Page 2 of Unless It's You
Stella and Ben broke up six months ago, after dating for a year. A whole damn year where I’d tried to avoid being around them. Why? Because of that one night, days before they got together.
It wasn’t sex, but it was more intense than a simple one-night stand. We met at the birthday drinks of our mutual friend, Gemma, who Ben and I went to university with. Stella and I immediately clicked. We laughed and talked and played the people-watching game out loud that she’d been playing in her head for years—the Unless Game. We were watching Gemma take a second shot with a bloke at the bar, and when I mentioned it looked like they were getting along, she said something like,Unless he makes the mistake of mentioning he doesn’t like Taylor Swift. And I said something like,Unless he doesn’t appreciate she needs a full week of birthday celebrations. We both cackled and kept it going.
For some reason, I’d let myself relax with her. She was gorgeous, with shoulder-length blond hair and eyes as dark blue as a midnight sky, and wore tight skinny jeans and a form-fitting black tank top. And when I kissed her later that night, it was more than a random hookup.
My mobile vibrates in the pocket of my athletic shorts, startling me. I pull it out and check out the incoming call.
It’s Ben, like the universe reminding me to keep my thoughts in line.
“Hello,” I answer the call, keeping an eye on the boys.
“Alright, mate?”
“Yeah. Coaching right now.”
“I won’t keep you long. Just one question.”
“Go on.”
“Am I the only one severely suffering without rugby and football on the telly?”
I chuckle. “No, you’re not. The offseason is brutal.”
“I’m going to buy us tickets to the cricket at Lord’s.”
“Christ, we’re desperate enough to watch cricket?”
“We might be, mate. We just might be.”
Ben’s always watching out for me, and since Mum died, he’s checked in a lot more frequently. He and his parents were my only support and stability growing up. It’s nodifferent now.
I should tell him about seeing Stella tomorrow, but the words get stuck in my throat. It’s not the time—I’m in the middle of practice. We end the call and I turn my attention back to the rugby drills, again lost in thoughts of Stella.
When we kissed back then, I’d been spending some time with Helen, my ex. But we weren’t together, and right then, I’d decided I wouldn’t get back with her. Being with someone like Stella... that was who I needed.
At least, that was what I thought at the time.
It shattered me when I found out Ben asked her out days after that night at Gemma’ssecondbirthday celebration of the week, the one I was late to. Stella said yes. And then they dated. For ayear.
“Boys, that’s great. Bring it in. Hey, toss me the ball.” Leo sends an excellent spinning ball in my direction, and I easily catch it. “Let’s recap today’s practice, then I’ll see you next week, alright?”
And now, I have to face Stella at the Pepper Me Marketing offices.Tomorrow. I wonder if she’s as freaked out about the meeting as I am. Probably not. But I hope she’s at least losing a bit of sleep over it.
But I’ll get through it.Thisis important. Rugby. Sporting London. Helping these kids. I have to be able to handle facing Stella Hart.
2
STELLA
Friday, July 5
This meeting could’ve been a video call.
I should be napping off my jet lag from the overnight Newark-to-London flight in my flat, not struggling to function at my desk in the open-concept floor plan of Pepper Me Marketing, where I’ve worked for the last five years as advertising account director. After graduating from Rutgers and working in New York City for four years, I moved to London, earning my MBA before starting at Pepper Me.
I love London, but even though I try to get home at least twice a year to visit my family, it never feels like enough.
Especially after a funeral.
