by M. A. Foster
Mia purses her lips, her gaze flicking to the side as she ponders my question. “Lusted? Definitely. Loved? No. But I think I could’ve loved him if he’d given me the chance.” She leans back in her chair and sighs. “It’s my own fault. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t hurt, but he wasn’t a bad guy. He just wasn’t the guy for me. Then I bumped into Mason, and you know what they say—the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
I snort a laugh. Gabbi had said the same thing about her ex after she caught him cheating on her with her roommate. I thought it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. I wish I was capable of no-strings sex, but I’m not wired that way. My head and heart are united. I’m not capable of separating the two.
Mia continues, “I’d forgotten how hot he was.” She closes her eyes and draws in a deep breath through her nose, a look of pleasure on her face as if she’s replaying that night in her head. “And let me tell you… the sex….” She whistles and grins.
Well, hell.
When she puts it like that….
SEPTEMBER
VANESSA
“High Hopes” blares through my AirPods as I jog down Oak Lane. The pinkish orange sky of the Florida sunset filters through the thick branches of the oak trees above. Sunrise and sunset are the only times of the day suitable for jogging in the thick humidity without the risk of heatstroke.
I’ve been working at the medical center for a week now. It’s been a long time since I’ve had weekends off, and I’m finally settling into a routine. This weekend I’m moving in with Katie, and I feel like my life is finally coming together.
A shrill whistle sounds off from my right, piercing through my music. Glancing sideways, I catch sight of a few guys playing basketball in the driveway. It’s not until I turn my head that I realize I’m jogging past Brian McKinnon’s house.
“Vanessa?” he calls out.
I slow my pace and turn around, stopping at the edge of his driveway where he stands shirtless in a pair of basketball shorts. He looks good. His dirty-blond hair is tucked under a baseball cap, and his well-defined chest is covered in sweat.
“Hey, Brian,” I say breathlessly, pulling the AirPods from my ears. “I’d hug you, but….” I gesture to my sweaty physique, and he takes that as an invitation to check me out. I’m wearing running shorts and a sports bra. It doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Not that Brian needs one. He and I had our fair share of hot and heavy make-out sessions back in high school, though we never made it past third base because I had no intentions of giving him something that didn’t belong to him.
“You look good, Vannie,” he says, using my dad’s nickname for me.
I shoot him a look because he knows better.
“Shut it, Bizzle,” I toss back, using the stupid name his friends called him in high school.
Brian shakes his head, chuckling. “It’s good to see you. It’s been what, seven years?”
“Yep. High school graduation.”
“You still mad at me for being a dumbass?”
Not only did Brian kiss Bertie at prom, but the next morning, he called my dad and told him I ditched him to go out with Liam. My dad didn’t even bother calling either one of us. He went straight over to Liam’s house. He ripped into me for lying and Liam for… everything else.
“Nah. I’m over it.” I wave a dismissive hand.
He crosses his arms over his sweaty chest. “I ran into your dad a couple months ago. He said you were engaged and living in Orlando.”
I offer him a tight smile. “Things didn’t work out.”
He frowns. “Sorry to hear that.”
I shrug as if to say “It is what it is.”
“To be honest, I thought you would’ve married Liam Mackenzie.”
“I did—I was.” His brows shoot to his hairline. “We’re divorced.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He lifts his ball cap to run his fingers through his hair. “Are you living at home?”
“Yeah. I’ve been staying with Dad, but I’m moving in with Katie this weekend. What about you?”
“Just graduated law school.” He grins proudly and jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “I came home to unwind and study for the bar.”
“Congratulations.” I beam, propping my fists on my hips. “Look at us being grown-ups.”
“Right?” He chuckles.
I move to put my AirPods back in my ears. “I need to get home before the mosquitos eat me alive. It was good to see you, Brian.”
“You, too. Is your number still the same?”
