Page 178 of The Temporary Fiancée
I shrug. “It’s been hard. Reed is still paying for my mom’s treatment, even though it’s over, so at least I don’t have to worry about that.”
“That’s good of him,” says Riley.
“Yeah, it is. It means a lot to me.”
The waitress comes by to take our drink orders, and when she leaves, Riley says, “You’ve been keeping yourself busy, right?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Trying to focus on building my business. I still have dreams, even if I don’t have the energy for them right now. I want to make sure there’s something there for me when I’m ready for it.”
Privately, I think that my faith in my business is really the remnants of my relationship with Reed—the last thing I’ve kept from him, after I returned the ring. His belief in me.
Riley lays her hand on my forearm, giving me a comforting squeeze. “Hey, I’m proud of you.”
“You should keep at it,” Sophie adds, smiling. “This is a huge thing you’re doing, starting your own business.”
“Yeah.” I feel a small flare of confidence at their encouragement. “Thanks. I hope it goes well.”
“It will!” Riley exclaims.
The conversation eventually moves on to lighter topics, and I drink slowly, not wanting to feel the buzz of alcohol. Eventually,we part ways. Sophie and Riley’s drivers show up to take them home, and I have to walk down the street in the cold, headed for the nearest subway station.
As I descend into the metro, a newsstand catches my eye. It’s full of gossip rags, the kind with huge, splashy titles that I couldn’t help but look at for the past six months.
Reed’s picture is on a couple of the covers. I stand still for a few moments, taking in the headline.
REED EASTWOOD: BACK ON THE MARKET!
I take a shuddering breath, fighting the tears that threaten to fall, and turn on my heel to catch my train to Queens.
Reed
When Shane arrivesat The Luxe on a Wednesday afternoon in mid-January, I’m hard at work at the dining room table. Since New Year’s, I’ve been putting something together, and I’ve done most of my work out here rather than shut away in my office.
Since Olivia left, the apartment has felt empty. Being locked away in the office makes me feel more alone.
I hear the elevator door and look up to see my brother in the foyer, looking at me with a quizzical frown. Quickly, I stand up, nodding to him.
“Thanks for coming over,” I say. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Sure.” Shane wanders in and settles on my couch. The two of us have been closer lately, and he’s started to feel more comfortable in my home. “Though I’m still not sure why you called me.”
I invited Shane over around an hour ago. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks laying the groundwork for this plan, and it’s finally ready for him to hear.
“What’s your poison?”
“What do you have?”
“How about a brandy?” I offer. “I’ve got a nice one.”
“Sounds great.” Shane’s gaze falls to the couch cushions beside him, and the half-formed, messy knitting project that rests there. He glances back up at me, one eyebrow raised. “You’ve been busy.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” I pour the brandy into a glass and hand it to Shane, who accepts it with a nod of thanks. “I’ve been working on more than just a blanket, actually.”
“Since when do you knit?” Shane leans back on the couch, swirling the brandy.
I just roll my eyes; I’m not taking the bait. He’s just looking to get a jibe in. Instead, I say, “Listen, I actually invited you over because I have a proposition for you.”
Shane sits upright, the glimmer of humor fading from his eyes. He knows me well enough to tell I’m serious. “You do, do you?”
