by Lila Kane
She plucks the ring from the box and holds it up. The rain comes harder now, splashing on our heads, soaking through my suit jacket. Brianna looks like she doesn't care—she's so focused.
“This whole week, that's what I've been doing,” she says. “Clearing Chet from my life. All his things, his number from my phone, everything that reminds me of him.”
I swallow, guilt hitting me again. I knew she'd been working hard this week, but I didn't know this was part of it. If I had, I would've been here for her.
“This is the last piece,” Brianna says, staring at the ring.
In one smooth move, she hurls the ring into the air. I watch it until it vanishes in the rain, falling several dozen stories to somewhere below. Part of me is shocked she threw away her own engagement ring, and the other part, the more prominent part, is proud of her.
No matter what happens with us, I'm glad she's free of Chet.
Brianna turns to me. I can't tell if it's rain or tears on her cheeks. She leans up, kisses me on the corner of my lips and says, “Thank you. For being here.”
Then she walks back inside, leaving me in a swirl of emotions in the middle of a rainstorm.
17
I feel like a new person. I went shopping with Deb yesterday to get the perfect outfit for today's auction, and told her about the engagement ring and my conversation with Michael. I am a new Brianna.
Now I can only hope Michael's willing to give us another chance.
When I emerge from my bedroom in a fun cocktail dress, one that shows off my long, long legs, Michael just stares at me.
My stomach jumps with nerves. This is a good thing, right? That he's still interested. Only one way to find out.
I walk to him, holding a folder with paperwork inside. Important paperwork.
“I thought...” Michael clears his throat. “I thought maybe you'd decided not to go. It's just a family thing.”
“I made an agreement. No, it's not just that. I want to go.”
His gaze flicks to the folder in my arms. “What's that?”
I set it on the counter and open it.
His face hardens when he sees the contract inside. “I see. It makes sense to end this now but you still want to keep up appearances by going to the auction.”
“No. Oh, Michael—that's not.” I shake my head. “I don't want to end this. I want to...start over. Re-sign the contract. Give this another try. Now that—that Chet is out of the way and I have direction, I want to try again. So I can give this what it deserves.”
His gaze roams over my face, like he can't decide whether or not I'm telling the truth. Part of me wants to reach out and touch him, reassure him, but I don't want to overstep any boundaries. He has to make this decision himself.
“You want to start over,” Michael says, voice low.
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod and flip to the back of the contract. “See? I had a new one printed up. And I signed it again. I'm ready for this.”
His chest moves up and down with a few deep breaths before his eyes lock on mine. “Are you sure? I know I already asked that, but I need to be sure.”
He's protecting himself. I see that now. The same thing I was doing. Which shows me he cares. He did care, and I'd hurt him by being hesitant.
I move a step closer and take his hand. “I’m sure.”
Before I can blink, he swoops in, his mouth capturing mine. The heat between us is instant, a lightning storm of needs and wants. And, I realize, of trust.
He crushes me against his chest, arms like bands of steel around me. My fingers clutch the lapels of his suit jacket. In this moment, all I want is to be as close to him as possible.
“Michael,” I murmur, trying to draw a breath.
His fingers squeeze on my hips. “Tell me you’re changing your mind.”
“About...what?” I blink, trying to focus. “About the contract?”
He smiles gently. “About the auction. Let’s stay here and figure this out.”
I slap his chest playfully. “We can’t. Your sister put it together. Besides, I have a vested interest.”
“What’s that?”
I extract myself from his arms. “You’ll see.”
“Ah. Mystery. I like it. But still. You could just tell me and we don’t have to go.”
“Liv will miss you if you’re not there.”
He reaches for me again. “She’ll probably be so busy she won’t even notice.”
I back away before he can touch me. “It’s family,” I say gently. “That’s important.”
His features softened immediately. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s not my place to say you should go, but—”
“No. You’re right. She’s family. We’ll have a good time. Sign our names to ridiculous auction items. Get a little drunk. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.”
“I think it sounds fun.”
“Me too.” He looks at the contract. “I’ll sign it.”
“Good.” I pass him a pen and then turn for my bedroom again. “I have something else, too.”
“Brianna—”
“I’ll be right back!” I holler.
I’ve been waiting for this all week, trying to prepare myself. Not just for him to say yes, but for him to say no. I have to realize, like with Chet, all I can do is my side of things. If the other person doesn’t reciprocate, it has no reflection on how much I gave on my end.
I carry the small bag to the counter. Michael sets down the pen, and I see that he’s signed the contract again. My stomach flutters. I’m really doing this. No, we’re really doing this.
I raise my eyes to his. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being willing to try again.”
“I could say the same thing to you.”
I smile and reach into the bag to pull out both the box with my engagement ring, and another box I picked up at the store when I was out with Deb.
Michael angles his head in question. “What’s this?”
“You gave me an engagement present, so I got one for you, too.”
