Page 176 of Lush

“Come on,” he said, pulling me gently to my feet. “Let’s get you home. You need to rest.”

He took my hand, and I let him lead me out of the café, which my sisters and Noelle didn’t even notice in their heated debate. The salty air from the ocean, just a few blocks away, teased the breeze as we walked toward his car.

Reese’s arms wrapped around me, and when we reached his sleek, dark car parked at the curb, he paused and turned to face me.

“You couldn’t keep it a secret for a few more weeks?”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself.”

I rolled my eyes, but he grabbed me by my shirt, pulling me flush with him.

“I love you,” he murmured, his voice low and full of something raw, something real.

His hands gently cupping my face as he guided me into his arms. His lips were warm, soft, but urgent against mine.

I loved this man with every inch of me.

“You and me,” he whispered, his voice full of promise. “Our next adventure.”

“Together,” I murmured, feeling the truth of it settle deep in my bones. “Our next adventure.”

Serena

I reached for my drink, fingers cool against the glass, and glanced back at the table.

Gigi was animated, as usual, her voice a high pitch that barely registered in my mind. Noelle was nodding along, both already deciding baby shower themes for Laurene.

But my thoughts…well, my thoughts were far from this brunch.

The pressure from King’s Developments was overwhelming. It fucking hurt to admit that. I didn’t fail. I never failed. That wasn’t what a King did—and I wouldn’t start now.

My mind swirled with numbers, strategies, and risks. I could hear Mama’s voice in the back of my mind, sharp and commanding, reminding me that success came at a price, that there was no room for weakness, no room for anything butperfection.

And somehow, despite all the years of trying to break free from her shadow, I was still that little soldier my siblings thought I was.

I hated it.

I hated that I was always the one holding it all together, the one who had to shoulder the burden of it all while the others went off and did their own thing, blissfully unaware.

But me? No one asked if I was okay. I was the one who kept everything in line.

And damn it, I was tired.

Even now, I could feel the anxiety twisting in my gut, the fear that it was all unraveling faster than I could control.

And then he walked into my line of sight.

Miles Whitmore.

It was like the universe was laughing at me, testing how much longer I could hold on before I fucking snapped.

I averted my gaze before I slowly glanced back over, watching him as he swaggered across the patio. My pulse quickened despite myself, my chest tightening. We had a history, one I couldn’t escape, no matter how many years had passed. No matter how much I told myself I was over it.

I took a slow sip from my glass, forcing my eyes to stay down, to focus on the foam in my drink. I didn’t need to look at him. Not now. Not ever.

But damn it, I wanted to.

I wanted to tell him that it never got better, that my feelings for him never truly went away, that I could never let go. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him how I resented everything that happened between us, how much I hated him for making me feel like I couldn’t move forward without him.

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