LOGINThe upstairs shower had been running for two minutes when the front door opened.“If any one of you calls me impulsive,” Bianna’s voice came in first, “I’m putting kale on your pillows.”Theo appeared behind her, carrying two big New Seasons paper bags, one in each hand, his face full of aristocratic regret. His gray hoodie was damp at the shoulders from the light drizzle. “She bought four kinds of berries. Four. For two children who used blueberries as biological weapons yesterday.”Karl came in last, hauling one cooler bag from the butcher shop and a pastry box in his other hand. His hair had gotten a little wet, falling over his forehead in a way that was disgusting because it looked intentional even though it clearly wasn’t. His eyes immediately found me in the kitchen.I was standing at the stove, stirring a little sofrito in a pan, still wearing the cream silk blouse I’d worn to Northlake and house pants that were far more honest about my mental state. My hair was tied carelessl
At home, the first thing I did was throw my keys into the ceramic bowl by the door so hard the sound bounced through the foyer.Two little heads in the family room snapped toward me.Max sat cross-legged on the carpet, his navy T-shirt riding up a little over his adorably round little belly, one toy car in each hand. His black hair was a mess, as usual. His blue eyes, which were unfortunately far too beautiful to be separated from the source of their original sin, widened for a fraction of a second.On the couch, Issa was lying half-lazily on her back in a butter-yellow house dress and a thin cardigan that had somehow lost a button along the way. Her dark hair was pinned with two butterfly clips in different colors, because of course she considered symmetry something for people with limited vision. Her hazel eyes moved quickly from my face to the door, to my bag, then back to my face.The house was too quiet.No sound of Bianna from the kitchen. No Karl laughing out on the deck. No Th
I still went to Northlake.Of course I do.Because apparently being a CEO meant you still had to show up, still had to keep an eye on what your team was doing to someone else’s systems, still had to make sure no junior analyst accidentally clicked the wrong thing and made an entire real estate company implode from the inside out. Even when every part of your body was screaming at you to turn the car around, go home, and pretend Portland did not contain a glass building occupied by your sister’s former fiancé.We’d crossed paths in the lower parking garage that morning.I got out of the car, looked at him for three seconds, then immediately started walking faster.“Bella.”I didn’t turn.My heels hit the concrete, laptop bag on my shoulder, coffee in hand, and my self-respect dragged me away like a best friend who knew exactly when to haul you out of a bar.“Arabella.”Still nothing.Because if I turned, I would see his face. And if I saw his face, I would remember the lounge yesterday
I still went to Northlake.Of course I do.Because apparently being a CEO meant you still had to show up, still had to keep an eye on what your team was doing to someone else’s systems, still had to make sure no junior analyst accidentally clicked the wrong thing and made an entire real estate company implode from the inside out. Even when every part of your body was screaming at you to turn the car around, go home, and pretend Portland did not contain a glass building occupied by your sister’s former fiancé.We’d crossed paths in the lower parking garage that morning.I got out of the car, looked at him for three seconds, then immediately started walking faster.“Bella.”I didn’t turn.My heels hit the concrete, laptop bag on my shoulder, coffee in hand, and my self-respect dragged me away like a best friend who knew exactly when to haul you out of a bar.“Arabella.”Still nothing.Because if I turned, I would see his face. And if I saw his face, I would remember the lounge yesterday
The sky had finally cleared. No rain, just a thin chill in the air that made my skin feel awake, and the little lake behind the house reflecting the moon like the thing was being paid to look expensive. The garden lights were glowing softly along the stone path. Near the deck, Theo and Karl had already taken over the grill like two men handed fire, meat, and an irresponsible amount of confidence.I sat at the outdoor table with Bianna, Arianna, and Sienna, bowls of marinade and seasoning spread out in front of us. Minced garlic, lemon, cilantro, smoked paprika, olive oil, sea salt, the chilies the twins had picked earlier, all of it mixing into one smell that was warm, sharp, and a little brutal. The kind of smell that made your stomach understand immediately that tonight was going to be fine, even if this morning had nearly killed me psychologically.Nearly.I wasn’t going to think about Northlake yet.I wasn’t going to think about blue eyes yet.I wasn’t going to think about the fac
We finally got home an hour later.An hour that felt like sitting in a surgery waiting room while pretending to like the wallpaper.The twins were full of pizza, full of toys, full of attention, and softening in that way little bodies always did right before they gave up completely. Max was still being powered by garlic knots and euphoria. Issa was still talking, but now every third sentence came with a small yawn she treated like a personal insult.The problem was, before we actually got out of that lounge, those two little monsters had managed to tie my future to a post and set it on fire.“I want to come back,” Max said, already standing by Zach’s leg, holding a tiny car that had somehow become his at some point.Issa lifted her chin immediately. “Me too. But next time I want a room that’s less sad.”I had already opened my mouth to say no, obviously. Then Zach, that bastard with a face far too calm for a man actively wrecking the stability of my life, looked at them and said, “If
Two in the afternoon in Oregon is always the color of a depressed rich person.Gray sky. Thin rain. Low fog threading through the pines. My glass house sits on top of the hill like a woman too beautiful to be honest, and usually that view is enough to make my head stop throwing glasses at the wall.
I didn’t really breathe again until everyone finally started sitting down.The Gómez dining room that night looked like an ad for a rich family that was chaotic but still photogenic. Little candles in the center of the table. White porcelain plates. Crystal glasses. Flowers arranged a little too pe
The morning after the party, the Gómez mansion woke up the way it always did: too much light, too much noise, and too many people who believed butter was a love language.I was only halfway down the stairs when the first explosion came from the dining room.“THAT’S MINE!”“NO, IT’S NOT! Tía Abuelit
Fiona started making her way down from the center of the room. Zach moved with her, calm, unhurried. Which was worse. I preferred reckless men. They were easier to predict.This one wasn’t.“Bella!” Fiona’s voice carried over to us, warm, happy, completely unaware she’d just lit a bomb in a room fu







