Page 27 of Rivals Next Door

“Third date? Isn’t that a record for you?” She usually got bored after the second date.

“Are you trying to slut shame me?”

I snorted as she pointed a shoe at me in accusation. “Never. It’s just that you’re afraid of commitment.”

She gasped. “Am not!”

“The first-grader response says I hit a nerve.”

She sucked her teeth. “Shut up.”

“Oh, a second-grader’s response. You’re maturing by the second…”

“I hate you.” She laughed.

Our giggles mingled as we launched into a conversation about her having a slight feeling that Christian might be the one to cure her commitment phobia. We then strayed into other girly chatter. This was why I loved hanging out with Elena. She was fun and spunky… the opposite of me, so she balanced my prudish ways perfectly. For a while, I forgot about the sadness that had me in its clutches since I met up with Alex again… since I was reminded of what was and what could have been.

We’d been so lost in conversation that we didn’t realize we reached the end of the aisle. We stopped in front of a pair of scarlet stilettos that seemed to capture the essence of allure. Smiling, we glanced at each other and chorused, “This is it.”

Elena laughed and picked up the box. “It’s perfect. You should get a pair.”

I snorted. “Why?” It wasn’t like any of the scientists who worked at BioTech had time to appreciate my taste in footwear.

“Because you need a little color in your life. You live in dark-colored pants suits and sensible pumps. I get that you’re a serious scientist and businesswoman, but, honey, sometimes you need to mix it up.” She smiled. “Plus, you could meet someone and get asked out on a hot date…”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Not likely.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t been invited on dates. Plenty of men had shown interest. I’d just never had the time because I was busy taking BioTech out of the dire condition Dad left it in. Plus, why date when I never got over… I sucked in a breath and willed my brain to avoid the subject of him. A part of me wished I hadn’t seen Alex again. Too many memories and emotions had been stirred up.

“Olivia, I haven’t seen you go out on a date in…” Elena scoffed. “Ever! You need a little romance in your life.”

“Date? Romance? What strange language do you speak, woman?” I joked. Still, it was a little pathetic that my romantic life was nonexistent.

“Hilarious,” Elena huffed. She seemed more annoyed than amused, but I knew it was because she cared about me.

“I’m fine, Elena. Maybe I’ll date when all of this mess with work is sorted out,” I said as I ran a finger over a pair of provocative heels. The shoes were a symbol of who I was with Alex. He made me feel daring and sexy. After him, I crawled back into my prudish shell to play the role of heiress to the Brentwood empire.

That familiar feeling of emptiness when I thought about the box I lived in washed over me. I peeled my gaze off the hot shoes. I’d never let loose and be that fun girl again because I doubted I’d ever meet another guy who made me feel the way Alex did.

“Mom, just calm down. Liam is fine.”

I texted Elena as I spoke to Mom about Liam… reassured her, really. Although, I was lying through my teeth. The last time I spoke to my brother—when he finally answered his phone—he sounded out of it.

He told me he hated me and that he didn’t want to talk to me before he hung up. I figured—hoped—he didn’t mean it. He was a drug addict. He hated everyone who tried to intervene and get him on the right track… I frowned at the thought. God, I really hoped he didn’t hate me.

I brought my attention back to the two conversations I was having.

“How can you know that, Livy?” Mom’s high-pitched voice boomed through the phone’s speakers. “You said he hung up when you called him.”

Before I could respond, Elena’s next text came in.

I checked with my guy. Nothing traces back to Knight.

I nibbled on my lower lip as I stared at the text. I had my suspicions about the way Alex popped up and got his hands on Thomas Greggory’s company. It was too much of a coincidence, so I had Elena do some checks to see if Alex had gone snooping into my life, technologically or otherwise. She had a guy…

It seemed Alex’s hands were clean. However, I knew more than most what he was capable of once he got his hands on a computer. He’d never get caught unless he wanted to.

“Olivia, are you there?”

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