Page 35

ISABELLE

I haven’t seen Pierre since he moved out a week ago.

As soon as the media saw him moving out, they left my home and followed him to his new one.

From what I hear, it’s a high-rise building with tight security who are not keen on the media camping out, and they eventually moved on.

It sucks coming home to an empty home, no slobbery kisses greeting me at the door, no half-chewed shoes, no home-cooked dinner waiting for me and most certainly, no orgasms. I’m miserable.

But I know in time that feeling will pass. Hopefully.

This weekend we are heading to The Hamptons to hang out with the gang, and it’s going to be the first time seeing Pierre, and I’m dreading it.

He’s probably been having the time of his life at The Paradise Club now that he’s free of me.

Urgh. Why does that hurt me to even think about it?

Because you have feelings for him. We’re friends, I have friendship feelings for him nothing more.

I arrive at the heliport and run into Harper, Felix, and Meadow in the terminal.

“Hey, are you okay? You don’t look crash hot,” Harper asks as she hugs me.

“Might be coming down with something,” I tell her.

“Or are you missing someone?” she whispers in my ear. I give her a filthy side-eye which makes her smirk. “I’m so looking forward to this weekend. We are going to have so much fun,” Harper says.

“Just like we used to in high school,” I say, trying to crack a joke.

“Is this the same place where we used to go during the summer?” Pierre’s deep voice surprises me, making me jump.

I turn around and I hate how fucking gorgeous he is dressed in shorts that mold against his tight ass, a tee that clings to every muscle in his body, and he’s unshaven.

How does that make him better looking? It’s not fair.

“That’s right. We had some great summers there.” Harper laughs.

I can’t look at him, those hazel eyes have been haunting me every night, so I concentrate on Frankston, who strains on the lead his owner his holding until he lets go and Frankston launches himself at me and barrels me over. I’m covered in slobbery kisses as I hug him.

“Hey, boy, yeah, I’ve missed you too. My shoes haven’t, but I have,” I tell him. I’ve packed his favorite cookies in my bag to give him this weekend. Felix greets his brother as do Harper and Meadow.

“Hey, Issy,” he grunts before securing Frankston back onto his lead. I give him an awkward wave, which he doesn’t see as he turns his back to me. Rude.

Thankfully, a steward tells us our helicopter is ready, and we head out onto the tarmac, which freaks poor Frankston out with all the loud sounds.

Pierre picks him up and carries him like a big floofy baby to the helicopter.

We jump in and do up our seat belts. I sit across from Pierre so that Frankston can snuggle between us on the floor.

Our legs touch and tingles slide over my body, but Pierre quickly moves his legs away from me so there’s no way they can ever touch again.

My stomach sinks, Pierre hates me. This is going to be a great weekend.

Frankston hated the trip. He howled the entire way even with me and Pierre trying to soothe him.

It was a long forty minutes. When we arrive at the Southampton heliport, two cars await us.

Harper, Felix, and Meadow jump into the first car.

Bitches. Leaving me with Pierre and Frankston in the second.

We jump into the car, and there is nothing but silence between the two of us.

“How’s the new apartment going?” I ask, trying to break the awkward silence.

“Great,” Pierre says, staring out the window.

Right. Okay. Noted, you don’t want to talk to me this weekend. I’ll stop trying. Luckily, it’s only a five-minute drive but it felt like hours. We pull in behind the other car, and I shoot Harper daggers which she pretends not to see. Bitch.

Camryn Starr, event designer to the stars, and Nate Lewis, the owner of The Paradise Club, have just gotten back together after some time apart and are there to greet us as are Sam and Kimberly, who happens to be Camryn’s business partner.

“Are you okay?” Sam says, giving me a hug.

“Peachy,” I answer sarcastically.

“Tense flight up, was it?” he asks.

“Frankston howled the entire way, so yeah,” I say as Sam shows me to my room. “Was that the only thing?” he pushes. What is he getting at? Does he know about Pierre and me?

“What else could it be?” I ask him.

Sam rolls his eyes as he opens the door to my room. He walks in and places my suitcase on the rack for me.

“That man out there misses the hell out of you. He just wants to love you, Issy. Why won’t you let him?” Sam says.

I still. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sam glares at me. “Issy, I’ve known you most of my life, you can talk to me.”

“I have nothing to talk about,” I tell him while internally freaking out.

“You’re so stubborn. I love Pierre. He is great.

I want to see you happy, and you two were even though you were hiding it.

Don’t worry, I’ll be having the same discussion with Harper about Felix.

The fact she is letting him move out and in with Pierre is ridiculous.

She’s just as stubborn as you are,” he says, giving me a talking to.

“And what are you doing about Kimberly?”

“We aren’t talking about me,” Sam states.

“You’re asking me to take a risk with my heart, and yet you won’t do the same,” I argue with him.

“I get your point, but this is about you guys. If you don’t want to take my advice, then so be it.

I’m just saying he is miserable without you.

And I think you should give him a chance, a proper chance because I truly believe you two would be happy.

That’s all I’m going to say on the issue that I know nothing about.

Just to be clear, it’s just from my observations,” he adds.

“I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, but sometimes things are the way they are because it’s for the best.”

Sam shakes his head. “You are going to regret this one day when Pierre is married to someone else because he will eventually move on, and this time, he won’t marry someone like Kitty.

He will marry someone who is amazing, and you are going to watch them together and realize you made the biggest mistake of your life letting him go for a second time,” he says before disappearing out the door.

I’m shocked. I sit down on the edge of the bed and burst out crying.

Fuck.