Page 23 of Trust Fund Baby

Same sharp cheekbones, same ocean-blue eyes, same presence that hit like a sucker punch to the face.

I’d only hoped I would have had a second to breathe before I’d have to interact with her.

The alcohol at McGuire’s had masked my reaction to seeing her for the first time in years. But without it, the raw, physical impact was almost unbearable. It was a rush that made my head spin.

She stopped in the hallway like she’d seen a ghost.

“Roxie,” I blurted, the sound a little too loud in the sudden quiet. I used to love the way the word felt—smooth and familiar—as it rolled off my tongue. Now it was clumsy after years of never having the chance to use it.

Her voice came out clipped, cool. “Sebastian.”

It sounded completely different than it used to when she’d say it like a secret. Now it sounded like poison she was trying to spit out.

I wanted to say something casual. Funny maybe. Something to relieve the tension that had built up between us.

But nothing came out.

Part of me began to wonder if those emails we’d exchanged had all been a figment of my imagination. The lighthearted teasing, now subtly laced with barbs, was nowhere to be found in the room with us.

“So,” she said finally, arms crossed tight over her chest. “Work emergency all handled, then?”

The look on her face made it clear she didn’t care about the answer. This was her attempt at practicing the pleasant conversation we’d be forced to have the entire weekend. But I gave her one anyway.

“More or less.” I had told James I had a work emergency with a designer I helped the company acquire and that I’d be arriving separately because of it. Truthfully, I just needed a break after my dad had been breathing down my neck all week, making sure I was on top of things like showing up on time, attending all the meetings, and that they were all scheduled for regular business hours. Spending some time by myself to unwind felt like a good idea before seeing Roxie.

I shrugged. “Crisis averted.”

Her expression didn’t change. If anything, she looked more unimpressed.

“Well, glad your couture survived,” she said dryly.

There was the Roxie I remembered. The whip-smart mouth. The effortless ability to cut me down with a single sentence. God, I’d missed that.

“You know I don’t have anything to do with the fashion Whittaker Holdings produces. I just find companies that we can buy.”

“Right,” Roxie said, tone dripping with mock admiration. “So noble. Like a modern-day Robin Hood, if Robin Hood had a private equity firm and a black Amex.”

“I don’t even carry the black one anymore,” I replied. “Too heavy.”

She blinked. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh my god.” She rubbed her temples like just hearing me speak was giving her a migraine. “You’re worse than I remember.”

“So you’re saying,” I said, dropping my bag at my feet, “that you still remember me? I know I’m pretty unforgettable.”

She glared at me; arms crossed even tighter like she was trying to hold herself back. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Too late. I already told myself my daily affirmations.” I raised my hand to tick off each one on a finger. “I have killer abs. I can pick up any girl I want. And I am the most handsome man in all of Manhattan.”

That earned me an eye roll so aggressive it could’ve reversed the Earth’s rotation.

And for a second, I didn’t care that she hated me. Because at least she was looking at me again. Reacting. Giving me the time of day instead of ignoring me. It was the closest I’d felt to the way things used to be when we were back in high school. And as pathetic as it sounded, I clung to that.

But before I could open my mouth again, probably only to say something that would make this situation significantly worse, footsteps echoed above us. I glanced up to see James and Hallie making their descent, perfectly timed to interrupt what was surely about to become a full-blown argument or possibly a second “Sebastian vs. Roxie Cold War.” The small spark of friendliness we had found in our emails was nowhere to be found.

“We’re in the primary at the end of the hall on the right, Rox,” Hallie said brightly, trying her best to pretend not to notice the tension.