“Actually, no,” I tell him as I slip my phone from the pocket of my shorts. I’d had all my contacts, except for Brian’s and Liam’s, transferred to my new phone. Brian rattles off his number, and I type it into my contacts. “I just texted you from my new number.”
“Cool. I’ll call you. Maybe we can go for dinner or drinks soon and catch up.” Mia’s words ring in the back of my mind: “You know what they say—the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.” But I quickly push that unsettling thought out of my head as Brian holds out his fist. I snort before bumping it with mine.
“Sounds great. Talk soon.”
A black Mercedes is parked in the driveway, and my stomach bottoms out as my first thought is What is Jake doing here? I notice the silver palm tree frame around the license plate and realize it’s Kelly’s car.
And Jake isn’t dumb enough to show up at my father’s house.
As I step inside, I’m greeted with chatter followed by laughter drifting toward the door.
Walking into the kitchen, I find my dad and Kelly goofing off as usual. Dad is seasoning steaks, and Kelly is making a salad.
And they’re not alone.
A younger girl is crouched down on the floor petting Princess B, and the first thing I notice is a cross tattoo on the outside of her wrist.
As if she senses me staring, her head jerks up and she immediately smiles, revealing a set of dimples. She’s very pretty and shares a striking resemblance to the actress from that popular vampire show. Her light brown hair is parted on the side and hangs a few inches past her shoulders.
She must be Kelly’s daughter, Piper.
“Hi.” I lift my hand in greeting, drawing my dad’s and Kelly’s attention. “I’m Vanessa.”
“Hey, Vanessa,” Kelly cheers. “This is my daughter, Piper.”
“I’m putting the steaks on, Vannie,” my dad cuts in, and I instantly pick up on the tenseness in his tone. He’s nervous, but Piper looks harmless to me.
Pinching my lips together, I fight back a laugh and jerk a thumb over my shoulder. “I’m just gonna go grab a quick shower. I’ll be right back.”
“How do you like UH, Piper?” I ask as I slice into my steak.
“My schedule is taking some getting used to. College is like a whole new world compared to high school. Better,” she adds.
I grin. “You didn’t like high school?”
Piper shrugs. “Who does?”
“Vanessa,” my dad chimes in.
“It’s true,” I admit. “I loved high school.” I look over at my dad. “Speaking of high school, guess who I ran into earlier?” He raises his brows, intrigued. “Brian McKinnon.”
“Bizzle?” he asks, and I laugh as he directs the conversation to Kelly and Piper. “Vanessa and Brian grew up together, dated for most of their senior year.”
“Until I caught him cheating on me at prom.”
“No way,” Piper gasps.
“He did what?” my dad snaps. “You should’ve told me that part, Vannie. Now everything makes sense.”
I flick my wrist. “Let it go, Dad. It was a long time ago.” I return to my conversation with Piper. “So, do you have any hobbies or play any sports?”
Piper grins at my not-so-subtle subject change. “I cheered in high school. What about you?”
“I played soccer, but I quit after ninth grade.”
My dad barks out a laugh. “You didn’t quit, you l
ittle liar.” He turns to Piper. “She got kicked off the team for fighting.”
Kelly laughs. “I don’t believe that. Vanessa doesn’t strike me as a fighter.”
I’m not a fighter, but I have no problem defending myself.
I point my fork at my dad. “She started it.”
He holds up his hands, chuckling. “I know she did.”
“How do you like your new job?” Kelly asks.
“I love it. My coworkers are great, and I love not having to work crazy hours or weekends,” I reply.
“What do you do there?” Piper asks.
“I’m a float nurse, which means if a doctor is short staffed, he puts in a request with my supervisor, and she directs us where to go. Right now, I’m working in the orthopedic department.” I return my attention to my dad. “I forgot to tell you, Dr. Parker says hello.”
Dr. James Parker is the head physician of the Department of Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, & Spine. He and his wife, Katherine, are best friends with the Mackenzies, and their son is Cam, Liam’s best friend.
