“That’s funny, because that’s the only way I’ve ever seen him.” I laugh to hide the sadness in my voice. “I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
“Why?” Nadia tilts her head, a bright orange curl falling across her cheek.
I bite my lip. “He wasn’t exactly happy I bought the garage.”
“He’ll get over it,” Willow says, sounding surer than I feel. “Benji has a big heart. He’s organizing a surprise birthday party for his sister next month. He told me she’s never had a proper birthday party, and he wanted to do something nice for her.”
My eyebrows jump. “Yeah?”
Willow nods. “Uh-huh. Benji’s a big teddy bear. Remember a couple of years ago, Nadia, before Sacha came back? Even when I turned Benji down, he was totally fine afterward. He’s not the type to hold a grudge.”
I choke on my hot coffee. “Turned him down, as in…”
“As in, he was ready to fix her engine, if you know what I mean.” Nadia laughs. “Had the hots for Willow for about a year.”
They both giggle. I force a dry chuckle while I die inside. Green envy grips my chest, squeezing me so hard it’s difficult to breathe.
Willow and Benji…?
I shake my head. Why would I be jealous? She just said she turned him down. She’s married to another man.
Plus, Benji hates me. Despises me. Loathes the very ground I stand on.
Why would I care if he was interested in Willow a few years ago?
But as I struggle to regain my composure, I realize I do care. I care a lot. I don’t want to think about Benji with another woman. I don’t want to think about his hot gaze sweeping over anyone else’s body. I don’t want to imagine what it would feel like to see him walk hand in hand with someone who isn’t me.
In that moment, as jealousy lashes across my body, I realize that no matter how hostile I pretend to be, my attraction to Benji is growing.
My brother’s best friend. My sworn enemy. The one man who wants me gone from Woodvale for good.
I want him more than I’ve ever wanted a man before.
Yeah. I’m screwed.
A tense week later, I get the keys to move into my new house—the one I hope Lucy and Roman will love—and I lug one of my suitcases over. The big rip down the front strains against the suitcase’s contents, and I think it might finally burst.
Add that to my ever-growing list of expenses.
My rental car is full of new things for the house, and even though I knew it would be expensive, I underestimated the cost of moving.
I’ve only just opened the front door when a taxi pulls up outside and the driver honks the horn.
“Need a hand?” My sister leans out of the back window with a big grin on her face.
I squeal, rushing down the porch steps as Lucy pays the driver and gets out of the car. She turns to me, throwing her arms around me. My heart sighs contentedly.
I pull away, staring at her. “You’re early! I thought your plane didn’t land until tomorrow morning.”
“Couldn’t stay away.”
“The furniture hasn’t even arrived yet.”
“I don’t care.” My sister laughs. “I’ll sleep on the floor—or crash in your hotel room.”
Roman squeals in his car seat in the back. He reaches toward me, his fists opening and closing toward us.
As the taxi driver takes Lucy’s suitcases out of the trunk, my sister opens the door for Roman and unclips him from his car seat. Lucy heaves her son up, nuzzling her face into his neck and blowing a raspberry on his cheek. He giggles, squirming in her arms until she puts him down. He runs to me, wrapping his arms around my legs.
My throat is tight. My eyes are misty. I pick my nephew up and give him a big kiss as Lucy rubs his back, smiling.
“It’s good to see you,” I say, and I mean it. It’s only been just over two weeks since I saw the two of them, but it feels like an eternity.
Lucy nods. “You too.”
Roman giggles when I swing him high into the air. I cuddle him close and he plants a slobbery kiss on my cheek. I laugh, putting him down. He slips one hand into mine, and the other into Lucy’s, and the three of us turn toward the house.
“Here we are. Home sweet home.” I glance at Lucy, whose eyes are shining.
“It’s perfect, Rae.”
In that moment, I forget about Sawyer. I forget about Benji, about the garage, about my parents, about the past. The only thing that matters is that Lucy and Roman are here, they’re safe, and they’ll be settled soon. We’re in a nice neighborhood of a beautiful town. Lucy will be able to get her degree. I’ve bought a healthy business, which will keep Lucy and Sawyer going when I go back down to Houston to talk to my parents. I’ll be able to quit my job at my father’s business and start doing some freelance landscape design work. Then, I hope, Sawyer will take over the garage.
If everything goes to plan, my family will be together again. We’ll be able to accomplish what we wanted to do three years ago—start over, far away from Houston, together.
Maybe, if I’m lucky, my parents will come around, too. My family will be whole again.
As the taxi drives away, a neighbor arrives at the house next door, but I don’t have the energy to look over. I’ll greet them later. Right now, I just want to spend time with my sister and my nephew, basking in the promise of a bright future.
7
Benji
She’s here. She’s fucking here.
Everywhere I go, Rae Montgomery is sinking her claws in and trying her best to ruin my life, just like she did Sawyer’s. The house next door to Sarah’s has been up for sale for months. We
