“Okay, okay. Lisa’s back in town!” she exclaims.

“I’m sorry, who?” I ask in shock.

“You know, Lisa? Your brother’s ex-girlfriend, Lisa.”

“I remember her,” I mutter. “What’s she doing in Arcola? I thought she went to LA to become some big-shot lawyer.”

Funny she’s coming back right around the time my brother has decided to start a new chapter with another woman. I’m not a big believer in coincidence. And I really don’t trust Lisa. I swear to God, if she’s trying to manipulate Marty… She was always really good at sinking her claws into him.

And me too.

I clench my teeth to force out the memory. It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.

“I’m not sure about the details. I ran into her mom at the store the other day and she told me she was back. Apparently, she’s moving back to town. I haven’t seen her, though. Isn’t this amazing? All my babies are coming back.”

“I’m not coming back,” I dispute.

“Of course you are. You’re spending your two-month vacation back home after the wedding.”

“One month. And it will be a short one-week trip for the wedding instead of a vacation, if this deal doesn’t go through.”

“Of course it will. You’re the best, sugar. Also, you’re spending two months at home, and I will hear no arguments.”

I decide to keep quiet and roll with it.

“Alright, alright. Can I hang up now?”

“After you’ve picked up the phone and asked your secretary to order you some food,” she states.

I groan before hurriedly doing as she asked.

“There, happy?”

“Very. Bye, my love.”

“Bye, Mom,” I say before hanging up.

* * *

|A glass shattering is the first thing I hear when I open my eyes.

“What the fuck?” I whisper as I get out of bed.

I pull on some clothes and head downstairs to find the source of the noise.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Carius,” one of the maids says upon sighting me at the doorway to the kitchen.

“Trina, you know my mornings are sacred. I barely get any sleep as it is,” I say, trying to rein in my frustration .

“I realize that, Mr. Carius, but she was recently hired and she hasn’t gotten the hang of how things are done here yet.”

I’m silent for a few seconds before turning to the short young woman at the back. She makes sure to avoid my eyes and she looks like she’s a little scared.

“Hey, step forward,” I say to her. “I’m not going to fire you over broken glass, if that’s what you’re scared of. But I do have a few rules. First and most important rule, please, do not disturb my sleep,” I say.

With that said, I turn around, grab the cup of coffee from Trina’s already outstretched hand and exit the kitchen. I went to bed around 4 a.m. and it’s currently seven, which means I had about three hours of sleep. I had planned to get four, but I suppose I had better get on with my day.

“We talked about this, Sam. No more tormenting the staff,” someone says from behind me as I start to climb the stairs.

I turn around to face my little brother.

“What are you doing here?” I question while taking a sip of my coffee.

He’s dressed casually in gray joggers and a white T-shirt. His long dark hair is styled in a messy, disheveled way that he swears is his fiancée’s favorite look on him. His green eyes are so unlike mine yet so similar at the same time. It’s the expression in them. Someone once told me my eyes look haunted, while Marty’s look alive.

Marty is like a golden retriever. I’m a vampire. The same person who described our eyes was also more than happy to provide me with that depiction.

“I can’t come to see my big bro?”

“You should be busy with wedding preparations,” I state, turning around and heading up the stairs. He follows, of course.

“I am busy, but Mom told me to check up on you. With good reason, I can see. What did that poor girl do to you?”

“She broke a glass and woke me up.”

“Don’t you think you’re to blame for buying a house that echoes so terribly?”

I turn and glare at him. He rolls his eyes.

“Alright, fine. I get that she broke something and woke you up but it was an accident. Couldn’t you have scolded her in a nicer way?”

“What’s the point of scolding if it’s done nicely?” I retort.

Marty chuckles. “You don’t even want to try to be a nice guy.”

I shrug. “It’s not really my thing.”

We enter my room and Marty immediately lies on the bed. The dark circles under his eyes suggest he’s not sleeping well. It might just be due to stress, though.

“Lisa’s back in Arcola,” I find myself saying.

I’m not sure why I’m telling him. I guess it’s a warning or something.

“I know,” Marty says simply.

“And you don’t care?” I question.

“Of course I care. I haven’t seen her in so long. I kind of miss her. I still don’t know why she decided to cut off all contact,” he says a little sadly.

“You’re not still in love with her, are you?” I ask.

“Come on, dude. I’m getting married. That’s not even a question you should be asking.”