“That’s great.” My dad beams. “James is a nice man. How’s Mac doing?”
“He’s great. He said you should stop by sometime so we can all have lunch.”
“I’d love to. Cam and I are due to have lunch soon.”
“Are you talking about Cam Parker?” Piper asks.
“You know him?” my dad asks.
“I’ve met him a couple times through my friends, Zach and Jay.”
“You know them?” I cut in.
Piper beams. “Yeah. I’ve known Zach since elementary school, and I met Jay when she moved here during our senior year.”
“She went to their wedding,” Kelly adds.
“How do you know them?” Piper asks.
“Liam Mackenzie is my ex-husband,” I say.
Kelly nearly chokes on her tongue. “What?” She turns to my dad. “You never mentioned—”
“Dad and I don’t like to talk about it,” I interrupt. “It’s a sore subject for both of us. Liam and I were in different places in our lives, and it wasn’t the right time for us.” My eyes dart around the table, meeting their curious expressions.
I wave my hand. “Enough about that. How was the wedding, Piper?”
After dinner, while Dad and Kelly are cleaning up the kitchen, I take Princess B out back so she can do her business, and Piper tags along.
“I just want to say that I really like your dad,” she tells me after a moment.
“He’s the best.”
“He’s really good to my mom, and that means a lot to me. My mom always gets nervous to bring me around him. I think she’s afraid I’m gonna throw a toddler fit because she’s not with my dad anymore. Truthfully, she’s better off without him. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad. He’s the best, but he wasn’t a good husband. He didn’t deserve her.”
“You know about—”
“The cheating?” she finishes. “Yeah. I know my mom was trying to protect me, and that only makes me love and respect her more.”
“Being cheated on is literally the most disgusting, degrading feeling ever,” I admit.
“I know,” she agrees. “When I was in ninth grade, I had the biggest crush on this guy. He was my first kiss. We made out a lot, and we experimented some, too, but we never had sex. I was nowhere near ready for that. Anyway, his football friends found out about what we’d done, and I was so embarrassed. He swore he didn’t tell anyone, but it didn’t matter. The rumors started, and eventually I was branded the school slut.” She huffs out a humorless laugh. “Kids are relentless. No matter how much time goes by, they never forget. I avoided dating and guys in general for the rest of my high school days. Over the summer, I dated this guy, Derek, who graduated with me. He was kind of an asshole in high school, and he had a reputation for sleeping around, but he was different after we graduated. We hung out almost every day. We went to the beach, the movies, bowling…. He never tried to push me for sex. I thought maybe he’d grown up.” She shakes her head. “Nope. He was still screwing around.”
I frown. “I’m so sorry, Piper. He sounds like a dirtbag. You’re so pretty and sweet.”
“Thanks. Maybe I’m too sweet, and that’s why every guy I meet treats me like shit or tries to use me.” Her voice wavers, and it’s obvious what this guy did is weighing heavily on her heart.
“Piper, let me give you the same advice I gave myself after my ex and I broke up. Bad or good, live with your decisions. Accept your mistakes and grow from them. And always know your worth. If a guy doesn’t see you for the kind, beautiful girl you are, then he’s not the guy for you.”
“Thank you.” She swipes the corners of her eyes.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and squeeze. “Anytime.”
VANESSA
Katie’s loft is downtown, just past the Oceanside Aquarium. There are three buildings with four lofts per building. They’re all painted in deep red with tall windows covering most of the front and back. The view is breathtaking. The front overlooks downtown and Oceanside Drive, while the back is an endless view of the bay. There are two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Both bedrooms stretch the length of the loft, giving a full view of both the city and the bay.
My bedroom is on the bottom floor. Once I have my stuff sorted and put away, I slip through the glass door from my room and step out onto the patio. It’s quite spacious and extends out past the overhang, which is Katie’s patio outside her room. The extended patio is enclosed in glass and decorated nicely with a seating area. I plop down on the sofa and prop my feet on the table with a heavy sigh.
