Page 16 of False Start

I closed my eyes, covering my racing heart with a shaky hand in an attempt to soothe it. I hadn’t let myself think about that time in my life in so long. I couldn’t. I had to protect myself, my mental health and well-being. I had to move forward. I had to moveon.

But now, I could search my memory and remember exactly who I was, exactly how I felt.

We were each other’s best friends after that first summer together.

Then, we were something… more.

He was my first everything — first love, first intimate partner, first heartbreak.

Now, I hoped he’d be my first break in years.

He held the key to my new life in his hands, whether he knew it or not.

And when Sebastian called me back to his room and I helped him get dressed, when he celebrated tying his own shoes, when he smiled up at me like I hung the moon even though I was struggling to hold on… I felt my resolve thicken.

I would do anything to provide a better life for him.

Even if I had to rip off an old scab to do it.

Kyle

True to her word, Madelyn sent a list of house addresses, dates, and times the morning after our dinner.

I’d wanted to ask her a dozen things, starting withwhat happened to your marriage, and ending withwhy did you think I would have assumed your kid was mine?

Instead, I’d sent her a thumbs-up emoji, and now it was Tuesday and I was on my way to meet her at the first house she’d suggested.

My mind raced the entire way, much like it had every minute since she left me in that restaurant. Sitting across from her had been a unique kind of torture, the type that makes your stomach roil as much as it makes your chest light with excitement.

I needed to get away from her, from the rage and disappointment and hurt she dredged up in the trenches of my being.

But I also wanted to get close to her, to know everything about her life since she’d exited mine.

I felt like a crazy person, but when I pulled up the drive of the mansion she’d selected for us to see first, I put on my best mask and stepped out of my car with confidence.

It was beautiful — a stately home on Lake Washington with grandiose landscaping and the classic kind of rich vibe that made me feel like I needed to wear slippers and smoke a cigar. I’d flipped through the photographs, already fairly certain it wasn’t the spot for me, but I didn’t want to negate the work Madelyn had done.

I was going into this with an open mind, mostly because something about Madelyn told me she wasn’t happy. And I didn’t want to add to that.

In fact, for a reason I’d never understand, I wanted to be the one to fix it.

I was loading up my jokes when I shut my car door and headed for the grand entrance of the home. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I paused, taking it out to see a slew of missed texts in the group chat.

Holden:Hate to act like your captain even now that we’re on different teams, but has everyone booked flights and hotels for this weekend?

Clay:We love you, daddy!

Leo:Hey, that’s my title.

Zeke:To Mary, maybe.

Braden:Correction —Maryis daddy. Leo is just shitstain.

Leo:*middle finger emoji*

I chuckled, reading on to see Braden had already booked our flights. The guys teased him about hiding his love for me and how we were so clearly a couple. It then went into Clay saying he was an expert in fake dating, if we needed him to help find us a guest.

I stopped long enough to thumb out a sarcastic response to a few of their jests, and then my phone was tucked away and I was headed inside.