losing our jobs, Ashley. You know that I don't have any savings, and I'm not even sure how I'm going to pay for my rent next month.”

“Then move out,” she said simply.

I blinked. “What?”

“Move in here with us.” She beamed at me, and my eyes filled with tears.

“Ashley's right. This apartment is far too large for just Ashley and me. I could use someone more reasonable to argue with my precious sis.” Aaron stepped toward me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

A thick knot formed in my throat as I stared at both of them. I knew that they inherited this apartment after their grandma died. Their grandma was a wealthy woman—a lucky lottery winner with great investing skills—and this apartment was indeed huge, but I just wasn't used to receiving help from others…

Swallowing hard, I shook my head. “I can't live here. I would be a—”

“If you try to suggest that you would be a burden, I'm going to smack you,” Aaron growled. “You're like family to us, and you fucking know it. Now, stop whining and just accept our offer.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “Thank you,” I choked out.

A heartbeat passed, and I was lifted from my seat straight into Aaron's embrace. Ashley joined the hug before I could draw another breath.

***

I couldn't believe that the first major thing I was doing after getting fired was going to my ex's wedding. I should have been staring at my laptop and looking for a job! I might have had a temporary apartment thanks to the twins, but it only solved a tiny part of my problems…

My hands fisted into tight balls as I strode through the pier in five-inch heels. Ungracefully quickening my steps, I lined up with Ashley and her boyfriend, Matteo. “Tell me again, why did I agree to wear these torture devices?” I pointed at the shoes, and Ashley snorted.

“Stop whining and think of it as therapy.”

My brows inched up. “What therapy?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “What you need is a victory to cheer you up! And I am quite sure this is the day of your triumph. Besides, you look gorgeous.”

“And sexy,” Matteo added, winking at me.

“Thank you,” I muttered, attempting to smile. I somehow managed to release a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down. Then I looked over my shoulder; Aaron still wasn't here.

“Relax. He'll get here soon,” Ashley assured me as if reading my mind.

I nodded, but at the same time, my gut told me otherwise. My gaze drifted to the huge yacht in front of us, where Dylan and Brianna's guests were already boarding. I saw all the fabulous designer gowns and then glanced at the red fitted dress I had gotten from Ashley. It might have been the best piece of clothing I had worn for years, but I still felt like Cinderella, who had forgotten to call her Fairy Grandmother before leaving for the ball.

My phone buzzed in my purse, and I jolted. Pulling it out, I saw a text from Aaron. A shudder rushed through me. Even without reading it, I knew that something was wrong…

“We had an accident at the bakery. Everyone's fine, but we have to redo three hundred muffins. I'm sorry. I won't be at the wedding.”

A thick lump formed in my throat. I looked at Ashley and gave her a crooked smile. “There was a problem at Aaron's bakery... He's not coming.”

Ashley stepped closer, studying me. She must have heard my thoughts because she pinned me with a glare. “Don't even think about it,” she snarled. “You are going on board, Josephine Clairmont. Even if I have to drag you there.”

I stiffened a chuckle, knowing she actually might drag me there if I refused. Putting the phone back in my purse, I rolled back my shoulders and mustered my best smile. “All right. Let's go.”

Ashley nodded, and the three of us restarted our steps. A moment later, we were on board the luxurious yacht and a waiter offered us a glass of champagne. I let myself enjoy the madly expensive bubbles, relaxing more with every sip. I turned around, admiring the highly overpriced decorations, until my gaze stopped at the dark-haired man standing on the other side of the deck.

Killian Blair

A thick knot rose in my throat. My ex-boss and ex-high school bully in one person stood on the opposite side of the deck, leaning one elbow against the railing. Despite the restlessness that pooled in my guts, I could not ignore how irresistible he looked with his hair combed up and his body packed into a black tuxedo.

Our eyes met and I froze. A smug smile tugged at his lips and then, he was striding through the deck, heading toward me. Blood drained from my face. Ashley… Only she could get me out of this mess. I turned around, searching for my friend, but suddenly, she and Matteo were nowhere to be found.

“Don't you think it's a little dangerous for someone like you to stand here alone?”

I spun around, facing the man from my nightmares. A shudder coursed through me as I stared into his blazing, green eyes. “Someone… like me?”

Fisting my hands, I braced myself to hear a long list of insults—

“If I were here with a beautiful woman like you, I would never leave her alone.” Killian's lips curved into a predatory smile. “I'd fear someone might steal her away.”

I blinked, dumbfounded. Was this supposed to be a joke? Was he taunting me? But wait… He didn't look at me the same way he had when I'd come to his office. Right now, in his eyes, I wasn't an annoying, meaningless, soon-to-be-fired employee but a woman…

What the heck? Was he… face blind?