Willow
My head whips to the door, and I take in the sight of the man I deemed my brother before running straight into his arms. Noah knew all the right things to say, and when I told him about what would happen today, he said he would be here for me until I decided to chase him away.
“Noah!” I exclaim, wrapping my arms around his neck and taking in the familiar scent of him.
I heard the low chuckle in his chest as he held me close, knowing words couldn’t express what I was feeling right now. When he lets go of me, we walk over to the bed I would be sleeping in and sit down, where Noah places his hand over mine.
“I thought I used to be a fucking tough rockstar, fighting depression while performing in front of thousands, but what you’re doing blows all that away. You’re an amazing person and an even tougher bird, Specs. I take my hat off to you for what you’re doing, but since I am the only one that can currently see through your bullsh
Willow Building an empire alone is one thing, but building an empire with someone you loved was something else entirely. You strive for the other’s success and knowing you had them in the corner with you meant so much more. A year after his surgery and chemo, we decided to add more rooms to the lake house; two studies and two guest rooms for when the family visits. It cost us a pretty penny, but with the success of my romance novels, and Reid selling the shares in his father’s law firm, we were good for it. I managed to open my own editorial house as well, so now I manage myself and at least four other new authors. My success was growing and so was Reid’s, who had a knack for the business world. Soon after he joined one of the largest marketing firms in Denver did they see a rise in their price on the stock market. Reid started being known as ‘Golden Thumbs’, whatever he touched seemed to multiply in success. I’m so proud of him and e
Willow “Are you certain?!” I jump up from my seat while on the phone with my editor. He has just called me with fantastic news, and I am really not sure if he was pulling my leg or not. “Yes! Bestseller, baby!” He exclaims and I silently scream at those words. BEST SELLER! My book turned out to be a bestseller! Trying my best not to lose my mind, I thank him for his guidance and informing me about the good news before saying our goodbyes. I must admit that I never expected my book to be a hit, especially since I just started this new job as a PA at a newly formed law firm. 23 years old, fresh out of college with my future ahead of me, my life could only go up! “Willow,” My boss, Michael, says as he walks towards me and I look up. He just said his goodbyes to one of his clients after a three-hour-long meeting with her. “That one ran long. I hope she remembers that she’s paying us by the hour.” I say and Michael chuckles
Willow Five Years LaterWhat exactly is romance? Is it like a movie moment where he runs to the airport after realising she was the one he loved after all? Or is it her finding his letters that her mother had hidden after all this time? It could be either of those, but for me, it’s a cupcake presented to you on your birthday morning, a simple ‘good morning, beautiful’ text or the ever-popular ‘let me know when you get home’ sentence. Not that any of the above had ever happened to me, even when I was with Alex. I just happen to liken these moments to romance or love. “Willow,” came the voice of my boss, snapping me out of my thoughts. “I need to cancel my 2 pm appointment. Could you reschedule it for when I get back on Monday?” He asks me, and I smile as I look up into his deep brown eyes. “Already done, sir. Samantha called yesterday.” I say with a wink and watch as he returns my smile, which lights up his tired face. Micha
Willow “Hey, ready to go?” I look up from my laptop into the green eyes of the Grayson PA and best friend, Melissa Carter. She started working here two years after the company opened and we’ve been close ever since. She was a tall, leggy blonde with an athletic figure but a brilliant mind. She may look ditzy, but she had a heart of gold and an IQ higher than those death traps she wears on her feet. I frown at her question and then see the time - 2 pm and our lunchtime. “Yeah, just let me grab my things,” I say and follow her out of our joint office. I don’t know why, but this second rejection hit me harder than the first. Yes, I know that I am not used to the romance genre, but I do think that I tried my best with the minimal amount of knowledge and experience I had. “What’s with the long face?” Melissa eventually asks, pointing to my frown after my long period of silence. I realized then that she had been talking to me this entire time, but I had been too wrapped up in my own min
Willow Mel, looking as gorgeous as ever, was dressed in a tight red number with mile-high Louboutin's, and she had her blonde hair straightened. If you looked up the word ‘bombshell’ in the dictionary, I’m sure Melissa’s picture would be there. “Mr Grayson,” I say, still feeling formal when I see him, and he chuckles. “Please, we're off the clock. Call me Reid.” He says. “I hope you don't mind me being here. Melissa has just helped me put out wildfires, so I want to thank her with a drink.” He finishes then calls a bartender over. I look at Mel with a raised eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes and makes a vomiting gesture by pointing her finger down her throat. I giggle, “When did you have time to dress up, though?” I ask, realising that she was out of her work attire. She shrugs. “I had Matt bring it over while I was at work and got dressed there.” Matt was her twin brother and very much gay. Reid excuses himself
Willow I nearly spit out my drink. “Excuse me?” I exclaim, not understanding what he was talking about. A fake romance? A fake relationship? With him?! WHAT?! “Exactly what I just said, Miss Creed. Think it over and get back to me on Monday.” He says and gets up to leave, but I grab his arm and pull him back. “Why? What could you possibly gain from this?” I ask, not knowing if this was a joke or not. Was I being pranked right now? Well, that’s not possible because he had the personality of a brick, and I don’t think he has any friends anyway. He sighs, “As I said, be my date for my brother’s wedding and any other events we might be invited to. I am tired of my family asking about my love life, so I see it as a win-win situation. As you know, I am a busy man, so I don’t have the time to go around looking for a partner, but I have been in relationships, so I’m not that dense when it comes to romance. Besides, why not you
Willow On the day of my so-called date with Reid Grayson and I am a nervous wreck. I hate feeling cornered, and that's exactly what he did with that phone call. However, I must admit I was still feeling flustered from his closeness yesterday and how he looked at me. Yeah, I know we entered into a fake relationship, but I didn't expect him to slip into the role so quickly. The man played the part well. “...llow. Earth to Willow?” I hear and snap out of my thoughts. When I look up, I find myself staring into the soft green eyes of Seth Sawyer. “Anybody home?” He says with a coy smile and waves his hand in front of my face. I blink and my face flushes as an annoying blush creeps up my neck. “Hey, Seth. Sorry - a lot on my mind at the moment. What's up?” His brow furrows at my answer. “Is everything okay?” He says. What exactly do I answer? ‘Uhm, sorry I was just thinking about Reid, could you come back
Willow “How…?” I trail off, not knowing what to say. How did he know? But he only chuckles. “My previous girlfriend made me read it a few years ago, and I must say I loved every moment of it.” He says. A Night Like This was the book based on Alexander and I, the bestseller that I never picked up again even though I still made thousands on the royalties. “Why would you bring it up now, though?” I ask him, not understanding where this was heading. That book is the bane of my existence, and I wish I had never written it. Seth shrugs, “I was just curious as to why you’re at the firm if writing is clearly your passion.” He says. “Well, I originally only took the job to make ends meet before my writing picked up, but I have grown to love my job, so I’m juggling two things I love right now,” I say, which is the truth. Everyone at the firm grew to be like the family I never had, and it would crush me if I had t