Page 5

And with that, she rushes away, and I’m left standing in her living room, praying this doesn’t become my personal hell, but my skin has already started to burn.

Lux

Monday

Oh no, no, no, no, no. Damn you, Cam, for putting me in this position today.

My heart is trying to punch its way out of my chest.

We were so close. I could smell the sweet mint of his breath. I was engulfed in the smell of his cologne and his skin. The same scent that soothed me in the moments when panic threatened to take me down. I anchored my thoughts on it, remembering the touch of gentle yet rough hands.

And I push down on the gas, speeding away from my own house like a bat out of hell. My face is on fire, and I want nothing more than to call my brother and tell him how bad he just screwed me over. Seriously. He put me in the same room with the man I wanted to avoid. Thanks to Cam’s meddling, Ollie and I are now in the most uncomfortable situation.

But instead of dialing Cam, I crank up the volume on Jhene Aiko. She’s belting that we have to keep going. And I do.

Because me and Oliver working together spells disaster, and I can’t put a stop to it because Cam and Chase wouldn’t let this go. They would want to know why I won’t work with the contractor who has created magic for Cam’s house and Lauren’s business, Autumn Lush.

There’s no way I can tell them the magic he created for me in one night. The way he made me feel seen, heard, and fucked…so good.

Shit.

I run my hands over the bob I spent so much time perfecting today. Jhene is now going on and on about the angel that opened the window to her soul, and I smack the button to shut the radio down. I would rather ride in silence, listening to my own madness rather than her reasons for being.

For months, I’ve been in a relationship where I’ve been alone and surrounded by people like water on an island. And just one look at Ollie and he brought it all back. Christmas Eve, happiness, and smiles. Connections, sex, rejection. It was what it was, a night where we made each other happy, with no ties, and the full intention of reclaiming our lives once it was over.

Except, I let myself dream. I opened the doors, only for my mistakes to come stomping in and for Ollie to slink out of.

It’s been the longest winter. My phone vibrates with a call.

Please don’t let it be Mateo. I can’t talk to him right now.

Chase’s name appears on my dash. I breathe a long sigh of relief and hit the answer button.

“I’m almost at the school,” I say before he can say anything.

“I figured,” my brother says. “Just want to check that you got this and don’t want us to head back early.”

I put on my turn signal and switch lanes. “I got this. Felix probably just misses you. He cried this morning when I dropped him off.”

“Oh man,” he says. “We should probably head back.”

“No, this is a good prep for the wedding. We had a great time last night. I think it hit him today how long you’ve been away. You’re back tomorrow, anyway. How’s it going over there?”

Chase took Lauren for a long weekend getaway to help ease her wedding jitters.

“Really good,” he says way too enthusiastically.

“Ew.”

“Not like that,” he snaps, then adds, “well, yeah, just like that too.”

“That’s pretty gross,” I shoot back.

“I thought this was the kind of thing you would want for your best friend.”

“Stop.” I yell.

He laughs so loud it’s contagious. “How was your meeting with Coach?”