“An engagement ring isn’t a present,” he says softly. “It’s something you needed to have for this whole…agreement. But it’s something I wanted you to have, too.”
“Well, this is something I want you to have, too,” I say, handing him the box. “I noticed you kept taking your other one off.”
He opens the box and freezes. It’s a watch, a nice one—I asked the store clerk which would work best—but still, it’s not as nice as the one he already has. It was all I could afford.
“I do keep taking my other one off,” he murmurs, pulling the watch out of the box. “I need to get it fixed. Brianna.”
“Do you like it? I know it’s not as nice as yours. In fact, you probably have others, too.” I reach for it. “I can get something else—”
“No.” He catches my hand before I can grab the box. “Wait.”
My cheeks heat. It was a stupid idea. “I probably should have asked you what you want.”
“But you didn’t.”
My cheeks are burning now. I shake my head, feeling like a little kid.
Michael tips my chin up so he can see my eyes. “You didn’t because you wanted to do something selfless and give me a gift. For no other reason than because that’s the kind of person you are. Thank you, Brianna. I don’t think I should accept this, but thank you.”
“But—but you have to! You gave me something—”
“I mean because it’s expensive. I love it, but—”
“Then keep it. Please. Or we can exchange it for one you want. But I want you to have it,” I say, pushing the box back at him. “Please.”
He looks at it again, and part of me is pleased. He seems to like it. I don’t care that it took the rest of my savings—it was something I wanted to do. I’ll make that money back soon, too, once I get my business going.
“I’
ll wear it today.” He surprises me by taking off his other watch and replacing it with the one I got him. He twists his wrist to examine it, and then says, “Brianna.”
“What?”
“Don’t get upset, but how did you afford this? Did you use the credit card I gave you?”
I frown. “None of your business.”
He laughs. “Your business is my business now.”
He’s right. He’s taking care of me financially whether I like it or not. “I had some money in savings.”
“Did you spend it all?”
“That really is none of your business considering it’s my account.”
“Which means yes, right?”
I sigh. “Who cares? It’s a gift.”
“Stubborn.”
“What?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. If I’m wearing my gift, you have to wear yours.”
“Of course,” I say, pulling the ring from the box. “But not just because of the agreement, but because I want to.”
He smiles, a smile that transforms his face. For once, he seems truly happy. Then he takes my hand and kisses my knuckle, right above the diamond ring. “Please don’t throw this one off the roof.”
I laugh, relieved that things have gone back to normal. “I won’t.”
“And next time,” he says, guiding me to the elevator, “we go shopping together.”
18
Liv thought of everything when she set up the auction. With the botanical gardens as the backdrop, there are flowers everywhere. Tents and servers everywhere. Everyone is happy and talking and spending money on items they probably already own or can get for cheaper. But that’s the point.
And even with all that, I can hardly look at anything or anyone besides Brianna. She dazzles, with her flowery dress and heels that show off her long legs. Her hair hangs in curls over her shoulders, brushing her shoulder blades every time she moves. Tickling my cheeks when I lean in to tell her something about the auction or who someone is.
It kills me each time I do that because she smells like heaven. I hadn’t been lying when I said I wanted to stay home instead of coming to the party. Brianna had surprised me with her vulnerability yesterday, the contract this morning, and the gift. I hadn’t realized that in addition to working on her career last week, she’d been working on herself.
All of it—but especially her selflessness—makes me want to start over. To do this right, despite the risks. Because it’s Brianna.
But now we’re stuck at the party. I want to be here for Liv, but damn, Brianna is making that difficult. Every time she laughs or touches my arm, every time she leans up to whisper something in my ear, it turns me on.
“Let’s see what’s being auctioned off,” she says, tugging my arm to the table.
I oblige because I have to make at least a couple bids for the cause. But mostly I just watch Brianna while she browses, making comments about items she’d be interested in.
“A weekend getaway in Aspen,” she says, pointing. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
I pick up the pen and sign my name on the line.
“Michael,” Brianna says, cheeks red. “I wasn’t suggesting that you—I mean, you don’t have to—”
“I have to sign up for something. Might as well be something you’re interested in.”
“No.” She glances around and lowers her voice. “I didn’t mean you were doing it for me or anything. Just—”
“It is for you.” I bid a ridiculously high amount, making her eyes widen. “And if we don’t win it, we’ll go anyway.”
Before she can protest, I kiss her on the lips. She responds immediately, mouth softening as I press my tongue against the opening.
Hell. We’re going to have to leave early. There’s just no other way around this.
“Look at the lovebirds,” Liv says.
I pull back reluctantly to glare at her. I want time with Brianna and this whole party is making that difficult.
She just smiles at me, and then turns her attention to Brianna, whom she clearly adores. “Your package already has half a dozen bids.”
Brianna’s eyes widen. “It’s does? Really?”
I squeeze my arm around her waist. “What package is this?”
