Page 25 of American Beauty

Oh, I’ve claimed her in a proper manner. Trust me. “You two behave. Mostly.”

“We’ll try,” Magnolia says, her voice warm with laughter.

“Love you, favorite.”

“Love you too, big guy.”

I set the phone down, a stupid grin tugging at my mouth. She’s halfway across the world, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t need proximity to know she’s mine.

Chapter 7

Magnolia Steel

The last halfhour of work before quitting time always seems like a crawl, but not today. I’m buzzing with so much energy I can barely sit still.

I’ve just left a meeting with Gabby, Sophie, and Whitney—one that confirmed what we’d all been sensing. The Aussie team is struggling.

Soul Sync Australia had a rough week. Matches fell apart. Feedback was brutal. And Gabby, never one to let a problem fester, decided that we’re not sitting on this. She’s sending part of our core team back to Sydney to stabilize things before the situation gets any worse.

Back to Sydney.

Back to Alex.

The thought alone makes my heart stutter. I can barely focus, already counting the minutes until I can call and tell him. We’ll soon be on the same side of the world again—and this time, nothing is pulling me away.

Shoving back from my desk, I grab my phone as I hurry toward Violet’s office. She looks up as I push the door open without knocking, raising a brow at my not-so-subtle entrance.

“Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure of Hurricane Magnolia blowing through my door?”

I drop into the chair across from her, unable to sit still. “Gabby’s going to send us back to Sydney. Australia is floundering.”

Realization dawns across her face, her lips parting. “No way.”

“Yes.”

She lets out a breath, leaning back in her chair. “Wow, Mags. That’s––” She shakes her head, forcing a smile. “That’s great. I mean, it sucks for me because I’ll have to live without you again, but––”

“You’ll survive,” I say, snapping a rubber band at her arm, wearing a wicked grin.

“Oww.” She picks up the rubber band from her lap and tosses it back into the holder like she’s filing it away for future revenge.

We sit in the moment, the excitement buzzing between us. Violet is less than thrilled about my return to Sydney, but she understands it. She knows how much this means to me.

I pull out my phone, my fingers already flying over the keyboard to message Alex.

I have good news! Call me the minute you get this text.

I hit send, my stomach flipping with anticipation. Violet watches me with a smug little smile. “You told me first, right? I’m your emotional-support best friend. There’s a hierarchy here and I’m on top.”

I laugh. “Straight up. You’re the first to know.”

She leans back in her chair, satisfied. “Good. Because if you’d told your boyfriend first, I would require flowers, chocolates, and an apology written in calligraphy.”

I roll my eyes. “God, you’re so dramatic.”

She shrugs. “What can I say? I have standards.”

I glance down at my phone. The message delivered, but no response yet.

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