“And that’s not an answer, Marty. You’re not still in love with her, are you?” I repeat.

He sighs.

“I haven’t been in love with Lisa in a long time. She was my first love and my best friend, but I’m over that. I’m over her, obviously.”

“Good,” is all I say.

I know one thing for sure. Lisa Lawson’s reappearance in our lives is going to change things. It’s inevitable. She’s like a force. It doesn’t matter what she does, she always makes sure to leave her mark. I can only hope our next meeting doesn’t have devastating consequences.

LISA

Marty Carius is getting married.

I’m seated in my parents’ living room, staring at an invitation card while my parents watch me carefully.

“You’re looking at me like you’re expecting me to burst into tears,” I say dryly, looking up at them.

They shrug simultaneously.

You know how twins can sometimes have some form of telepathy? They can sense each other’s pain, guess what the other person is about to say, that kind of crap? Well, my parents are like that. I don’t know if it’s because they’ve been married for so long or because they love each other so much, but Ed and Enid Lawson are like two halves of a whole. They’re each a part of the other, and I grew up wanting to find love like theirs one day.

I thought I had it with Marty as a teenager. Then with Rush in college, and then Rick, Brood, Richter. Safe to say, I’ve dated plenty, and with each relationship, I’ve found myself becoming more and more of a cynic about love. My parents are lucky. Love like theirs isn’t for everybody, and I’ve accepted that.

My dad’s piercing brown eyes are fixed on me.

“He’s your first love. We’re not sure how you’re going to react.”

I notice all the gray hairs mixed with his short dark hair. He’s getting old; they both are. I feel a pang in my chest at the thought. I hate having to deal with my parents’ mortality. In my mind, they’re superheroes that will live forever.

“We just want to make sure you’re okay with this,” my mom adds. Her eyes are a delicate gray color. They look so different seated together—my mom so elegant and classy, my dad with his beer belly and balding head.

I’ve heard numerous stories about how there were some hiccups in the beginning of their relationship, mostly because my mother comes from an affluent family and my dad was just some young lost kid when they met. My father stopped by the coffee shop and met the girl he couldn’t leave behind, as he put it, so he moved to Arcola and they built a beautiful life together. They faced a lot of criticism, but they transcended it all.

“Of course I’m okay with it. Marty and I are history. We broke up a long time ago. You can’t still expect me to be pining over him,” I tell them.

“We don’t, but we all know there are underlying issues with regard to this new development that we need to talk about,” Dad states.

I get to my feet.

“No, we’re not doing this. I have a lot to do. I’ve barely finished unpacking.”

I finally put my big girl pants on and moved back to the town I grew up in. Two weeks after I tried and failed to convince myself that LA was the right place for me to stay, I called my dad and informed him that I had made a decision.

It wasn’t a bad idea to start working my way up again from my roots. I drew a firm line at living with my parents, however. They helped

and me get a two-bedroom apartment near Noel’s new school. He started there a few days ago.

My son took it pretty well when I told him we would be moving here. I had been scared he would have a meltdown or freak out about it, but he was surprisingly chill.

According to him, he didn’t have a lot of friends in LA. I thought long and hard about it and decided Arcola would just have to be a fresh start for the both of us. I would have reconsidered my move, however, if I knew the Carius would be in town.

I’m not sure why I’m so surprised. Of course they’re here. The family practically founded this place. They’re in control of almost everything, from the department stores and small businesses to real estate. There are several billboards bearing their family name in bold letters. When I was younger, I used to joke that the town might as well be named Carius. That’s how influential they are here.

I guess it makes sense that Marty would want to get married here. It’s just a cruel twist of fate that I happened to move back here during this time. There will be no avoiding him. Any of them.

“Are you going to the wedding?” my mom questions quietly.

“No! I mean, I don’t know,” I say with a groan.

The disadvantages of living in a small town like Arcola are that rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. I’m a hundred percent sure the Carius already know I’m here.

He already knows I’m here.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before I moved back?” I demand accusatorily. “And don’t even try to deny anything. I know you knew. Why didn’t you guys tell me?”

They’re silent for a few seconds. Soon enough, my dad speaks up.

“We’re sorry, honey. We thought about it and just thought this was the best thing for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I’m trying really hard not to lose my shit because this is seeming more and more like a ploy with each passing second.

“It means it’s time, Lisa.”

“You need to tell him,” Mom adds.

As soon as I get what they’re saying, my eyes widen.

