Page 114 of When Hearts Collide

Millie Callahan? That’s the girl you’re dancing with? The one you look like you were seconds away from devouring on the dance floor? You’re dating The Shark’s sister?!

Seconds pass and another text comes through.

Rex

Paging Grace and Taylor… Where are you at, dear sisters? How come you kept this interesting tidbit from me? I thought I was your favorite brother.

Grace

Because you’re the worst gossip in the entire world, Rex. If we told you anything, the world would know about it half a second later.

Taylor

Ryland is restoring my faith in the opposite gender, but then that’s offset by you, Rex. So, my opinions of the male species have remained unchanged.

Steven

What about me, Tay? I’m a good soon to be brother-in-law to you.

Taylor

Fine. I’ll give you a pass. Thank you for sending over that citrus carrot cake from Estrelle’s. They are to die for.

She sends over a photo of herself dressed in some fuzzy pajamas, her mouth stuffed with cake. She said she’d rather die before attending a stuffy ball with the rest of us.

Charles

Get off your high horse, Tay. If I were to judge women by you only, I’d have different opinions as well. And seriously, carrot cake? It’s disgusting.

Taylor

Say that to my face, Charles. I dare you. *Knife emoji*

Charles

*Audio message of him calling Taylor a brat.*

She and Charles have been at it since they met, and I have no idea how she pissed off my blond, good-natured friend. He’s the man everyone likes to hang out with, the guy who constantly bemoans his single status because he actually wants to settle down but hasn’t been able to find the one.

Lana

Oh jeez. I should’ve called Ryland instead, but I didn’t want to talk on the phone while I was schmoozing with everyone. Ryland, after you get the pads and the ibuprofen, get some snacks that she’ll love. Chocolates, chips, the yummy and not-good-for-you stuff. I always crave them during my time of the month.

Grace

You’re a good man, Ryland. At first, I was worried about you two, but now I’m glad she has you.

For now.

Guilt stabs me in the chest and I put my cell phone back in my pocket as I pick the most expensive pads of the sizes Lana suggested and put them in the basket. I don’t know which brands are the best, but going with the priciest can’t be wrong.

Deep down, I know Millie and I can’t last. Despite her whispering, “we still have tomorrow,” in my ears every time we are together, our circumstances haven’t changed. We are still forbidden in the court of public opinion, and even if we get past that temporary situation, there’s still the family trust, the iron-clad rules that’ll force her to give up everything if she were to stay with me.

Even if I want to be selfish, even if I can take the risk of our relationship blowing up in our faces, ruining my family’s much lauded, centuries-old reputation, killing our IPO plans, which is going well at the current moment, and saying goodbye to the pipe dream of becoming a tenured professor, there’s no way I can take her dreams away from her.

I can hurt myself a thousand times over, but I can never let her give up everything to be with me. And I can’t do what Dad did to Grace and Taylor’s mom and be with Millie without the promise of marriage in the future.

She deserves that and more from a man.

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