“She’s offering a web design package, which includes all sorts of social media goodies and marketing strategies and—basically you’re engaged to a genius,” Liv says. “I’ve seen her work—and I’m going to have her make me a website, too.”
I smile at Brianna, amused to see her cheeks burning red at the attention my sister is showing her. “You’re offering your services and I didn’t even know?”
She laughs. “You make that sound dirty.”
Liv rolls her eyes and says, “Get a room,” before wandering off.
“How come you didn’t tell me about this?” I ask, then shake my head before she can answer. “Never mind. We’re starting over, right?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
She pulls me to the end of the table, where I see her name on a marker just like the other items up for bid. There’s a detailed description of what she’s offering as well as a portfolio of her work.
“You did all this?” I ask, paging through the pamphlet.
“Designed the sites, you mean?”
“I imagine you put together the pamphlet as well. It looks like your work.”
She smiles at me. “How can you tell?”
“It’s creative—no innovative. Classy. Simple where it needs to be simple. Elegant, but fun.” I lift my eyes to meet hers. I’m not just talking about her work. “Kind of like you.”
“You definitely know how to flatter a woman.”
I pull her into my arms. “Not just any woman. My fiancée.”
The words are out of my mouth before I realize what I’m saying. There’s a lot about Brianna I like—a lot I admire. And yet I still feel like we hardly know each other. That’s something I need to remedy.
“Let’s get a drink,” I suggest, hoping I didn’t make the moment awkward. “And see if we won a weekend getaway to Aspen.”
We talk with Liv and her husband, and my parents stop by for long enough to be charmed by Brianna all over again. It’s not a ruse anymore. We’re not engaged, but other than that, I’m interested in Brianna. For the long term.
We win the weekend getaway, which makes all sorts of plans form in my head. But first, I want to get Brianna home. I want her and I alone without distractions.
Once we say goodbye to what feels like every single person at the auction, I lead her outside to our car, keeping her hand secure in mine.
When I reach the door, someone steps in front of her, separating us.
I don’t miss the quiet gasp from her lips, or the surprise—then hurt—in her eyes. “Chet.”
I’m at Brianna’s side in an instant, my arm around her shoulders. Chet’s gaze travels over my grip, my face, before his eyes harden. Then he looks at Brianna again. “Can we talk?”
“That’s not a good idea,” Brianna says.
Chet frowns. “Just a few minutes. I know things ended badly between us, but I want a chance to explain.”
“She said no,” I answer for her. “Come on, Brianna.”
“Would you just give us a minute?” Chet asks, glaring at me. “She can make her own decisions.”
Brianna shakes her head. “We’re finished, Chet. Please—”
“Five fucking minutes, okay? I need to explain.”
“You need to go now.”
Brianna turns to me, trying to get around Chet, but he moves in front of her again and reaches out to grab her arm. “Five minutes.”
I grip Chet’s jacket and shove him back. “Get out of here. And don’t you ever touch her again.”
Chet regains his footing and comes at me at the same time Brianna steps in front of me, trying to diffuse the situation.
“Stop. Chet—please. You need to leave—”
“Damn it, Bri
anna,” I mutter, trying to get her to move. She stepped right in front of a man who clearly isn’t thinking rationally.
“Stop. Both of you.” She glances up at me. “Get in the car.”
“Not until he’s gone.”
Chet grinds his teeth. “Meet me later—at the pizza place we used to go to. I’ll explain everything.”
To my surprise, Brianna nods. “Fine. I’ll meet you at five if you just go now.”
Chet looks precariously close to flipping me off. But he shoves his hands in his pockets and walks off with a huff.
“What the hell?” I ask Brianna.
“Get in the car,” she says firmly before reaching for the handle.
I beat her to it, and then crawl in after her, my mind reeling. She’s actually going to meet with that asshole?
“Brianna,” I start.
She shakes her head. “Not here, please. We had a good time, didn't we?”
“We did, but—”
“Michael.”
I stop arguing a minute to look at her face. Her eyes are filled with tears, threatening to spill at any moment, and her cheeks are pale.
“Damn it.” I pull her into my lap as the car drives from the curb. “Are you okay?”
“I need to deal with this.”
I cup her cheeks in my palms and tilt her head up so she’ll meet my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t want to fight about this with you. Not after today. Not after we just started over.”
“I’m not trying to fight. I’m trying to take care of this for you. You don’t have to see Chet again. And if he ever bothers you—”
“Wait. Hold on.” She takes a deep breath and seems to steady herself. Her hands come up and she pulls mine from her cheeks. “I want to talk to Chet.”
My eyes narrow. “You do?”
“I want to be done with this for good.”
My teeth clench. “Chet’s not the kind of guy who can be reasoned with.”
She kisses me, brushing her lips against mine so I lose focus. Her hands run down my shoulders and then back up my chest. “I want to be with you…I just…”
