Page 18 of Deal Breaker
“And you never moved on,” he says.
“You don’t know that,” I reply sharply.
“I know you,” he says. “I know the way you haven’t let anyone in since her. Not really.”
There’s an ache forming behind my eyes. I hate how right he is. I’ve dated, sure. Nothing worth remembering. Just enough to remind myself that I was still wanted. But none of them lasted more than a few months. I was too tired, too busy, too focused on building Cove. At least that’s what I told myself. The truth is much simpler: none of them were her.
“You gonna talk to her?” he asks.
“I already did,” I mutter. “Told her she works under Jesse. There’s nothing more to say.”
He raises a brow. “You think keeping your distance is going to help?”
“I think it’s the only way I survive this without losing my mind.”
He’s quiet again. Then, “You ever think maybe this is your shot to finally get answers?”
My chest goes tight. “Not sure I want them anymore.”
Noah leans his elbows on the bar. “Liar.”
I don’t argue. Just look out at the crowd, scanning for a glimpse of her like some damn addict. “It still hurts,” I admit.
“Then it’s not over.”
After Landyn left, when it became clear to me the she wasn’t coming back, I refused to allow myself the luxury of wandering down memory lane. I forced myself to close the door on that chapter of my life, to close the door on her the same way she slammed it shut on me. But there’s one night I’ve never been able to stop thinking about, no matter how many years stack on top of the memories. A storm had rolled in knocking out power and Landyn and I were curled up on the couch in my apartment waiting for the worst to pass. I lit every candle I could find just so I could keep looking at her. Her head was propped in her hand as shewatched the lightning flash across the sky, and I remember thinking…this is it. This is what everything’s supposed to feel like. “You know we’re going to be one of those annoying couples, right?” I said. “The ones everyone hates because they’re too happy.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “You’re already annoying, so we’re halfway there.”
I kissed her just to shut her up. Slow, Certain. Like I knew exactly what I had in my hands.
And I did. I knew it then. I just didn’t know how fast I could lose it.
I clap Noah on the shoulder and leave the bar, joining the crowd of Deep Cove’s most notable faces. I can’t hide out forever, as much as I might want to.
The ballroom is glowing,with strings of lights draped across exposed beams and clusters of candles on the tabletops. This gala is supposed to be the crown jewel of Cove’s year. A celebration of the community and the values our company is rooted in.
It’s a big night for us, and I should be proud. Instead, all I can think about is the way she looks in that dress. How she doesn’t belong here and yet somehow fits in effortlessly.
After dinner, I don’t let myself search the room for her again. I’ve done that too many times tonight already.
“Still brooding?” The voice comes from beside me, low and dry.
I turn to find my brother, Wes, standing beside me, drink in hand, expression unreadable. Typical. Always quiet until the moment he chooses not to be. Wes was the golden boyonce—valedictorian, star athlete, the one everyone thought would leave, blow the dust off this town and never look back. He did end up leaving, just not the way anyone expected. After the scandal, the moment his life changed forever, he took off to go to flight school and resurfaced a few years later. He flew commercial for a while but walked away from that too. Now he takes on charter jobs when he’s not off the grid and when he’s in town, he does some consulting work for Cove.
“Not brooding,” I mutter. “Observing.”
He huffs a short laugh. “You only call it that when you’re trying not to punch a hole through a wall.”
I give him a look. “Do you need something?”
He shrugs. “Just making sure you haven’t combusted. You look like you’re one forced smile away from setting the place on fire.”
I don’t answer. My silence is answer enough. Wes doesn’t press. He never does. But he steps closer, his voice dropping slightly. “So. She’s back. And she’s at Cove.”
I don’t look at him. “You heard.”
“You know Jesse, he couldn’t keep it to himself if he tried.”