“Like hell I do.”

My dad’s eyes narrow in my direction.

“I can’t do it, Dad. I really can’t,” I say, shaking my head.

“This isn’t about you. It’s about your son. It’s about his future.”

I settle back onto the couch and cup my face in my hands.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” I repeat.

“Lisa, listen to me. You can’t keep this hidden forever. They deserve to know. They’re Noel’s family. You’ll run into them eventually. It could be Sara, or it could be one of her sons, but you know it’s going to happen.”

“We can’t keep lying to them, baby. It’s not right,” my mom says. “I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt anytime I run into Sara. I’m keeping her away from her grandson. Noel’s a bright light who brings us so much joy. Sam deserves to feel that, too.”

Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears. My stomach drops as I realize how serious they are about this. They practically tricked me. They took advantage of the fact that I was jobless and about to be broke, and they manipulated me into coming back home. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they had no right to take this choice away from me.

“Forget this,” I say, getting to my feet again. “I decide what happens in Noel’s life. Not you guys—me. I’m his mom and I’m fully capable of deciding what’s best for him.”

“So, what? You’ll run again? You’ll run forever? Is that it, Lisa? Did I raise you to be a coward?” Dad questions.

I grit my teeth.

“I’m not a coward, Daddy. But I’m also not ready to ruin a man’s life when I’ve been doing fine with Noel on my own.”

He opens his mouth to say something else but I don’t wait to listen. I grab my keys from the table and exit the house in a rush. I briefly consider going home, but as much as I want to lie down on my bed and feel sorry for myself, I’m an adult. And I’ve got adult shit to do.

* * *

“The tables should be there, Cleo,” I say, directing one of the girls holding a table to a particular area.

I drove to my new coffee shop as soon as I left my parents’ house. They signed the place over to me a few days ago. As a little girl, I always used to think I would end up inheriting the place from my parents. Then I grew up and got it into my head that being a lawyer was the next step and I could make a difference if I did so. Since that hasn’t worked out, my backup plan seems even more amazing.

My parents had been planning to sell the shop since they retired a few months ago. I’m lucky my life went to shit when it did. Otherwise, I would have really been jobless.

Lisa’s Place is one of the biggest cafés in Arcola. It started out as just a coffee shop, but my parents expanded it as time went on. The building has two stories, with a bakery on the second floor that my parents also own. Their friend Mrs. Lee runs the place.

Coffee is primarily sold at Lisa’s Place, but we also sell pastries and cakes. We deliver all over town and we’re the best in the area. It’s also a pretty place with a flowery aesthetic. There’s trees and pictures depicting nature painted on the walls. There are various flowers throughout the shop, courtesy of my mom’s influence. She loves flowers. The shop, or bakery, so to say, was my favorite place growing up.

It’s a booming business, and although my plans changed throughout the years, I’ve maintained a certain level of love for the place.

The bell at the front of the shop dings, and I turn around just as someone I wasn’t expecting to see walks in. My eyes widen and I close my hand over my mouth in surprise.

“Oh my God!” I scream just before a head full of blonde curls collapses into me.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly to my chest.

“I missed you so much, Lisa,” Dina says softly.

My parents might have found love with their soulmate, but my soulmate is my best friend in the entire world. Dina my ride or die. We grew up together. Our parents lived next door to each other. First walk, first bike ride, first day at school—every first until college, Dina and I did together. And despite not always living in the same time zone, we’ve never strayed too far from each other. She’s my twin flame.

“I missed you too, Dina,” I tell her before I push her off me, a little aggressively. “How could you not tell me you were coming!”

She chuckles. “Chill, chica, it’s called a surprise. Ever heard of it?”

I roll my eyes.

“What happened to Paris?”

Dina a professional photographer. She travels all around the world to the most visually pleasing places. It’s her dream job, combining what she loves doing the most: photography and traveling. It’s why we never really see much of each other.

Dina went to New York for college while I stayed close to home at the University of Illinois. After college, she stayed in New York while I moved to LA. She visits home whenever she can, though, and I’m guessing now is one of those times.

When I talked to her a few weeks ago, she was in Paris.

“I left about a week ago. I would have been here sooner but I was still recovering from the jet lag. I heard about everything from your mom,” she informs me as I lead her to one of the chairs.

We take a seat and I signal for one of our part-timers to serve us some juice.

“My mom talked to you?” I ask with a frown.

