Page 45

She nods, apparently satisfied, and returns to her laptop. I’m dismissed.

I escape to my room, closing the door behind me and leaning against it with relief. The space feels like a sanctuary compared to the rest of the house. My artwork on the walls, my books scattered on the nightstand, my easel still set up by the window, even though I haven’t painted in months.

I walk to my closet, my mind drifts back to Reign’s invitation. A weekend at his cabin. Somewhere we can be completely alone. The thought sends heat racing through my body. Three days in Denver, then I can see him again. Three days of wedding planning for a marriage I don’t want, then two days with the man I can’t stop thinking about.

My phone buzzes with an incoming FaceTime call. Violet’s name appears on the screen, along with a photo of her and Iris making ridiculous faces. I haven’t talked to my friends in days.

I answer the call, settling cross-legged on my bed. “Hey, girls.”

“Audrey!” Violet’s voice fills my room. “We’ve been wondering where you’ve been. You’ve been radio silent for days.”

“Sorry,” I say, adjusting the phone so they can see me better. “Things have been crazy here.”

Iris leans into the frame, her hair falling over her shoulder. “Crazy how? Please tell me you’re not letting Lucille drive you insane with wedding planning.”

The irony of her comment makes me laugh. If only she knew how complicated things had really gotten.

“Actually.” I glance toward my bedroom door to make sure it’s closed. “I have some news. Big news.”

Both of their faces light up with curiosity. Violet bounces in her seat. “Spill. Now.”

I take a deep breath, hardly believing I’m about to say this out loud. “Remember the guy from San Diego? Reign?”

“The hot mountain man from the bar?” Iris asks. “What about him?”

“He lives here. In Cooper Heights.”

The silence that follows is deafening. Then they both start talking at once.

“What do you mean he lives there?”

“How is that possible?”

“Have you seen him?”

“Wait, start from the beginning!”

I hold up my hands, laughing despite the chaos of my situation.

“Reign owns a security company in Cooper Heights. And get this, Reign is Ben Mitchell’s brother—you know, the fighter Gio promotes? I ran into him at the fight on Friday night.”

“Wow,” Violet breathes. “What are the odds?”

“And?” Iris prompts. “What happened when you saw him?”

Heat floods my cheeks as I remember exactly what happened. “We...you know, talked.”

“Liar,” Iris says immediately. “You’re blushing. You didn’t just talk.”

I bite my lip, debating how much to tell them. These are my best friends, the only people in the world I trust completely. If I can’t tell them, who can I tell?

“We may have ended up having sex in the bathroom,” I admit quietly.

The screaming that follows is so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear.

“Audrey Elizabeth Worthington!” Violet shouts. “You had hot bathroom sex with a mountain man while you were at an event with your fiancé?”

“Keep your voice down,” I hiss, even though they’re hundreds of miles away. “But yes.”