Page 1 of Where We Belong

Prologue

Cory

Have you ever been in love?

I mean the kind of all-consuming love where you’ll surrender everything to that person. They become your entire existence—your air, your heartbeat, and the only person you want to spend your days with.

They say true love comes once in a lifetime.

For me, that was Benedict Farrow.

But to him, I’m like the little sister he never had—one of the boys and forever his best friend’s sister. I laughed at his jokes, joined in with him and my brothers when they were doing something fun, and sometimes, I even stood beside Ben during the worst times of his life.

In his eyes, I was forever tethered to be his friend, a tag that imprisoned me in a realm of unrequited longing. It was a relentless torture of unspoken words and silent glances. I yearned to tell him how I felt, to confess the depths of my love, but the fear of rejection paralyzed me.

Ben has always been protective of me but in a sibling kind of way.

Despite this, the Christmas he gave me part ownership of Paradise Bay Inn, so we could build a hotel together ignited a spark of hope in me. Perhaps, just maybe, we could become something more.

Today.

Well, today, everything came crashing down around me when my sister Fern called and said, “Ben just had a baby girl.”

And what about me? Us?

My heart crumbles like a fragile porcelain figurine, each shard tearing at my soul. It feels like the world drops out from under me. My stomach twists in knots and bile rises in my throat. I stagger back against the wall, Fern’s words echoing in my head.

Tears blur my vision, and I clutch my chest as an agonizing heartbreak sets in. The man I’ve loved for so long, my Ben, is having a child with another woman.

I want to let out an anguished scream, to yell and rage at how unfair this is. But the energy drains right out of me, and I find myself sliding slowly down the wall until I’m huddled on the floor. I draw my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them tightly as if trying to hold myself together. Uncontrollable sobs shake through me in waves and tears stream down my cheeks. I bury my face against my knees, muffling the cries escaping my lips.

My whole-body trembles with the force of my weeping. Curled up small, I look like a child overcome with despair and not the independent woman I’m known to be. I feel powerless in this moment, unable to do anything but give in to the overwhelming heartbreak spilling out of me.

The fragile dream I held of Ben and I having a future together disappears slowly with every tear spilled. It takes a long time to calm down from the gut-wrenching sobs shaking through me. Once my breathing steadies, and I can trust my voice to sound normal, I call Fern.

“Sorry about that, had to take a call,” I say, trying hard to mask the raw ache in my tone. “So, you were saying Ben got some one-night stand pregnant?”

“I said he had a daughter. You’re the one who said it must’ve been a one-night stand.” Fern lets out an exasperated breath, no doubt rolling her eyes. “The point is that there’s a new baby, and I think you should call him, so he knows we all support him in this.”

But I don’t support him. I’m heartbroken—who’s going to be there for me while I, once again, try to piece together my broken heart. Unrequited love sucks out your soul and makes you feel alone. Of course, I can’t say any of that to my sister. I think I’ve done a great job at letting everyone believe Ben is just a family friend and not the love of my life.

Like any other time, my sister requests something, I simply say, “Sure,” my voice hollow.

“Everything okay with you?” she probes gently, clearly sensing my anguish. “It’s Atzi, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I sort of lie, my voice barely audible.

She’s not entirely wrong, but not entirely right either. Atzi, one of my closest friends, stopped talking to me after she had a falling out with my brother, Heath. And just now, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is all Heathcliff’s fault. Fuck him for introducing me to my best friend and the love of my life.

My stupid brother ruined his relationship with Atzi, and she’s no longer speaking to me. As for Ben… oh, I’m hopelessly and madly in love with him, and I’m left wondering what on earth I should do now.

“Heath will come around soon. He adores Atzi, there’s no way he’ll just let her slip through the cracks and lose her,” Fern says, her voice brimming with assurance. “Give her space, okay?”

“I hope you’re right,” I mutter softly, closing my eyes and wanting to erase this horrible day from existence. “Say hi to the twins for me.”

With that, I end the call and stare blankly at my phone, trying to gather strength to reach out to Benedict. When I dial his number, my call goes straight to voicemail. I don’t bother leaving a message. Instead, I send a quick text: I heard you’re a father. Know that the family is there for you.

Hours crawl by in silence before he responds with one word: Sorry.

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