Dina like my parents’ second daughter. Her parents got divorced when we were in our teens, and even before then, Dina would come over to my house whenever her parents were fighting. They weren’t bad people, but they were certainly not the best parents. Her father moved away and practically cut off contact after the divorce. Her mom still lives beside my parents, though. She’s a quiet woman, content with the knowledge that her only daughter is safe and happy.

“Yeah, she called me when I landed and told me everything. I figured I would come here and offer some support,” she tells me, her blue eyes sympathetic.

“Speaking of support,” she says rolling her eyes when our high school nemesis Priya walks in.

“Lisa Lawson and Dina Bale, the town’s sellouts right here before my very eyes. I heard you ladies were in town and I just had to come see for myself. I mean, big-city girls like you in our small town of Arcola—to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Priya, I see you’re still the same old you,” I say, trying my best to force a smile across my face.

“Oh, I hear your husband is running for mayor,” Dina says. “Good luck.”

“Well, we don’t really need luck now, do we? He’s the best man for the job,” she says confidently.

Priya is a gorgeous, busty brunette. I’m not sure if it’s her intention to be a die-hard bitch or if she’s just been programmed that way because her mother is the same way—the one who must outdo everyone at the bake sale, dress the best at every event, and throw the fanciest parties.

“I love what you’ve done with the place in the short time you’ve been here, Lisa. What do you plan to do when my brother-in-law tears it all down?” she asks.

“Wait, what? What do you mean?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Well, I guess I’ve said too much, then. I’m sure his people will be in touch. Just came by to get a latte and a few treats for my book club meeting later. I admit, I will miss this place and hope you find somewhere else in Arcola to put it,” she says, walking to the cashier to place her order.

They’re tearing down the building?

My parents had been trying to buy it for years since we’ve been operating our coffee shop here but the owner wasn’t willing to sell. Now they just want to tear it down. What the hell am I going to do? Dina tries to comfort me, but I barely have my thoughts in order so there isn’t much she can say to help right now.

“I don’t really want to talk about all that. Let’s talk about your Paris boyfriend instead,” I say in a bid to change the subject.

Dina raises an eyebrow but she rolls with it.

“We broke up, Lisa. I left Paris, ergo, end of relationship.”

Dina an eccentric person. She’s unpredictable, fun, and prone to heavy drinking and endless partying. But she’s also sweet and loyal and beautiful. Like me, she’s fallen in love a lot of times, but once the men she dates see through the fun-loving party girl and realize she’s a romantic at heart who wants more than they’re willing to offer, heartbreak becomes imminent.

Unlike me, though, Dina keeps trying. She firmly believes that she’ll find some man who will wind up ass-over-fingers in love with her. She can be a dreamer; I’m a realist. It’s what makes our friendship work so well.

I smirk. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.”

“Regardless, I’m back, baby! I’m on vacation and you’re not a lawyer anymore—think about all the fun we’re going to have when you’re too broke to get sued,” she says excitedly.

“Okay, first off, I’m still a lawyer. I will always be a lawyer. Plus, unlike you, I have to work. I own this place now, remember?”

Dina blinks before looking around the shop.

“Oh, right. Enid told me, but I didn’t believe you willingly took over.”

“Hey, I love this place!” I say in defense.

“Agree to disagree. You always used to say there were too many memories here. Memories you’d rather put behind you. It was your past.”

She’s right. I did say that. This building holds a lot of my memories—it’s rife with my history.

“And now it’s my present,” I tell her.

“That’s amazing, Lisa. You’re probably the bravest, most amazing person I know. You know that, right?”

I smile as tears well up in my eyes. “I know.”

“Which is why you need to tell him the truth.”

I let out a deep breath. And we’re back to this again.

“This isn’t some stupid story of how I stole his car a few years ago, or how I played a dumb prank on him. You want me to tell him he has a son. I was pregnant and he never even knew. It’s earth-shattering news. And he’ll hate me forever,” I say quietly.

Dina places a warm hand on my shoulder and rubs it comfortingly. “Since when have you ever cared what other people think of you?”

“I never have, but he’s different and you know that. This will ruin him forever. It will ruin us. It will ruin his family. I can’t.”

After Dina leaves, I decide to have a snack in my newly inherited coffee shop. I warm up a cheese danish and make myself a cappuccino before sitting at a table near the back of the restaurant. My mind drifts as I eat, and I remember the days I use to come in here with my friends and help out after school.

