Page 16 of We're One

“Then this apartment has to be killing you,” I say with a laugh.

“Well, I’m here with a beautiful woman so I don’t mind it so much,” he tells me with a wink.

I have to fight the blush wanting to steal over my cheeks. This man flusters me with only a few words. I remember it was the same nine years earlier. I wonder how many hearts he’s broken. I’m sure it’s more than only mine.

“Nikki’s really been growing her vlog and we’ve collaborated on a few projects where she’s cooked for events and I’ve decorated. It’s so much work for not a ton of money, but seeing how happy the people at the events are is incredibly rewarding. It’s also great working with my best friend, and bringing our skills together. I know I have to earn my stripes before I can be sought after. I guess those have been my favorite projects so far.”

“I was very impressed with your pictures on the website. You have a true eye for what you do. I have full confidence my space will be beautifully transformed by the time you’re finished.”

I glow with pride at his words. It’s silly, but this really matters a lot to me.

“Thank you,” I tell him.

“Seattle does have a lot to offer for both of you,” he says after a moment. “Do you miss anything from home?”

I hesitate for a moment, but don’t see any harm in sharing this. I do miss home, more and more lately. There are some people who want to run as fast as they can from the place they grew up in. I’m not one of them. I thought I was, but home has been calling me back for a long time. Soon.

“I miss the familiarity and the quiet of home. Seaville’s this little hidden gem of a place on the California coast that I couldn’t wait to get away from, but the longer I’m gone, the more I appreciate how amazing it truly was there. I’d take long walks on the beach, have fires with my friends all the time; the weather there is incredible. There’s a lot to miss about it. It’s not perfect, but it comes pretty darn close,” I say with a smile.

He blinks at me several times as his smile falls away. I realize right away the mistake I’ve made as recognition dawns in his eyes. Uh oh. He stares at me for long moments, his gaze taking me in from head to toe before he focuses on my eyes again.

He knows. There’s no doubt about it.

“You’re from Seaville.” It isn’t a question.

“Um... yeah, I grew up there,” I say, wondering how I can save this situation. I’m really wishing Nikki would bust through the door right about now.

“The beach. The lifeguard tower. The jet skis. Alessia...” he says, his voice filled with wonder and a bit of disgust as he realizes he forgot all about us. I feel a small amount of justification. It still hurts he completely forgot about me, though, even if he’s remembering now.

At the same time, though, my cheeks flush with embarrassment as he brings back these intimate moments. He was my first love, my first lover, my first everything. I’ve never forgotten him. At least now that pieces have clicked together, he’s remembering it all. That’s something. “I go by Sia now. I shortened it when we moved to Seattle.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when I asked if I knew you?” he asks with confusion.

“If you forgot about us, that’s your problem. To be honest, I barely remember,” I lie, still not looking him in the eyes. I’m trying to sound nonchalant while my heart nearly pounds out of my chest.

“I’m truly a dick,” he says. I nod. I fully agree with this statement. “It’s not an excuse, but all I can say is I was young and that was my rebellious time in life. I remember it all now, though, Alessia, I mean Sia, remember it like it was yesterday.” He pauses for a long moment, then waits until I look up. His gaze is searing me with the intensity of his look. “You were the longest relationship I’ve ever had. I don’t really do the girlfriend/boyfriend thing, but it was different with you. I wanted to stay.”

I’m shocked at these words, but I remind myself not to buy into them. I’m sure he’s simply trying to break free from the doghouse he’s been in since I saw him again. There’s no breaking free, though. I can’t and won’t go through the pain of him walking away from me again.

“It’s fine, Zach. It was fun. We were young and stupid. No grudges held. We’re both adults and can be professional,” I say. My voice is a little stronger. Maybe it’s good he knows, good that it’s not eating me up from the inside out. I can handle this. I’m no longer eighteen. I’m a grown, professional woman. This is good. If I tell myself this enough, I might start believing it.

“I’m sorry, Sia,” he says again. He leans closer and my pulse involuntarily skips more than one beat. “I was a complete idiot. You aren’t a woman who’s ever forgotten.”

I laugh. “Well, apparently that isn’t true,” I say with a false laugh. “It’s really okay, though. Is your shirt dry?” I can’t keep staring at this man’s chest talking about a past that’s long gone.

“Not yet,” he says, his eyes still too intense to look into.

“Well, interior design has always been about beauty so we’re going to make your house shine,” I tell him, my most plastic smile in place. I’ve dealt with difficult clients before. I need to look at Zach as one more obnoxious client, one that will bring legitimacy to my business.

He doesn’t even blink, and doesn’t allow me to change the subject. “Sia, I thought about you for a very long time after I left Seaville.” His words come out as a husky whisper as he scoots closer to me. No. No. No. I need to stop this. I can see what’s coming.

He pulls my coffee cup away and sets it on the table. I look at it like it’s a foreign object. Then his arms come around me. I can stop this. I know if I tell him to stop, he will. I can’t seem to get words past my tight throat. He pulls me to him.

I don’t know how but I end up on his lap, his arms around me. Now would be a really good time for the puppy to interrupt. She continues sleeping away. Traitor. Zach looks into my eyes for a long time before he cups the back of my neck. Now is the time to stop this... but I don’t.

Then he leans forward, and his lips capture mine. I hesitate for only a moment before I kiss him back, his tongue sliding against my bottom lip before he nips it. I let out a groan as his hands travel down my back and the heat of his naked chest practically burns me. Every kiss we’ve ever shared floods through me, and I wiggle against him, feeling a hunger unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

His lips are warm, familiar, and I’m instantly lost in his embrace. The world around us fades to black as once again it’s only Zach I feel, Zach I see, Zach I want. I forget how much of a mistake this is, forget it’s nine years later, forget a single day has passed between us.

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