Page 7 of One Night With You

“But—”

Trix held up her hand and gave me an oh-so-patient look. “I love you with all of my heart. Now go home. To that beautiful home that you just bought and rarely stay in. You deserve it. You’re a homeowner.”

“I know I’m a homeowner. It still feels weird.”

I had been an apartment renter for longer than I had planned. But I had loved living with Phoebe, and we both owned our own businesses, which meant there wasn’t always enough money for things like a mortgage. But the perfect little cottage had fallen into my lap—probably thanks to the Montgomerys—and I couldn’t walk away from it.

So now I was a homeowner of a home I rarely stayed in.

Because I lived there alone.

And I didn’t want to live alone all the time.

However, I pushed those thoughts from my mind,and knew that Trix was right because the longer I let myself stand here while she stared at me, worried for me, the more she would worry.

And there were only so many times I could lie to everyone’s faces and tell them that I was fine when I clearly wasn’t.

“You know what, you’re right. I’m going to go home, heat up one of the many leftover meals I have in the freezer, and put my feet up.”

“You know what? I believe some of that, but I have a feeling you’ll only put your feet up so you can put your laptop on your lap and actually get some work done.”

“Potato Potato,” I said, saying the words with the same pronunciation, as she rolled her eyes at me, and I left her to do a quick look around before being forcibly pushed into my car by two of the team members. They did it with laughter in their eyes and didn’t actually touch me for which I was grateful, but I knew when I had lost all ability to make my own choices.

I was defeated and had to get work done.

Darn it.

I was an event planner. I not only planned birthday parties like this extravagant affair that I put nearly too many working hours in to execute, I planned weddings, retirement parties, anniversaries, reunions, and just parties for the sake of parties. In a world where sometimes there didn’t seem to be any light, or where weforgot to celebrate the little wins because the goalpost of the big wins kept moving further and further, my job was to celebrate those moments. Yes, I was a party planner, but I wasn’t all Party City with fake pointy hats and balloons. I strived to be elegant, or down-home, ideally with whatever budget somebody needed.

I had a business degree, and countless contacts. One of my friends from college had gone straight into wedding planning, and only did that. And you could have a fulfilling and very full career in my business doing just that. But as someone who had maintained a crush for far too long without any reciprocated feelings, looking into happy ever afters every day probably wasn’t good for my health. So I planned all parties.

Including divorce parties, funerals, and breakup girl-time parties.

Those weren’t celebrations in some cases—no, those were moments in time when you needed your circle to remind you that you were okay.

I pulled into my driveway and looked at the small cottage that was just mine and smiled. It was my home. Just mine. And nobody could take that away from me.

A shiver slid down my back, but I ignored it. Nobody was watching me; nobody cared what I was doing. Nobody noticed me. And that was all for the best. I wasn’t the one in trouble, nor was I the one in pain anymore.

Just as I was closing the garage door, still inside my car, I noticed headlights. My pulse raced, and I gripped my steering wheel, that flight response hitting hard, until I realized who was behind the wheel. Phoebe waved before the garage closed fully, and I realized that Trix must have called her.

Because of course she would have.

I wasn’t sure I would have even contacted Phoebe at all without her reaching out first.

What kind of friend did that make me?

I let out a breath and knew that tonight would be good for me, even if I wasn’t quite sure I believed it myself. As soon as I got inside, there was a knock at the door, and I went to it, and undid the two deadbolts and the safety chain. You could never be too safe. I also tapped the security panel that Kane and the Montgomerys had installed at the cottage for me. They were the top firms in the business, and I had done my best not to feel poorly for running away and looking busy with work when Kane had been in the house to help set it up.

He was always checking on me like I was his kid sister. Even though I had never thought of him in a brotherly way. No…it was another Montgomery that plagued my mind forfardifferent reasons.

I opened the door, and it wasn’t just Phoebe there, but Aria as well.

A true smile slid over my face, and I stepped back as they walked inside. I quickly closed the door behind them, locking it quickly and setting the alarm again. I tried to be as casual as possible, but I knew they saw. They always did.

But they didn’t say anything or give each other sly looks. After all, Aria had worked with Montgomery Security before she had moved to work on her true passion, and Phoebe had been in the same room as I had, both of us screaming for help. I knew she and Kane had just as many locks.

“So let me guess, either you’ve tracked me with some form of GPS I’m unaware that I have on my person, or Trix called you?”

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