Me, Marty, and Dina once broke the coffee machine and blamed it on Sam. He didn’t actually break it, but it was his fault that it was broken. We were trying to make a drink and he walked in with his jersey off, and his hair was swaying back and forth like he was on Baywatchor something. He distracted me and Dina, so we pushed the buttons simultaneously and the machine went haywire.

We planned it out perfectly but no one believed he did it—he was always so damn perfect. We were all grounded and Mike got a special drink. Not our intention, but fair... I suppose.

I look out the window, allowing my mind to wander. For just a moment, I have no stress, no worries. I’ll deal with everything else tomorrow.

But then I hear a deep voice speak, and when I look up, it’s the golden boy himself.

“Got room for one more?” Sam asks. I find myself instantly captivated by his green eyes and a plethora of emotions run through me.

“Sam?” I say, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard the town lawyer was back so I figured I’d stop by to see if I found you here.”

“The town lawyer. That’s a first,” I chuckle.

“Well, that was the plan, wasn’t it? You were going to become a lawyer to represent people in our town, but instead, you moved away,” he says, his face full of curiosity.

“I’m not the only one who moved away. You guys left, too. Both you and Marty,” I remind him.

“I left for work; I came back. You were gone.”

“Well, I’m here now. What did you want to say?” I’m afraid to hear the answer.

He takes a few steps closer to me and I can feel the warm air from his breath on my neck.

He’s standing in front of me, and even after so many years, there’s still a spark between us. I thought it died the night he broke my heart. I thought we finally fulfilled the desire we had for one another back then, but heat fills the room, and we’re standing here desperate and wanting.

He takes another step closer and I think he’s going to kiss me, but instead, he places his lips near my ears and his lips accidentally brush against my ear. We both pause at the electricity surging between us.

“If I were you, I would skip the wedding,” he says before turning around and walking out, leaving me just as confused as when I left those years ago.

Sam Carius. Confident, powerful, asshole.

Sam

“My baby’s back,” my mom yells as soon as I step into the house.

I grin as I follow her voice into the living room, where she’s seated with my aunt Meredith. Both women get to their feet and take turns giving me crushing hugs.

Growing up, I had two mothers instead of one. Meredith’s my dad’s younger sister and she has lived with us for as long as I can remember. She never started her own family and always used to tell me that Marty and I are as good as sons to her.

I’ve always been grateful to her. She and my mom are the best of friends and Meredith has helped her through the worst of times. They’re always there for each other.

“Did you pack on some extra muscle?” Meredith questions, cupping my bicep.

I chuckle. “You always say that.”

“Yes, but I swear your shirt is about to rip. You keep working out instead of working on a woman,” she says with a wink.

I shake my head. “I’m not even going to bother unpacking that.”

“Marty! Your brother’s here!” my mom yells.

“For God’s sake, Sara, use the intercom! He and Deira are on the third floor. He’s not going to hear you!” my aunt scolds.

“Oh, right,” my mom says with a small smile before moving to call my brother.

Meredith places her hand on my cheek. She has to get on her tip-toes to do so since I tower over her. Every time I see her, I see my dad. They have the same dark blue eyes and easy smiles. Her hair is short and curly, jet black, like my dad’s. He always used to talk about how Marty and I got all of Mom’s features—her brown hair, her green eyes—but Marty looks a lot like him, and at times I actually see him in myself.

“How’s my biggest baby?” Meredith questions.

“Aunt Meredith, we talked about this. I can’t get Mom to stop calling me baby, but not you too. I’m a man,” I grumble.

“You’re a man when I tell you you’re a man,” she states, leaning away from me.

She tucks her hands under the black cashmere sweater she’s wearing. It’s a little chilly out today and she really hates the cold. Her outfit consists of white leggings, the sweater, and a scarf around her neck, which is overkill in this weather for most normal people, but Meredith isn’t normal people.

“And when’s that going to happen?” I question with a smirk, although I already know what her answer will be.

“When you bring a woman home.”

My mom speaks up before I can say anything. “Seriously, Sam, your little brother’s getting married before you.”

“This isn’t the 1800s, Mom, it doesn’t matter who gets married first,” I tell her.

“Also, if you’re waiting for Sam to get married, Mom, you’ll probably be waiting till you’re, like, eighty,” my brother chimes in, strolling into the living room with his fiancée in tow.

