I’ve just about finished pouring two glasses of wine when Lily walks into my kitchen, a wide smile on her face. “I’ll never stop obsessing over this house,” she says, sighing happily.
I grin when she side hugs me. “Missed you,” I tell her. “We’re supposed to be doing girls’ night at least once a month, so how have two months gone by without us having a night to ourselves in my new house? Mom complained endlessly about all the Saturday cooking classes you skipped too. It isn’t just me who misses you.”
Her smile drops a little as she follows me into the living room. “I know. I’m sorry, Celeste. Work has just been so busy and I’ve only been there a few months, so I’m constantly working overtime. Windsor Hotels’ training program is ruthless, and every day, at least one person gets fired. I’m scared I’m next.”
I sink down on the brand new cream sofa that Zane helped me pick and pull her down with me. “I guess we knew it’d be like this,” I murmur. “I’m not so crazy that I thought nothing would change, and we’d still see each other as much as we did at uni, but I don’t know… most days I don’t even speak to you at all anymore. Either you’re working overtime, or I am. With us being at different firms…”
She sighs as she takes a sip of her wine. “I know. It’s odd not even being able to talk to my best friend about work, but that NDA they made me sign is just insanely ironclad. It sucks.”
I pull my legs underneath me and sigh. “Whatever, it’s fine. Just tell me if you’re happy there. Zane isn’t being too tough on you, is he? He told me you’re doing well at work, but I need to hear it from you.”
“I’d much rather have worked for Harrison Developments, but I’m happy at Windsor Hotels. It’s truly hard work, but it’s rewarding, and I’m honestly learning so much.” She glances at me then and raises a brow. “Wait. You said Zane told you I’m doing well at work?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I bite down on my lip nervously. “Well, remember how I told you I kissed Zane, and then we had that huge argument, and you told me to just talk to him instead of letting the situation upset me?”
She nods slowly.
“Okay, so… well…”
“Celeste. What are you trying to say?”
“We’re dating,” I rush to tell her. “It’s been seven weeks and god, Lil, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. It’s weird, right? I know it’s weird, because this is Zane and we’ve always hated each other, but he’s changed so much. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe me if I tell you how well he treats me. I really like the person he’s become, but I’m scared too, because what if it isn’t real? Or worse, what if I fall for him even further and my family finds out? I know it can’t last, but I’m just so…”
She places her hand on my arm and rubs gently, her brows scrunched up as she tries to decipher the words that just tumbled out of my mouth. “You’re doing that thing again,” she says, her voice soft.
“The word vomit thing? I’m just nervous. I kept wanting to tell you about him, but I wanted to do it in person, and we just couldn’t find any time to see each other.”
Lily searches my face, almost like she thinks I’m joking. “So, just to confirm, you’re dating Zane Windsor, the guy you’ve always hated, the one that bullied you for years and gave you the worst anxiety? That guy? You’re dating my boss?”
“I… yes. Yeah, that’s the one.”
She stares at me in shock and brings her glass of wine to her lips, knocking it back in one go. “Okay. Well, I didn’t see that coming,” she says, reaching for the bottle to top herself up. “When you said you kissed, I figured it was some pent-up hatred disguised as lust, something you just needed to get out of your systems. I didn’t think you’d start… dating. I don’t get it. How did this even happen?”
I sink back against the cushions and sigh. “I don’t know, Lil. He said he wanted a chance to show me who he’s become in the last couple of years, and things just kind of moved really fast after that. I’ve seen him almost every day, and most evenings we just cook dinner together and talk. He helped me decorate the house, and we painted all the rooms together, except for the kitchen… that one we haven’t gotten round to. It’s all been very… normal. I wasn’t sure about it either. I honestly thought it wouldn’t take long for us to fall back into our old patterns and start arguing, but that just hasn’t happened. It’s odd, because hating him the way I did means I also knew him better than I even realized, and without that animosity between us, there’s just so much we’ve got in common.”
She lets her eyes fall closed for a moment. “Celeste,” she says, her tone pleading. When she faces me, her gaze is filled with pain. “Please don’t let him hurt you. I truly don’t understand why you’d want to be with him after everything he’s put you through. I admit he’s changed, but that doesn’t make him deserving of you. How is this even supposed to work? How could it possibly last?”
“I don’t know. I just know that I’m happy — happier than I’ve been in years, because of him. Even if it doesn’t last, I want every moment I can get. Is that crazy?”
Lily shakes her head and takes another big swig of her wine. “This can’t be more than a temporary fling, Celeste. You know that, don’t you? There’s no space for him in the future you planned out so carefully. Archer was disowned for much less than this, and we both know it’d break your heart if your grandfather did the same thing to you. He will, if he finds out about this.” Her eyes roam over my face, and the anguish in them hits me hard. “Please don’t make me pick up the pieces after Zane breaks your spirit the way he used to. Please walk away while you still can. Make that choice before it’s taken away from you by your families. You know as well as I do you can’t marry him, so please don’t fall for him.”
I look down at my hands and inhale shakily. “I think it might be too late for that.”
