But part of him wondered if his silence had opened the door for someone else. Someone with cruel hands and a twisted sense of love. Someone who didn’t give a damn about her the way Jake did.
If I’d just tried harder back then…
He let out a harsh breath and gripped the edge of the sink until his knuckles went white.
This was his fault.
Somehow, it all felt like his fault.
And now, here she was. Back in his life, half-broken and guarded as hell, pretending nothing was wrong while the evidence screamed otherwise.
Jake didn’t know exactly what she needed.
But he knew whatheneeded.
A name. Just one.
He’d take care of the rest. Well, technically, he’d call in a favor from a less-than-reputable…acquaintancewho still owed him. It seemed like now was the perfect time to cash in on the favor.
Jake knew he had no claim on her anymore. He’d lost it years ago when he sent her running to Hollywood. It was the biggest regret of his entire life when he found out Gia had left before he could apologize for acting like an idiot. But it seemed he might have a second chance to redeem himself. To follow through on the promises he’d made to Thao when they were adolescent boys.
Jake still recalled that summer afternoon as if it had happened yesterday.
18 YEARS OLD
He had been baking on the beach of Willowbrook Cove while Thao and Gia were wrestling in the shallow water. The fading sun over the horizon illuminated the blue sky with majestic hues of orange and red. Summertime in Willowbrook was picturesque, but it was the young woman laughing and splashing at her twin brother who held all of his attention. Despite his best efforts to ignore his growing attraction to her, Jake couldn’t help the wild fantasies, as they’d become more and more pervasive in recent years.
Gia was beautiful, with long dark hair flowing down her tan back and high cheekbones flushed with color. While her pouty pink lips made him wonder what they would feel like beneath his, it was her light brown eyes sparkling with laughter and mischief that captivated him.
Jake watched Gia wade deeper into the water as Thao strode up to where he was lying. With a plop, Thao settled in beside him. He hoped Thao couldn’t tell where he was looking with his sunglasses on.
“I can’t believe we survived high school.” Thao chuckled and leaned back, arms braced against the sand.
Jake only scoffed in response. They both knew Jake had been responsible for helping the twins graduate. Because Jake wanted to become a lawyer, he had a single-minded goal of earning the highest grades. He needed a full scholarship to attend college. Though he played football, he knew his skill sets were mediocre at best.
He’d worked his butt off and applied to any school that might take him. Local universities were the most reasonable choices, though he also sent out applications to Ivy League schools on the slim chance they would accept a nobody like himself. Harvard Law School would be a dream, but with its low acceptance rates and high tuition, it was hardly a reasonable choice. Still, he applied.
After all, you miss all the shots you don’t take. Or however the saying went.
“Have you decided where you’re going yet?” Thao turned to look at Jake. His dark eyes assessed Jake as he sat up, bringing his knees to his chest and resting his arms across them. Jake tried to appear unbothered by the line of questioning. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous, only that he was.
“Nah, not really. You?”
The heat of Thao’s stare on the side of his face made him want to squirm. It was a lie. He knew where he wanted to go, but the logistics were difficult.
“Yeah, I got accepted into Bramblewood University.” Thao readjusted and mimicked Jake’s posture so they were sitting side by side. “It’s perfect, you know? I’ll be close to home and still be able to help at the restaurant.”
Jake kept his mouth shut as Thao worked through his thoughts. He’d known going to college had never really been a dream of Thao’s, but one his parents had for him.
“Mom wants me to be a doctor.”
Jake nodded. He knew all about what Thao’s parents wanted from their only son. Unfortunately, it didn’t align with Thao’s own ambition to be an artist, which was “impractical.”
“Maybe you can be both a doctor and an artist,” Jake offered, though he knew how Thao felt about the whole idea.
“Nah, man, it was just a dream anyway, you know? I’m not meant to be a starving artist. I mean, look at me!” Thao gestured mockingly at himself. He leaned toward the heavier side, while Gia was rail-thin. Jake suspected her poor eating habits and her fixation with celebrities contributed to her obsessive behavior. It worried Jake, but he’d kept his concerns to himself.
“Besides, someone has to keep an eye out for Gia with you going to Harvard and whatnot.” Thao punched Jake on the shoulder.