Deira’s a beautiful woman. She’s short, with red hair and light freckles on her nose. She has blue eyes and a warm disposition. She’s my kind of person, actually. She talks little but has a lot of presence, which matches perfectly with Marty’s loud personality.

“Don’t say that,” my mom says on a gasp. “Your brother’s going to be married before spring next year.”

I snort. “Highly unlikely, Mom.”

“I believe you, Sara,” Aunt Meredith says supportively.

I shrug. There’s no way in hell I’m going to meet a woman and fall in love with her in the span of a year, let alone marry her. It’s pretty much impossible.

“Dinner’s ready, Mrs. Carius,” one of the maids announces from the doorway of the living room.

Meredith latches her arm through mine as we all move toward the dining area, where there’s a banquet fit for twenty people. It’s a good thing we have a lot of staff at the house.

“Thank you, Seirah,” Mom says to the head chef as we all take a seat.

“Marty, grace, please,” Meredith says to my brother.

We all link our arms together and bow our heads. While we’re not an overly religious family, our parents made an effort to get us to church on Sundays when we were kids. But as we grew older, life got busier and we simply drifted away from that tradition. My parents used to go together with my aunt until my dad passed away. I don’t think either of them have been to church since then.

Marty clears his throat before starting.

“Thank you, Father, for the gift of life and for bringing us all together here today. Thank you for the food, for my mother and my aunt, and for my brother and Deira. We ask that you always keep us happy and give us a lot more reasons to celebrate. Amen.”

“Amen,” we all chorus.

I didn’t realize how much I missed being with my family until now. Having a meal with conversation flowing all around me brings me a sense of calm. It’s nice to know that I’ll always have this—a safe, comfortable place to come home to. There’s not a lot of permanent things in my life, but my family will always be one.

“Deira, have you made a decision about the name you’ll keep after the wedding?” I ask.

She smiles as she looks at me. Deira’s easy to talk to, simply because she’s great at listening and she’s really perceptive and understanding, as well. We spend a lot of time together since she and Marty live in New York with me.

“Yeah, I have.”

“She’s taking Carius,” my brother informs with a grin. “Deira Carius.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times you say it, Marty, it still sounds weird,” Deira states.

“Well, I think it sounds amazing,” Marty says before leaning closer and giving her a loud open-mouthed kiss on her lips.

I throw a bun at them.

“Gross, Marty.”

My aunt immediately throws one at me. “What are you, five?”

“No throwing food at the table,” my mom sighs.

“But we can throw it at each other?” Marty questions cheekily.

She throws a bun at him in response. We all burst into laughter.

“So, are you guys excited for the bachelor party?” Deira asks.

“Hell yeah,” Marty whoops, which immediately earns him a glare from my mom. He knows better than to swear in front of her. I simply groan at the mention of the bachelor party.

“I think a bachelor party is just what you need, Sam,” Meredith says to me.

“It’s in Vegas, and Marty planned it. There’s no doubt in my mind that things will get out of control,” I state.

“Well, I wouldn’t have had to plan it if you had done so like you should have, dickhead,” Marty sneers.

“I was busy,” I say with a shrug.

“You’re always busy,” they all say simultaneously.

* * *

There’s a drink in my hand, but even that isn’t enough to dull my throbbing headache thanks to the loud music being played. We flew to Vegas this morning and the ten-man bachelor party has, as I expected, turned into some sort of raging frat party. There are kegs and endless booze and terrible music. Three of the men have already stripped down to their boxers, and one of them is passed out.

I’m currently on my third drink and trying very hard not to disappoint my brother by leaving in the middle of his party.

I grit my teeth when the last straw walks through the double doors of the room. I place my solo cup on the table and walk over to the groom, who is in the middle of a poker game. They stop playing when they notice my approach.

“Ready to join the fun?” Marty asks with a grin.

He’s shirtless with a bottle of beer in one hand and a card in another. I suppose I should be glad that he’s having a good time.

“Deira doesn’t mind that you have strippers at this thing?” I question, pointing at the barely clothed women filing into the room.

As soon as they spot them, the faces of all the men at the table light up. I raise an eyebrow at my brother.

“They’re not for me, asshole. They’re for you and the rest of the guys. I already promised my baby. I have a strict no-touching policy,” he states with a grin, then

gets to his feet and blocks my view.

“What has you in such a crappy mood lately, Sam? You’re my best man, you’re supposed to bring the fun.”