My gaze falls on either a very small pool or an oversized Jacuzzi near the glass wall, which is looking good about now. There are a few plants and trees scattered around and a funky-looking tree in the far corner. It looks fake, like one of those trees you see at a theme park.
I narrow my eyes. There’s something in the tree.
A surprised yelp bursts from my lips when a squirrel leaps out and makes a beeline in my direction, hopping on the sofa cushion beside me.
“Katie!” I yell as I bring my knees to my chest.
The back door slides open, and Katie asks all calm-like, “What’s up?”
I point to the squirrel. “What the fuck?”
She snorts as she steps out onto the patio. “That’s Rocky. Don’t worry, he’s harmless. He just wants a treat.”
“I’m not giving him shit. What if he bites me and gives me rabies?”
“I’ve had him since he was a baby. He’s had all his shots, so you’re fine.” She clicks her tongue, and the squirrel hops off the sofa and over to Katie, where she pulls a treat from a pail.
I cock my head to the side. “He’s your pet?”
“Yeah. He’s pretty self-sufficient. Like a cat but way cooler.” She points to the small hollowed-out oak tree in the corner of the patio. “It’s fake, but he doesn’t know the difference. He eats fruit, nuts, and a variety of seeds. He’s all stocked up.”
“Who’s gonna feed him when you’re gone?”
“You are.”
Ugh. “Fine,” I hiss, “but he better not bite me or his little furry ass is getting tossed in the bay.”
The alarm on my phone goes off at 5:30 a.m. on the dot, and I groan as I reach for it on the nightstand to turn it off.
The smell of fresh-brewed coffee permeates the air, which means Katie is up. After a week of living with her, I know she requires coffee before anything else in the mornings.
I spend the next thirty minutes getting ready for work before shuffling into the kitchen. Katie is leaning against the counter sipping from a coffee mug with the words “Shuh Duh Fuh Cup” etched into it, and I snort. Katie is obsessed with novelty mugs. I bought her that mug last Christmas.
“What are you doing up so early?” I ask as I make my way over to the coffee machine. I smile seeing she’s already set out a steaming mug for me. This one says “Blow Me, I’m Hot.”
; Katie has one of those expensive coffee machines that makes all the fancy drinks that I’ll never learn to make. She tried to show me a few times, but I gave up and settled on just using the plain coffee function.
“I wanted to see you before you left for work,” she tells me.
“Aww. I’ll miss you, too, love,” I reply, blowing her a kiss. She chuckles. “What? It’s a term of endearment?” Katie is leaving for London today, and I won’t see her again until the day before New Year’s Eve. Gabbi and I are flying in to London together, and Kennedy, and her fiancé, Adam, are flying in from New York to celebrate the grand reopening of Club Bliss on New Year’s Eve. I honestly can’t wait to see what Katie does with the remodel. The girl is truly talented.
“What time does your flight leave?” I ask, leaning against the opposite counter.
“Three.” She inhales a deep breath through her nose and releases it before clearing her throat. “I know what today is—”
So do I.
“—and I’m sad I won’t be here for you,” she adds.
I drop my gaze to the coffee mug in my hands and sigh. Today is my mother’s birthday. She’s been gone for eighteen years now, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her.
Shaking my head, I turn and set down my mug. Katie does the same before I step into her embrace.
“I miss her,” I groan against her shoulder.
“I know. Are you going to the cemetery today?”
“Mmhmm.”
“I have time before my flight leaves. Meet me on your lunch break and we’ll go together.”
I lift my head. “Really?”
She pulls back but grips my upper arms. “I was planning on going anyway.”
“No roses.” I point at her.
She holds up her hands. “Lilies it is.”
“Thank you for being my friend.” I press a kiss to her cheek.
“The fabulous foursome forever, right, love?” she says the last part with a British accent, and I snort. “Do me a favor.” She takes hold of my hand.