“But?”
“But she’s been hurt.Badly.And I’m not exactly relationship material, Meg.We both know that.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
“Is it?”I lean my head back, staring at the ceiling.“Name one relationship I’ve had that’s actually lasted.”
“You never wanted them to last.This is different.”
“Maybe.”I close my eyes.“Or maybe I’m just setting myself up for disaster.She’s going to realize she doesn’t need me anymore now that her ex is handled.She’ll go back to her normal life and I’ll be…”
“Heartbroken?”
The word sits heavy in the air.“Yeah.”
Megan’s quiet for a moment.Then she says, “So tell her.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?”I drawl, sarcastically.“Gee, Megan, you’re filled with great ideas.”
“Fine, don’t tell her,” my sister retorts.“I’ve met Eve.She doesn’t have that high of an opinion of you, so maybe she’s not coming around.You want her?Then you’ll have to be the one to put in the effort.”
“She doesn’t hate me,” I mutter.“We just didn’t get along that well?—”
“Caleb.”My sister’s voice turns amused.“Let me tell you something.Men aren’t the only ones who can sleep with someone without feelings.If you think that Eve must like you because you two have slept together, you’re an idiot.In her eyes, you were probably an easy lay.”
I straighten up, insulted.“Hey!What’s that supposed to mean?I’m not an idiot!”
“Really?”Megan drawls.“Then why’re you acting like one?Man up and tell her you like her.Otherwise, don’t come crying to me when some other guy comes around and says and does all the right things, and the two of them go prancing into the sunset together.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it in disbelief.“I don’t even know why I talk to you, Megan!”
“Boohoo.”I hear her faint voice before I press the phone to my ear to hear her add, “What’s the worst that can happen?She’ll reject you?”My heart sinks at her words.
“I’m telling Ethan to pick you up,” I say abruptly.
“Wait—” I end the call before Megan can say anything, my own thoughts distracted.
I won’t let Eve reject me.There’s no way.I never do anything half-assed.All I have to do is convince her that there is no one better for her than me.We may not have liked each other in the beginning, but things have changed.
A slow smile curves my lips.How hard can it be to win over Eve’s heart?She’s stubborn, but then so am I.
“We’re early.”Caleb checks his watch as we walk along the North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place, where a Serastra model is moored.The spring sun glints off the Hudson River, making me squint as we pass the lineup of luxury yachts bobbing gently in their slips.The Manhattan skyline rises behind us, glass buildings catching the morning light.
“You were the one who insisted we come check everything before meeting the decorator,” I remind him, adjusting my sunglasses.My hands brush against the gold hoops with diamond drops that Caleb gave me a week ago.The gift he had been planning to give at the restaurant the day Luis...
I shake my head, not wanting to dwell on the events of two weeks ago.The launch is in a few weeks, and Caleb wanted to see the decoration progress first-hand—so here we are.The polished teak of the dock gleams beneath our feet, and the salt-tinged breeze ruffles my hair.
He flashes me that smile, the one that makes my stomach flip and my pulse quicken.“I wanted to make sure we have time to fix anything that needs fixing.”
“Nothing’s going to need fixing, and even if it does, it’s the first week of April.The launch isn’t until May.We have time.”I hope I sound more confident than I feel.This yacht launch is important.Our biggest event of the quarter.The Serastra 70 stands out even among the other luxury vessels, its classic lines and gleaming hull representing millions in potential sales.
“Still.”He glances at his watch again.“The decorator won’t be here for another hour.Want to grab coffee?There’s a place two blocks over.Come on,” he says, and his hand finds the small of my back, guiding me away from the marina.The touch sends warmth spreading through me.“You know you want your caffeine fix.”
He’s not wrong.
The coffee shop is one of those trendy Battery Park City establishments with exposed brick and Edison bulbs, the kind that charges fifteen dollars for a latte and makes you feel like you’re part of some exclusive club.It’s warm inside, the smell of roasted beans and cinnamon wrapping around us like a blanket.
“By the way,” Caleb says as we step into line, "Ethan and Natalie found a kitten."
