Page 54 of Brewing Up a Bad Boy

“What?”

“Different. I mean really different. I think I might have finally found some closure with our marriage,” Poppy said.

“Good. I hoped you would,” Sera said, leading her into the kitchen. “It’s not good carrying around the resentment you had toward him.”

Was it resentment? Poppy hadn’t realized until she’d talked to him that she’d been angrier at herself for not seeing the truth. She’d let herself change to please him. That behavior was hard to swallow because she always prided herself on her strength and sense of self. To accept how easily she’d thrown it over to make a man happy was a lot to take. Though she wouldn’t do it again.

Liberty and Sera would both give her a dousing of reality to bring her back to herself if that were ever the case.

“It was that. But also coming to terms that, at eighteen, I had no idea what I wanted for the rest of my life. Ali brought his A game, and I was all starry-eyed there for the romance, never really remembering that Prince Charming pretty much does nothing to save Cinderella. She does it all herself.”

“Are you Cinderella? I always pictured you as more Mulan, with the tea and the sword,” Sera said.

“I’m Meera,” Liberty said.

“No arguments. Sera’s definitely a Belle.”

Sera laughed. “I am. But back to Poppy. Why did you think you were Cinderella? Did your mom make you do all the cleaning?” she asked. “One of my foster moms was like that.”

“No. It was more a class difference. Like I was middle class, but I had a part-time job at uni and struggled to pay for everything, and meanwhile, he’d say, ‘Let’s take the jet to Vienna,’ like it was the most mundane thing in the world.”

“That would be fun and exciting,” Sera said. “I mean, I get the Cinderella thing because I’ve felt it a lot as well. Like I didn’t fit in until I moved here. At eighteen, I couldn’t have done this.”

“Me either. That’s what I meant. That girl was still figuring out every single thing. She had no business seeing a hot guy and thinking it would last forever.”

Which really didn’t help her at this moment. Ali was more likeable now that she’d gotten to know him. He was humble, funny and still so hot that all she had to do was think of him to get turned on.

Nope, not really helping.

George showed up the day after Poppy left, just as Alistair was packing to leave for the US. Poppy’s reminder not to move for her had changed him. It was one thing to believe strongly that they were meant to be together, but another to accept that this time, he might be the only one who was vibing with it.

“Why are you here?”

“Super friendly, I see. Where’s Poppy?”

“Back in the US. You knew she wasn’t staying,” Alistair reminded his brother. George didn’t know about the divorce. Like everyone else, he believed it was just an estrangement.

Oddly fitting word since Ali felt hella strange with her gone. His house seemed imbued with her magic. He found himself standing on the front porch the past few nights, right where they’d made out, just to feel closer to her.

“I did. Is that why you’re back to being an ass?” George asked, walking to the fridge and taking out two beers. He opened them both before handing one to Alistair.

“Did I ever stop?”

“Yeah, mate, you did,” George said. “I wanted to apologize for how I was at breakfast.”

“You did like seven times when you were drunk at the wedding.” Alistair couldn’t help his smile. His older brother had started to relax since marrying free-spirited Bronte, but seeing George drunk wasn’t something he’d been prepared for. Once his friends had left and George was in his cups he’d come over to himself and Poppy.

George turned into a dreamer when he drank. He’d regaled them with all of his plans for the company, told Bronte she was the most beautiful woman in the world and apologized to Poppy for not allowing her to own the meeting. Then when the girls went to dance to a Steps song, George slung his arm over Alistair’s shoulder and told him that he should do everything in the world to get Poppy back.

George’s words were still rattling around in his head.No man should live alone once he’s been in love.

“Yeah...glad Mum wasn’t there,” George said. “So we need you back in the office if I’m going to make my move on dad.”

“I’m not going back. You know that. I will back you at the next board meeting. Mum will too, but that’s it. Then I become the silent shareholder, and you continue to vote my shares.”

“Won’t Poppy object? She gets a say too,” George pointed out, taking a long swallow of his beer.

Well, fuuuck.“Yeah. I mean, I haven’t discussed it with her. But since she’s not moving back here, I think she’ll want to let things ride.”

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