Page 3 of (Un)Planned

As I shoved open the door to our apartment, I let out a little gasp. Pictures did not do this place justice. The entire back wall was made up of windows—the New York skyline was Devyn’s backyard. While I loved living upstate, there was magic in the city nowhere else in the world could replicate. Looking around Devyn’s home was almost eerie, a glimpse at what my life could have been if I had followed Winters family plan.

“Uggh.” A groan crashed through the front door a moment later. “How in the hell do you have this much clothing? There’s no way all of this was in the guest room closet.” Alex dropped the boxes in the entryway, joining me at the window. “Damn, Calla. This place is anupgrade.”

I elbowed her in the side. There was no comparing this apartment to her cozy cabin. It would be like comparing apples and a tsunami. While this place might look like it was plucked from the pages of a magazine, it held none of the comfort and warmth Alex’s place provided.

“Not an upgrade; just different,” I said. “Plus, we both know you’re going to need that guest room sooner rather than later.”

Alex blushed but didn’t refute my words. We both knew it was only a matter of time before Cole popped the question. He’d been dropping hints since the moment he moved to town to be with Alex permanently. He’d already promised I’d be the first one to know when it was time, wanting my help to make sure everything was perfect for Alex.

“You sure about this?” she asked, taking my hand in hers.

“Of course,” I lied, blinding her with my best smile. My emotions were bucking like a see-saw, rotating between excitement and fear. I really wished my sister was here to greet me. At least then, it wouldn’t feel like I was moving into a stranger’s place. However, with her being up for junior partner this year, Devyn was always at the office. She gave new meaning to the word workaholic. She claimed it would all be worth it soon, but that was yet to be seen.

I tried to imagine myself in her shoes, spending my entire day surrounded by paperwork, buried deep in the latest case files. I shuddered at the thought. I might not know what I wanted to do, but that was definitely not it.

As if she could read my apprehension, Alex linked her arms around my waist in a sideways hug. “Say the word, and I’ll be here.”

“Don’t you dare,” I chuckled, laying my head on top of hers. “You’ve got so many amazing things coming, Alex, and you deserve every one of them. I’m so proud of you.” I smirked down at her. “Plus, we both know you’re going to be too blissed out from all the orgasms to think about anything else.”

Alex rolled her eyes, but her cheeks heated at my words. I’d hate Alex if I didn’t love her so much. First, she got to date one of the hottest actors on the planet, even if it was all for show. Now, she was madly in love with a man obsessed with her.

I was happy for her. I really was.

But there was also a part of me that ached with jealousy. My entire life, I’d been obsessed with love stories, from the fictional to the real ones like my grandparents. The idea of being wholly loved by someone was all I wanted, but I had yet to find in real life. Instead, I buried myself in romance books, soaking up as many endorphins as I could get.

Don’t get me wrong—I wasn’t giving up, at least not yet. But I also refused to settle for anything less than the real thing. Unless it was that can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t live without them kind of love, it wouldn’t be worth it.

As if on cue, Cole walked through the front door, carrying all my heaviest boxes, the ones I’d marked pillows but filled with books just to mess with him. As he placed them next to the ones Alex dropped, he glared at me. “Not fucking cool, Winters. I’m sending you the bill for my chiropractor.”

“Hey, you owe me after last year.” I danced over toward the pile of boxes. “Who else could have pushed you to admit your feelings for Alex?”

Cole shook his head but didn’t argue. Last year, when Alex was fake dating his best friend, it was painfully apparent that Cole was falling for her. But being the most stubborn man on the planet, he refused to act upon it. After a disastrous double date between the four of us, I gave him a heavy dose of tough love, trying to make him see the error in his ways. He wised up shortly after that, and I took the credit for it.

Alex and I continued to move my things into the guest room over the next few hours, only taking breaks to explore the stark white apartment my sister called home. There were no pictures, no art, no sign of the Devyn I grew up with. She was always the loudest of our trio. Our eldest sister, Laurel, was the quiet and reserved one, Devyn was the outspoken wild-child, and I was the peacekeeper between the two. Growing up, Devyn was always covered in paint, chalk, or some other art medium. Now, her home was the place where color went to die.

I shouldn’t have been that surprised. Things had changed over time, especially when Devyn broke our pactand caved to our mother’s demands. She’d transformed, losing so much of that vibrancy I loved about her.

Once my room was almost unpacked and the flattened cardboard boxes lined the hallway, Alex chewed on her lower lip, staring at her phone before she glanced up at me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I hate the idea of leaving you alone here.”

“I promise it’s okay. Devyn should be here any minute.” That probably wasn’t true, but I wasn’t going to tell Alex that. “Cole has to be exhausted, and I know you two want to make the most of your night away. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Easier said than done,” Alex mumbled, wrapping me in a tight hug. “I hate that you’re not going to be there when I get home.”

“Me too.” I held her a little longer “But it’s only temporary. I’ll be back in a couple of months to help with the soft opening. Cole promised he’d send updates and photos of the Lodge. I can’t wait to see it when it’s ready for guests.”

I linked my arm with Alex’s, leading her to the living room. We could hear Cole’s snores before we even got into the room. He was sitting on the white leather sofa, his head propped up on the back cushions, his mouth hanging open. He was clearly exhausted after spending the entire day hauling boxes.

“I can never repay you guys for this,” I said, dropping my head to her shoulder. “If you need a kidney, I’m your girl.”

“Don’t even joke about that!” Alex shifted to the front of the couch. She leaned forward on Cole’s slumped shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to his nose. He stirred, opening one eye before beaming up at her.

“That’s the best way to wake up, sweetheart,” he teased, pulling her hand so she landed in his lap.

“And here I thought it was my mouth on your?—-”

“Do not finish that sentence.” I placed my hands over my ears. “This place is so clean, you’ll sully it with your nasty words.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Cole joked, standing up with Alex still in his arms. Once his feet were on the ground, he placed her at his side, but not before dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

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