Emily POV“So, what are your plans for the night?” asks Olivia as she takes another swig of wine. She doesn’t normally drink on the job, but it’s been a slow shift.“Oh, I don’t know. Figured I’d stay here and keep you company,” I say while going through Instagram on my phone.Grabbing my phone out of my hand, she hollers at me.“Boring! You’re a single 27-year-old in one of the best cities in the world. Go out and snare a man in your trap. The night is but a fetus, the world is your oyster, que sera, and whatever else,” she says and points towards the exit.Olivia has a point. Ever since Liam’s death, I haven’t allowed myself to have much fun, except for that one time when we went on a girls’ weekend to Vegas—her idea, by the way.As an attempt to get my mind off things, she sprung the surprise weekend on me. I felt bad because she had already maxed out her credit card to pay for the plane tickets, so I agreed to go.From the moment we landed, it was one disaster after another. First
Jacob POVHonestly, I didn’t think she’d show up. And here she is, a vision in her tight jeans and strappy heels.“I didn’t think you’d come,” I say.Smiling, she confesses, “Neither did I.”I ask if she wants a drink.“I think I’ve had just about enough,” she says, and she lets out a little hiccup.We both start laughing. She moves to the sofa and slips off her heels. I spy a tattoo of a seashell on her left ankle. She sees me looking at it and blushes before crossing her legs and covering it up with her hand.“So this is the penthouse suite. I’m afraid to ask what it is you do,” she teases.“If I tell you, will it scare you away?” I flirt back with her.“It depends. If you’re in the business of selling body parts, then I’ll have to draw the line,” she says.“It’s worse than that,” I say.“How much worse?” she asks.I wave my hands around me and say, “The reason I can afford all of this is because people pay to see my feet on OnlyFans.”She gawks in response. “Really? Show me?” she a
Emily POVWhat happens after a one-night-stand with someone you don’t know? It’s the second time I’ve found myself in this situation, and now I have to deal with the awkwardness of making small talk the morning after. Maybe if I get up very slowly, he won’t notice. Oops, too late, he’s already up. Now I’ll have to do the walk of shame.In the daylight, he looks completely different—almost like someone I know. Like a star colliding into the sun and exploding into tiny pieces, it hits me.The naked man standing before me is Jacob Collin.His blue eyes search mine for confirmation, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction that this will be non-confrontational chat.I feel nauseous, with last night’s hamburger and fries threatening to make an appearance. The room starts to spin. This is not how I imagined our next meeting would go. I hear his voice from far away.“Emily, please.”I can’t be in this room with him. I can’t even look at him. The realization of last night dawns on me. I let
Jacob POV“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”It’s a quote from Lao Tzu that’s been going through my head ever since Emily shut that door with me standing behind it.I wouldn’t call myself a romantic. Once upon a time, I didn’t even believe in love, but this woman has stirred my loins back to life. She’s like a fire burning bright, setting the darkness alight. The very thought of her makes me dizzy with desire, but I fear this morning may have been the last time I’ve ever seen her.The furious look on her face was something I’ve never experienced before. To think I am responsible for her pain is something that I can never forgive myself for.My cousin Mason walks in, distracting me from my thoughts.“Don’t worry, bro, the cavalry has arrived,” he says, holding two tumblers and a bottle of whisky.I called him immediately after leaving the hotel. He’s my closest ally and best friend. I needed someone to confide in and not j
Jacob POV “Buddy, are you excited for your party?” I ask as Liam comes bouncing down the stairs. “Yes, I am. Can we go now?” He eyes me impatiently. It’s his fifth birthday, and I’ve planned the ultimate bash at Adventureland in Long Island. Leaving nothing to chance, I had the amusement park closed to outsiders for the day so we could have the lay of the land. Also, I had ulterior motives—I figured Liam would score brownie points with his school friends after another bullying incident. Last week, he returned home, sobbing, saying the other kids were making fun of him once again because he doesn’t have a mom. My little guy, the sensitive soul that he is, didn’t take it too well and ended up spending the rest of the day holed up in his room. Through his closed door, I could hear the occasional sob. When he didn’t come down for dinner, I went up, begging him to eat something. “Buddy, you’re not going to eat? It’s your favourite—mac and cheese,” I said behind the door. “I’m not hun
Emily POVImagine planting a seed and watching it grow—from the first green shoots fighting to break though the earth, to the colorful flowers popping their buds as the roots become stronger and colonise their place in the dirt.My mom used this analogy once when I asked her what it was like having kids. It was one of the few tender moments we shared as mother and child. Being the nurturing kind wasn’t her strong point. But then again, neither was being a parent.I often think about what she said, knowing I didn’t have the chance to see my own son take his first steps or say his first words. It’s his fifth birthday today. Every year, like clockwork, I make him a cupcake and light a candle. I sing “Happy Birthday” and then send a silent prayer into the heavens, hoping he’s happy, healthy and safe.I often try to picture what he looks like at different stages of his life. Does he have my brother’s goofy grin? Who are his friends? Does he ask about me?Before leaving the apartment, I tak
Jacob POVAfter the confrontation with Emily, I asked Mason to take the kids home. I took his car and followed her home, keeping a safe distance at all times.She pulled up in front of a tall brownstone building in Brooklyn. Looking dilapidated and manky, I’m sure it’s seen better days.Watching her input the door code, I waited until she was out of sight and in the building before going in after her. I’m not in the business of stalking, but granted, if given the chance, I think I’d make a great detective.I took my imaginary cap off to myself, and once the door buzzed open, I waited to hear her footsteps on the stairs. It sounded like her apartment is on the top floor.I hadn’t thought my plan out this far. Now, standing on the landing, I decide what my next move is. I hear water running and guess she’s probably taking a shower or bath. I go back to the ground floor and patiently wait. Hopefully, she comes back down.Ten minutes into loitering around the lobby, a guy with a Yankees b
Emily POVIf I could describe holding my son for the very first time, I would call it a cosmic shift. Jacob and I broke into big smiles when Liam called me Princess Aurora, convinced that I was still in character as the princess from the theme park.“Yes, she is, but she’s also your mom,” he says, waiting for a reaction from Liam.Without questioning his dad, he reaches up to me and I oblige by giving him the biggest hug. For that moment, it felt like we’re distant stars colliding into each other, setting off a series of explosions.His embrace feels warm and tender. He smells like cookies, dirt and innocence. If I could bottle it, I would.We stand like that for a long time, neither of us wanting to let go. When we eventually do, he whispers, “You’re so pretty,” and smiles a big, sheepish grin.I take a closer look at him and notice he’s wearing PJs two sizes too small for him.“Dad wants to chuck them, but I really like them,” he says. “Maybe we could get you a pair as well, then we