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“What about you?” I ask, genuinely interested.
“I’m not sure,” she says. “Fear has stopped me so much that I don’t even make the decision to regret.”
“Really?” I furrow my brows, surprised. “I’ve always thought you were fearless. No fucks given.”
She chuckles. “No one is completely fearless. Not even you.”
“Except Easton and Weston.”
“Okay, you’re right about that,” she says. “I love my brothers so much. It’s been difficult, growing up in their shadow though. I don’t get to be Billie. I get to be Easton and Weston’s little sister. Little Calloway. Diamond princess. What is my identity?”
“You’re the Ice Queen who runs her fashion empire from her Crystal Palace. I don’t think you see yourself the way everyone else does.” I wish she could see what I do.
She smiles, and we focus on the water. Sunshine sparkles across the surface like a thousand tiny diamonds.
Billie breathes in the salty air, closing her eyes for a moment before turning to me. “What are we doing, Asher?”
“Exploring our options,” I reply, keeping it real. It’s the truth after all.
Her brows lift in curiosity, and a grin sweeps across her pretty face. “Does this feel strange to you?”
I shake my head, swimming in her ice-blue eyes, feeling like I could get lost in them forever. “No. It feels inevitable.”
Our laughter fades, replaced by a heavy silence that hangs in the air, charged with unspoken words. It’s raw and honest, the kind of moment that leaves me breathless and terrified, as if I’m teetering on the edge of something monumental. I gently cup her face, our eyes locking in a silent promise that hangs between us like a fragile thread.
“When we return to the city, we’ll have to put our armor back on,” I whisper, my voice thick with certainty.
She exhales, her understanding evident in the way her gaze softens. “I know.”
20
BILLIE
Asher pulls bacon and eggs from the fridge while I settle into a stool at the breakfast nook. Seconds later, he slides a double shot of espresso across the countertop toward me. I’ve been in this house before, a very long time ago. The decor and colors are just as I remember them. I’ve always loved this home and how close it is to the water. I fondly recall the older couple who lived here when I was a kid.
“Had I known this house was for sale, I would have bought it,” I admit, feeling a twinge of nostalgia.
“I’m sure you and hundreds of others would have. It has a vibe, doesn’t it?” Banks has a knack for snatching up properties fast. It’s one of the perks of being an heir to one of the most successful financial firms in the country.
“It’s strange. I never expected you to bedomestic.” I blow on the espresso, admiring the contours of his arm muscles in that snug black T-shirt that he was wearing under his hoodie.
“I have many other skills,” he says, glancing back at me with a smirk.
“Really? Like what?”
He tosses the bacon into the skillet, then looks over his shoulder at me. “I can juggle.”
I snort. “No way.”
Asher picks up three oranges from the counter and tosses them into the air effortlessly. “Grab another and give it to me.”
I move to the bowl of fruit and do what he said. “I just … throw it to you?”
“Yes, do it now,” he says.
I toss the orange. He continues flawlessly and catches it, adding it to the mix, and it makes me giggle.
“It’s official. You’re a clown,” I say, genuinely impressed.