Hugh
Do you think she’ll be upset, Finn?
Fuck yeah. She hates Christy Rae Lovell. Dr. Douche dated her when they had that brief breakup a few years ago. I always thought there was some overlap there, but Reese never believed it.
Cage
Why the fuck does she care what he does now? They aren’t together, correct?
Georgia
They called off their engagement because he didn’t support her decision to go to London for a year. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don’t think she thought he’d stick to it.
Brinkley
I agree. I think she thought they’d get past it and get back together. He sucks for not supporting her, though. I’m glad she went. And she’s coming back in a couple of days, right? You better give her a heads-up, Finn.
Hugh
You’re awfully quiet, brother. You still there?
I just got a text from Reese. She already knows. Olivia told her. I’ve got to go.
Olivia was Reese’s sister, and I wasn’t surprised she’d told her. She was protective, and she wasn’t a fan of Carl, since he didn’t support her sister’s decision to go to London.
I tried dialing Reese three times, but she wasn’t picking up.
My chest squeezed because the thought of her hurting, and me not being there, didn’t sit well with me.
She’d always been my ride or die.
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
two
Reese
I lay curled up in a ball on my bed in my tiny flat in central London. Boxes were stacked in the room, as I was leaving in a few days to head back home.
Taking this job had been the experience of a lifetime.
I had applied for a design fellowship with Elaine Bronstein, a woman whose design had been an inspiration to me since discovering her in Design Beautiful magazine when I was in college.
I now felt prepared to pursue my dreams back home. I had the tools I needed to start my own business. I wasn’t sure how it was all going to happen, but I’d start one client at a time. I knew I didn’t want to be working for my ex-fiancé Carl’s family’s party supply business any longer.
I’d been completely unfulfilled for the last few years, and Elaine had taken a chance on me.
Unfortunately, Carl had been furious when I’d told him that I was going to take the opportunity that I’d been offered.
I’d tried to explain that I needed this. Needed something for myself. I’d supported his dream of becoming a doctor, giving up my amazing job in San Francisco to move back to Cottonwood Cove, where he’d accepted his residency. He didn’t want us to be living apart any longer, so I’d made the choice to go back home.
For him.
He was the man I was going to marry, after all. So, I did it.
I hadn’t been able to find a job in design back home, so, per Carl’s urging, I’d gone to work at Barley’s Party Supplies—heaven forbid anyone in his family come up with an original name.
At the end of the day, I’d spent the last few years making balloon arrangements and witnessing meltdowns every single weekend at children’s birthday parties.
When Kressa Warren, one of the famously awful twins of Cottonwood Cove, had chucked a cupcake at me, causing it to smear all over my favorite skirt, I knew I was done.
Ever try getting red dye out of a pink silk midi skirt?
Not happening.
There was nothing wrong with making balloon animals or hosting parties. It just wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.
I thought if I drew a line in the sand, if I took a stand about how important it was to me, he’d eventually come around.
I still wanted to get married. Still wanted to do everything that we’d planned together.
I wanted children and a family and all the things that my parents had given my sister and me.
All the things that I’d planned to do with Carl.
We’d spoken weekly since I’d left, and though he’d been angry that I’d made the choice that I had, we’d both talked about getting back together when I returned home.
Even though we were currently not together… officially.
Obviously, I wasn’t really clear on what exactly that meant.
I thought I’d return home inspired and ready to start my own business, and he’d ask me to wear my engagement ring again, and we’d go back to wedding planning shortly after.
We had a wedding venue reserved already, and they’d agreed to allow us to use the deposit at a later date.
He’d asked me for forever just eighteen months ago.
Did he seriously change his mind because I didn’t do what he’d wanted me to do?