BAILEE “You’re twenty-seven,” I said as I rolled my eyes and stepped into the room from the hallway. “You’re not aging out of anything. You still have a decade ahead of you to play if you want it.” Ben placed the beer down on the counter as he clenched his jaw, clearly not expecting me to have he
ALEXANDER Ben seemed to be in lighter spirits the rest of the night, but it could have been because he had a few more beers and finally started to relax. Meanwhile, I watched Bailee closely, wondering if she wanted to talk to Caleb because she really wanted closure, as she had said, or if she was
BAILEE “You’ve been quiet,” I said as I used the towel in my hand to dry my hair. Alex sat on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, staring at the floor before him. He smiled as he looked up at me, and I smiled back. My cheeks were hot from the sun exposure,
BAILEE Oh, I was going to be sick. There was no doubt about it. The sterile, white hospital room was too much, and I felt ridiculous for being here over a few cramps. This probably could have waited until the morning when we could have gone to my OBGYN, but Alex was adamant that this needed
ALEXANDER “Uncle knows best.” Ben sang in a taunt as he walked past me with three glasses of what looked like apple juice. Knowing Brinley was up there, I assumed she was the reason for his selection unless he was just extremely constipated. He had been over the moon to find out that he had been
BAILEE The sound of Brinley’s laughter woke me from my slumber, and I smiled as I rolled over in bed to see my adorable little girl where Alex had been sleeping. “Mommy, it’s good morning time!” She exclaimed, and I nodded and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “Yes, baby. Good morning!” I said, sm
BALIEE “Morning, baby,” Alex greeted me, and I instantly started to relax until I saw Vivian clicking and typing into the things I had on the calendar that she had hacked into. “Morning,” I responded half-heartedly. “Did you ask Vivian to help me over the next few months? “Of course, I did. It
ALEXANDER “Mr. Kingston, can I have a minute?” Vivian asked from my doorway as I placed my laptop back on my desk. It had been a hectic morning, and getting Justin McCabe back with the company had been a massive deal for us. I lost him to Caleb’s company around the time I discovered that Caleb wa
BEN There was a bullshit rule I’ve heard since I was little that I had lived by after every check, slam, or hit on the ice. Real men don’t cry. No one really believed the nonsense rule, but it was undeniable that people’s opinions and perceptions always changed once they saw a person vulnerable.
HAVEN “Let me get this straight because I’m having difficulty understanding,” Suzie said, standing behind her desk with both hands palm down on it as she glared at me in the visitor’s chair. “One of our biggest clients of all time, the owner’s best friend, just left my gym on the verge of tears, an
HAVEN I watched as the blood left his face, his cheeks turning a chalky white. The sight was too much. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve, and I was ripping it off and stomping on it. His hands shook as he lifted them and shoved his fingers into his hair. My eyes closed, unable to continue
HAVEN Ben went through the motions of each exercise, counting each set, not arguing that he could do more than I asked him to, and had yet to make any sarcastic or inappropriate remarks. It was oddly uncomfortable to see him like this. Ben was the kind of man who would drop everything at a momen
BEN My fingers tapped against the machine I was leaning on as I waited for Haven. I didn’t like how she left, but I was eager about the conversation she promised me. The serious tone and her obvious anxiety had me excited. There were only two things that I could think of that would make her so an
HAVEN “Rob,” I breathed, gasping in shock as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the corner of the lobby behind the decorative pillar. He had always hated when I called him by his first name. He felt that someone as lowly as an assistant should show him the respect he believed he had earned by n
HAVEN I had barely made it to work on time and was panting by the time I ran inside, went down to the lounge to drop off my things in my locker, grabbed my tablet, and got back upstairs to the gym, where Ben was supposed to be waiting. Thankfully, he was there and didn't look angry that I was lat
HAVEN I had been ecstatic that Ben hadn’t been in the lobby when I left with Siri. Bonnie had gone up before us to check, and when she said he had left, I almost felt like I should thank him the next time I saw him. He had every opportunity to corner me with her and try to push the matter, but
BEN “You’re going back up?” Mason said, and I let out a deep breath and nodded. “It would be too hard to see her and not say anything. Plus, if I’m just staring at her, it might scare her.” I said, regretting the decision as soon as I made it, but I also knew that if I stayed down here, I would