Page 31 of The Rich One

“Be true to who you are, River. Your ‘self’ is the only thing that belongs to only you.”

Oh how disappointed she would be if she knew who my “self” turned out to be.

I wipe a stray tear from my cheek using my sleeve before it has time to fall onto the paper and sniff away my memories. Today is about new beginnings, about taking stock and planning for the new year.

Today is about celebrating life and everything it has offered during the plentiful months before the proverbial hibernation season begins.

“Having fun, Rose?” I jump so high, my thigh slams into the table and I curse at the sudden pain.

“What the fuck, Kai?” I place a palm on my battering heart and give him a look that could cut off his balls. He’s used to it though and it doesn’t even faze him. “And don’t call me that.” This time I whisper-yell, glancing over to a blissfully unaware Petal, who’s placing her apple slices around and around with a satisfied grin on her pretty face.

“Why not? Are you ashamed of your boyfriend?” He says that last word like it personally offends him.

“Shut up, it’s not like that.” I rub at my leg, trying to ease the inevitable bruise that will be there tonight.

“Page Six begs to differ.” He leans in and whispers in my ear, the hurt so clear it jabs a dagger straight to my heart. “Wedding bells are in the air.” Then he’s gone and I struggle to get breath into my lungs.

“Hey, Sis! Shit, that looks freaking fantastic.” I look over at Everest as he languidly makes his way to me, a quick kiss on my cheek that tells me he’s been generous with the reefer already.

“You smell like weed,” I mutter, playfully pushing him away. I’ll dab in the occasional joint but I stopped smoking daily the day after my parents died. Unfortunately, it was around that time that Everest really started. I mean, my parents smoked on the regular, even grew their own organic plants, so how hypocritical would it have been of me to try and stop him? I wish they’d seen the day the first legal cannabis store had opened their doors.

They died four days before the official legalization of marijuana in Denver. Four fucking days.

“That I do, big sister, that I do.” When his eyes land on his wife, his grin grows even wider and his steps get a little quicker as he makes his way to her and wraps his big arms around her tiny frame. I watch, like a fucking voyeur, as they whisper sweet things to each other, their bubble so firmly in place it’s almost disgusting.

With a sigh, I turn back to my task and from the corner of my eye, I see Kai tilting a bottle of beer to his lips.

“It’s only ten in the morning.” I don’t actually care, but fuck I love his voice.

“Celebrating our stand being sold out. Those apples were a huge success.” His eyes bore into me, staring at me like he’s trying to figure me out.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” My fists punch into my jean-clad hips and I cock my head like a petulant child.

“No reason, really.” He takes another sip, his eyes still on me. “Just trying to figure out when you sold out to the big man.” Oh, this again.

“I didn’t sell out, Kai. Fuck, let it go, okay? I’m allowed to date whoever the fuck I want.” The lie feels like acid on my tongue.

“Hey, Ev. Did you know,”—that fucker is going to ruin Harvest Moon—“River, here, is going to golf charities and big uppity galas with none other than Tyler fucking Walker.” He’s talking to my brother, but he’s looking straight at me with a challenge glinting in his eyes, daring me to deny it. Pushing me to fight him on this. Hewantsto be wrong.

“No, that’s not possible.” Petal’s confused voice doesn’t break the silent fight Kai and I are having. “She’s in lo—” My sister-in-law’s comment is cut short by a voice I haven’t heard in months. Thank fuck for that because if she had said what I think she would have said, I was walking out of here.

“Hey everyone! Sorry I’m late, but I had to drop by work to get my boss lady to sign a few things. Am I interrupting something?” I look over to the new addition to our party, and my blood runs cold.

Well, maybe I will be leaving after all.

“No, not at all. We were just discussing River’s new beau.” I don’t miss the shutters in his gaze—the usually-open windows to his soul suddenly closed off—as he comes closer to me, places his empty beer bottle in the recycling bin next to me, then walks off with Freya Murphy.

Kai’s ex-girlfriend.

My ex-best friend.

Our old commune family member.

Squaring my shoulders and raising my chin, I vow not to let her presence ruin my Harvest Moon.

CHAPTERELEVEN

By this time in our lives, setting up for the festivities is basically second nature. I decide to be an adult about this love triangle situation and suck it up. After all, it would be out of character for me to ignore Freya since no one—not a single other soul except myself—knows what I saw, when I saw it, and the fact that Freya—my best friend at the time—was well aware of my intentions of declaring my feelings to Kai.

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