Page 18 of Tempest

“Yeah. Wow.” We park and walk up to the porch of the enormous white mansion. I know she’s been working with the rich and famous, but somehow, it didn’t cross my mind that Odette is one of them. I guess I still imagine her as the girl I knew as a kid. The one who shopped at thrift stores and drove a dented car that was twice her age.

Hell, I’m a professional athlete and I don’t know if I could afford a place like this. Definitely not after all the money I paid Caroline in the divorce. I’m not bitter about that, though. She deserves to be comfortable. She says I paid her too much. I disagree, though, because she doesn’t have a career. Her skillset is that of a stay-at-home mom and that deserves a great salary.

The door is open, but I still knock as we walk through the foyer. It’s circular, paneled in dark carved wood topped with a floral wallpaper in different shades of green and purple. A huge bouquet of fresh flowers sits on a round table in the middle, the smell permeating the whole space.

Tori sneezes twice, her allergies in full swing.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, but let’s find everyone else,” she says, leading me through the arched opening and further into the house.

That’s where we find her. Standing at a large bay of windows overlooking the expansive backyard. Her hair was shorter when I knew her, cropped just below her chin. Now, it’s long and flows down her back. I wouldn’t recognize her from sight, at least from this angle, but the hair on my arms rises in some unseen recognition.

This pull can’t be ignored.

“Odette?”

“Tori, glad you could—” Odette starts and abruptly stops when she sees me standing next to my daughter. “Vaughn.”

“Quinn.” I mimic her tone, a combination of awe and apprehension.

“I hope it’s okay, I brought my dad. I don’t have a boyfriend, and since you know each other,” Tori starts to ramble.

“Of course,” Odette says, painting a bright smile onto her face quickly. I see through it, but I doubt Tori can. “Gavin, it’s been too long, darling.”

Darling?

“Far,” I say, and Tori side-eyes me, but I can’t pull my gaze off Odette. She’s a pillar in royal blue from shoulder to toe. Whatever she’s wearing has a slight shimmer, and when she steps closer, I can’t tell if the dazzle is her clothing or her. She always did scramble my brain.

Her hair isn’t the only thing that’s changed. She’s curvier, her body fuller but her face more defined with angles. Her lips are like I remember, bright and heart-shaped. The most kissable I’ve ever seen. If circumstances were different, I’d say fuck it and take them right now. I want to. But I’m not that kind of asshole.

Then there are those eyes. Hazel and piercing…they’ve always been transfixing but now they look at me with a directness I never knew from her before. Distrust, likely. I can’t fucking blame her there.

“You look fabulous, my dear,” she says to my kid, making her beam with pride. I know she fretted for hours about what to wear today. I hate the pressure she puts on herself, but I also understand it.

“Thank you.”

“Everyone is outside but grab a drink and a plate before you head out,” Odette says, gesturing to the next room where I can see a spread of food.

“Thank you,” Tori repeats, taking a few steps in the direction of the dining area. She looks at me to follow, but I give her a nod, suggesting she go ahead without me. She can’t hide her knowing smirk.

“How have you been, Odette?”

“Fabulous.”

“This house is great,” I say, taking a step closer to her and fighting every urge to touch her. We don’t know each other, not anymore, but our chemistry is alive and fucking well.

“Mmm, yes, she’s fab…”

“Fabulous?” I smile but don’t laugh out loud at her obvious fluster. She’s as affected by me as I am by her. Probably more so because I’m sure she didn’t expect me to walk into her house today.

I give her a moment as she looks at her shoes, and she eventually releases a long breath.

“Hi,” she says when she looks back up at me. “Gavin.”

Besides my grandmother and teachers, Odette was the only person as a kid that called me by my full name. To everyone else, I was Gav or Vaughn. Still am, in most instances. I loved the way she said it, though, how her teeth almost bite her lower lip when she pronounces the V. She says it slow and cool, and it makes me anything but.

“Hi, Odette. Sorry to surprise you like this.”

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