Love & Lies

by Jessica Wood

  Today, I became a partner at William & Sutter LLP.

  I had once thought that when today came, I’d have everything I’d ever wanted.

  I would feel elated.

  I would feel proud.

  I would finally be the happiest person in the world.

  But I was wrong. I’d never felt more empty than I did today.

  It was early evening, and I’d left my celebration party early. It was hard to smile and laugh when I felt none of it. When I’d made partner today, I finally realized that it wasn’t the thing I wanted the most in life.

  I wasn’t ready to go home, so I walked aimlessly around the city, watching all the happy people pass me by. I envied them.

  I blinked and realized that I was in a grocery store. I wasn’t sure how I got here, but there I was, standing in front of a stand of peaches. Suddenly, a figure with long chestnut curls ahead caught my eye.

  When I looked toward the figure, my chest tightened. Her back was turned to me, but I knew it was her. I saw the infinity tattoo on her wrist and I could smell a hint of her light floral perfume in the air.

  The sight of her made my heart soar with more joy and happiness than I’d ever felt.

  “I’m sure yours taste a lot juicier than those peaches,” I said, loud enough for her to hear.

  She froze. After a few agonizing seconds, she turned around to face me. She smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  “Hi, Ben.”

  “Oh God, Blair, it’s so great to see you.”

  “You too, Ben. You look great, too.”

  The moment I’d seen her, I knew that I needed her in my life, I knew I needed to tell her everything. Then I had a thought.

  “Hey, I’ll be right back! Give me thirty seconds. Promise me, you’ll stay right here, okay?”

  “Okay, sure.” She nodded, her brows furrowed with confusion.

  I ran to a nearby section of the store and seconds later was back by her side.

  “These are for you.” I handed her a bouquet of wild flowers. “I hope they’re still your favorite.”

  “You still remember.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me.

  “Blair, I’ve missed you so much,” I blurted out. “I know it’s unlikely and unreasonable to expect that you’re still single or even willing to give me a chance, but letting you walk out of my life that day has been my biggest regret, the worst mistake of my life, and the one thing I’d give anything to change. I know that I should have fought for you harder, fought for us harder. I’ve lost three years of my life without you in it—that’s 1,095 days I’ve lived with a hole in my heart. If I could do it all over again, I would fight for every single one of those days so that they would be complete with you in it.”

  She paused and there was a spark in her eyes that I couldn’t quite understand. “Ben, I’m—”

  “Before you tell me to fuck off, or tell me that you’re happy and can’t have me in your life, I want to tell you everything I had wanted to say three years ago.”

  I took out the old piece of paper that’d been folded up and kept in my wallet for three years. The edges and folds of the paper were worn from the passing of time. Blair looked at the paper with curiosity but remained silent.

  “Blair, that night when I planned the surprise sushi dinner for us, I had wanted to tell you something. I had written my thoughts down on this piece of paper earlier that day and I wanted to give it to you at dinner. After everything that happened after that night, I never found the right time to give it to you. But I’ve kept it folded in my wallet, hoping for the day that you’d be able to read it. I want you to read it, Blair.”

  I handed her the letter.

  When she finished the letter, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “It’s beautiful, Ben.”

  “Blair, those were my feelings then, and I want to tell you that my feelings haven’t wavered but have only gotten stronger over the years.”

  “Ben, I don’t know what to say…”

  “Do you know that I was made a partner at the firm today?” I cut her off. I was afraid of how she’d react or what she’d say, and I needed to tell her everything when I still had the chance.

  “Really? That’s amazing, Ben. Congratulations!” She swung her arms around me and gave me a warm hug.

  “So, I thought that would make me happy, that it would be the happiest moment in my life. But I was wrong, Blair.” I paused. “Do you want to know what’s the happiest moment in my life?”

  “What?”

  “This very moment. Right now. Here with you. This is the happiest moment in my life. To finally be in front of you again. To tell you something I’d waited so long to say.”

  I caressed her face with my hands and gazed into her emerald eyes. “I love you, Blair Parker.”

  “Ben, you had me at ‘peaches.’” She pulled me down and our lips met in perfect harmony, like two pieces of the puzzle finally finding each other. When we finally pulled away, our eyes locked, and I saw the same woman that I’d fallen in love with three years ago. “I love you too, Ben Chase. I have for a very long time.”

