Wilder chuckles. “You would think she would’ve gotten used to it at some point, but she never did.”
I tie my hair up in a knot, keeping it out of the murky water. “I remember that one time when Pops caught Jaxy out here with some girl.”
“That wasn’t me, asshole,” Jax says. “That was Wilder and Jess.”
A crooked grin breaks across Wilder’s face as he dips his toes in the water. “She coerced me into skinny dipping. I was just along for the ride. Would’ve followed her anywhere.”
It’s getting easier to talk about Jess these days. Wilder finally accepted that her death was an accident, letting go of the guilt that had tormented him for years. They say time heals, but I don’t think that’s the case. Time dulls the pain and makes it easier to look back on the memories with fondness.
Without Jess, there’d be no Angelina. I tried to keep my distance, but that time has passed. She can burn those annulmentpapers in the same pit where she burned her wedding dress, and I’ll gladly strike the match.
Angelina
It was just my parents and me growing up. I had a few cousins scattered around the country, but we weren’t close. All this to say, the Hayes group chat is new territory for me. But the opportunity to spend time with Callie and Olivia without the guys around was too enticing to pass up.
When I pull up to Olivia’s place, I park next to a familiar pink ride-on Jeep that belongs to Emmy. It’s lined up with the other vehicles in the driveway, and I just know she insisted it belonged there. She’s headstrong like her mom was.
I’m just about to knock on the front door when it swings open, and Olivia comes into view. Smoke billows out of the house as a shrill alarm blares inside.
“Hi, Ange.” She steps onto the porch, and Callie comes out behind her. “Accidentally burned the macarons. It’ll stop soon. We can hang out here for now.”
Callie gags as she sinks onto one of the rocking chairs. “That smell is horrid.”
“It’s notthatbad. It’s probably just the pregnancy talking,” Olivia says, taking a seat on the top step. “Shit. I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”
A familiar pang resounds in my chest. I manage to plaster on a smile, but it’s forced. “You’re pregnant?”
Callie’s nose crinkles, and she nods. “It’s still early. We haven’t told anyone yet. Big mouth over here just figured it out.”
Olivia grimaces. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. We were going to announce it at family dinner on Sunday anyway.”
“Congratulations.” Bile rises from the pit of my stomach,but I swallow it down, hoping they don’t sense my discomfort.
I should be happy for Callie, but it’s a bitter reminder of what I’ll never have. I’m just Auntie Lina now.
It’s fine.I’mfine.
No matter how many times I tell myself that, it hasn’t gotten easier. I briefly considered finding a sperm donor, but it’s not just the baby I want; it’s the family that goes along with it. Growing up as an only child was lonely at times, through no fault of my parents—they were wonderful, present, and attentive—but I always planned to have more than one child so they would have a sibling to play with. Those plans are all but forgotten now.
The fire alarm stops, but nobody moves to head inside. Despite the acrid smell permeating the air, it’s a beautiful evening. The sun is just setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and yellow. The horses are grazing in the nearby pasture, and all of my favorite sounds can be heard for miles. I didn’t grow up on a ranch, but I’ve worked at enough of them to know nothing beats the peace that can be found out here.
“So… Griffin…” Olivia says with a smirk. “How did that happen?”
Now would be a great time for a margarita.
I sink onto the other rocking chair opposite Callie.
“Alcohol and a broken heart are a lethal combination,” I say, keeping it purposefully vague.
I can’t tell them I’ve been harboring feelings for the man for years, even though he ghosted me and I was engaged to marry his best friend. And I certainly can’t tell them I never stopped thinking about the things he promised me back then—those whispered words in my Colorado apartment when he said he’d never felt so connected to another person before.
It’s all in the past.
Olivia props her elbow on her knee, resting her chin in her hand. “Why Griffin?”
“I was sad. He was there.” The words pale in comparison to all we shared, but I haven’t wanted to dig deeper. I already know what I’ll find there. A part of me wanted it to be Griffin—wanted him above anyone else, maybe even above Tyler. As hard as I tried, I never got over the weekend we spent together. Somewhere in my subconscious, I held onto him.