“You weren’t looking for fun when you chose me, little brother,” I tell him with a frown.

“No, but I was hoping you’d pull that stick out of your ass.”

I flip him off before moving to the bar and ordering some whiskey. He’s right. I am in a crappy mood, even more so than usual. I should be happy. My brother’s getting married. My father entrusted me to take over his very successful real estate investment firm even before he fully retired, and I bagged a really hard-to-get multi-million-dollar deal. I should be over the moon celebrating, but every time I think about Lisa, I’m hit with a feeling of dread.

I’m not a superstitious man. But why do I have a feeling that shit is about to go down?

* * *

“I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Carius,” the priest announces.

And just like that, my family grows.

Applause rings out and everyone in the church gets to their feet. The ceremony was beautiful. Deira looks lovely in her flowing wedding gown, and my brother is dapper in his navy-blue suit. My mom cried, my aunt cried. I did my job and stood behind my brother in a suit of my own while he read his vows to his wife.

The newlyweds walk down the aisle together, and I follow with the maid of honor. It’s then that I see her. She’s in the very last pew, sitting beside her parents. I still in my steps before quickly recovering. A part of me thought she might still come, but another part was hoping she wouldn’t.

Her hazel eyes shift nervously. Then our eyes meet and hers widen. I look away almost immediately and grit my teeth. She shouldn’t have come here.

I go through the rest of the wedding motions subconsciously. I recite the speech at the reception, make a toast, take the pictures. I do it all while making sure to keep my eye on her at all times.

Lisa Lawson is quite literally one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. It’s in the way she looks, the way she carries herself—with grace, with elegance, with confidence.

She has glowing skin with pretty, almond-shaped hazel eyes. She has legs for days and her boobs are at least a C cup, not to mention her jutting ass. She oozes sex appeal, with her long, dark silky hair and beautiful smile. And she’s fucking smart, too. I used to think she would have been perfect if it wasn’t for her temperament.

She and her parents are having a heated conversation about something, and Lisa’s best friend, Dina, sits with them. My mom is friends with Lisa’s parents, but I would have thought Lisa would have stayed far away from here.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but my eyes narrow when Lisa gets to her feet and walks in the direction of the head table.

Oh, hell no.

I cut her off and grab her wrist before turning her toward me. Her eyes are wide in shock. I don’t know if Marty already noticed her before, but he has now. He raises an eyebrow at me from his seat beside his wife. I shake my head and look down at Lisa.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I hiss.

She wrenches her hand from my grip and smooths down her short blue dress.

“Hello to you too, Sam,” she says under her breath, looking up at me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask again.

“You know I was invited, asshole.”

I look around and notice that a lot of people are beginning to stare at us. I groan softly, taking her hand in mine and leading her to the dance floor. The band chooses that moment to play a slow song so I take her hands and latch them around my shoulders before wrapping mine around her small waist.

“What is happening?” she demands.

“We’re dancing. Talk to me and sway,” I order. We begin moving slowly to the music. “What were you going to say to Marty?”

“I was going to congratulate him on the wedding. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Why would you even come here? After everything?”

She looks up and our eyes meet. There’s something wrong with her. Her hand trembles a little in my grip.

“Why do you seem scared?”

“I’m not scared. What are you scared of, Sam?” she retorts. “What did you think I was going to say to Marty?”

“What do you want to say to him?” I press, ignoring her question.

This feels like a game. It’s the starting line and we’re both not ready to make the first move. Neither of us wants to say the words. It’s frustrating. She’s frustrating.

Then she closes her eyes and leans her head against my chest. My cock hardens when she accidentally brushes her body against it.

Relax, pal.

“You’re right. I need to talk to Marty,” she mumbles against my chest.

She leans away, but she’s still not looking at me. She’s staring at the floor.

“I need to talk to him. I-I need to talk to-to both of you,” she stutters.

My eyes widen. Lisa doesn’t stutter, ever. And she certainly doesn’t get scared.

“I wasn’t going to say anything here today. I just came to see the both of you and get a grasp on how things were,” she rambles.

“Lisa, you’re not making any sense.”

“I-I-I’m pregnant,” she finally says, looking up.

Of all the things I was expecting her to say, that certainly wasn’t in the realm of possibility.

Then she gasps and slaps her hand over her mouth, like she didn’t mean for those words to come out of it. We’ve stopped dancing and my hands detach from her waist.