  Her words radiated through my body like a ray of sunshine, and for the first time in my life, I felt completely whole, completely happy.

  THE END

  OTHER BOOKS

  If you would like to stay informed of new releases, teasers, and news on my upcoming books, please sign up for Jessica Wood’s mailing list and visit me at my website: http://jessicawoodauthor.com.

  Below is a list of Jessica Wood’s books:

  Emma’s Story Series

  A Night to Forget – Book One

  The Day to Remember – Book Two

  A Night to Forget Series Box Set (Emma's Story) – Contains A Night to Forget and The Day to Remember

  The Heartbreaker Series

  This is an Emma’s Story spin-off series featuring Damian Castillo, a supporting character in The Day to Remember. This is a standalone series and does not need to be read with Emma’s Story series.

  Damian – Book One

  The Heartbreaker – Prequel Novella to DAMIAN – can be read before or after Damian.

  Taming Damian – Book Two

  The Heartbreaker Box Set – Contains Damian, The Heartbreaker Prequel, and Taming Damian

  The Chase Series

  This is a standalone series with cameo appearances from Damian Castillo (The Heartbreaker series).

  The Chase, Vol. 1

  The Chase, Vol. 2

  The Chase, Vol. 3

  The Chase, Vol. 4

  The Chase: The Complete Series Box Set – Contains All Four Volumes

  Oblivion

  This is a standalone full-length book unrelated to other series by Jessica Wood.

  Oblivion

  Promises Series

  This is a standalone series unrelated to other series by Jessica Wood.

  Promise to Marry – Book One

  Promise to Keep – Book Two

  Promise of Forever – Book Three

  Promises, Love & Baby – Book Four

  ***

  Pre-Orders Currently Available

  Contracted Love – July 11, 2017

  Synopsis of Contracted Love

  We met in the dark as strangers, had sex by mistake, and married each other to hide a secret.

  We both agreed it'd be a marriage of convenience, to fix the mess we had gotten ourselves in the day we met. But when it was time to get an annulment, my feelings had changed. I wanted more. I wanted to stay by his side. But did he want the same?

  ***

  Synopsis of Oblivion

  Oblivion is a completely standalone full-length book and is currently available for purchase here.

  I wake up to a life and a man that I can’t remember.

  He says his name is Connor Brady—the tall, sexy CEO of Brady Global, Inc.

  He says my name is Olivia Stuart, and that I wa
s recently in an accident and lost my memory.

  Also, he says I’m his fiancé.

  Although I don’t remember Connor, or anything about my past, something about him seems familiar. He is kind, protective, and breathtakingly-gorgeous. But there is just one problem—he seems too perfect.

  As I begin to rebuild my relationship with Connor and accept the idea that I may never remember my past, I unexpectedly meet Ethan James.

  Ethan is the mysterious, rebellious stranger who pushes my boundaries to their limits and makes me feel alive. As our lives collide time and time again, the bits and pieces of my past start to unravel, unearthing the secrets that have been buried deep inside my subconscious. With every new memory I gain about who I once was, I become more torn between the man who is my fiancé and the stranger who is the key to my past. Is my life with Connor really as perfect as he leads me to believe?

  You can get your copy of Oblivion here.

  About The Author

  Jessica Wood writes new adult contemporary romance.

  While she has lived in countless cities throughout the U.S., her heart belongs to San Francisco. To her, there’s something seductively romantic about the Golden Gate Bridge, the steep rolling hills of the city streets, the cable cars, and the Victorian-style architecture.

  Jessica loves a strong, masculine man with a witty personality. While she is headstrong and stubbornly independent, she can’t resist a man who takes control of the relationship, both outside and inside of the bedroom.

  She loves to travel internationally, and tries to plan a yearly trip abroad. She also loves to cook and bake, and—to the benefit of her friends—she loves to share. She also enjoys ceramics and being creative with her hands. She has a weakness for good (maybe bad) TV shows; she’s up-to-date on over 25 current shows, and no, that wasn’t a joke.

  And it goes without saying, she loves books—they’re like old and dear friends who have always been there to make her laugh and make her cry.

  The one thing she wished she had more of is time.

  If you would like to follow or contact Jessica Wood, you can do so through the following:

  Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bpCEoL

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