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My Sweet (Fallen) Angel: A Clean BWWM, Enemies-to-Lovers, Fake Dating Romance
(Somerset Sweethearts Book 1)

Copyright © 2023 by Jordanna Loft

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission
requests, contact jordanna@authorjordannaloft.com.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No
identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or
should be inferred.

Book Cover design by Jordanna Loft

1st edition 2023

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 Contents

Read the Somerset Sweethearts Prequel for FREE!

Chapter One

Chapter Two
Chapter Three

Chapter Four
Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Epilogue

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 Chapter One

Dani

D
eep breaths. Inhale and exhale... slowly. Verrrrrry sloowwwwly.
“Hi, welcome to The Frozen Donut. What can I get you?” I say,
forcing a ton of syrup into my voice. I slather on a smile so thick my cheeks
hurt. If I don’t, I’m going to keel over and land face-first into this bucket of
cookies ’n cream ice cream.
I spent two hours this morning on an essay detailing whether the
prosecution could, or could not, submit security camera footage as evidence
in an art theft scenario as an exception to the hearsay rule.
Two hours of defining, rationalizing, analyzing, and overthinking.
The essay portion for the bar exam is only forty-five minutes.
Which means I’m going to fail… again.
I blink to clear the sleep from my eyes threatening to drag me under, but
that only makes the middle school kids standing in front of the counter
crumple their brows at me more. They probably think I’m blinking twice
for help, but I doubt these GenZs will get the reference–or are they
Generation Alpha? No clue.
 I relax as the kids order a simple glazed donut with vanilla filling. Despite
their young age, they look as exhausted as I am. And no wonder. The poor
kids’ shoulders bend slightly backward thanks to their bulky book bags.
Somerset’s school district might be the smallest in the entire state of Rhode
Island, but they’re no joke. The county’s big on education. But why the
heavy textbooks? Wasn’t this the tablets-at-school generation?
Generation AI?
With a smile I can’t feel, I start on their orders—a coconut glazed donut
with birthday cake ice cream and a chocolate fudge donut with macadamia
nut ice cream. I try not to listen to their friendly bickering, but they’re so
cute.
“We can’t study here,” the girl whispers to the boy, whom I’m assuming is
her friend or subordinate. Hostage, more likely. The poor kid had his order
decided for him before he could open his mouth.
“There’re not enough seats and it’s too loud,” she harps on. “We won’t be
able to concentrate.”
On cue, a group of five teenagers laugh raucously at something they’re
watching on one of their phones. They huddle around the tiny screen,
completely oblivious to their melting, half-eaten ice-cream donuts on the
tiny tables they’d bunched together. The teens are innocent, but there’s no
denying the mess.
“I’m hungry and my back hurts,” the boy whines. “The library’s just
down the street. We can go there after we eat.”
“Fletcher, if I fail this math exam, Mom will kill me.”
“As if. Even if you took Mr. McScruff’s test blindfolded, you’d ace it.”
I clamp my mouth shut as I scoop out more macadamia ice cream and
place it on one half of the donut before finding the top half and pressing
down on the bottom half. I don’t know why, but a part of me is happy Mr.
McScruff—I’m sorry, his name sounds like one you’d give a grumpy cat—
is still at Alford Prep and eager to torment the new generation.
“There’s a trick to his tests,” I interject. “Trust me, I’ve—” My words
peter out as the kids give me “that look.” You know, the one that says, “This
random old lady is butting into our conversation. Back away slowly.”
The boy visibly does that, but the girl juts out her lower jaw. “What’s the
trick and how much extra do we have to pay for it?” she demands in that
rich-kid voice. Now I feel sorry for Stuffy McScruff.
“You don’t have to pay a thing. Just helping a fellow McScruff student
out.”
“My dad says no one does anything without wanting something in
return,” she counters.
I bend over the display counter, but not too far. “And my mama says ‘Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you.’” Period. “Look, kid. You
wanna pass or fail?”
The boy steps forward. “We want to pass. Don’t mind Becks. Her dad’s a
lawyer.”
My boss, Linda Strudwick, who’s seated by the cash register, transforms
her snicker into a cough.
Oof. I wonder if my future kid’s friends are going to apologize on their
behalf because I’m a lawyer.
Well, if you fail the bar again, you won’t have to worry about that. No
kidding.
“Look, if you want to ace the exam, find your friends and compare the
answers you got wrong on the last two months of surprise quizzes. Once
you find those, at least three of them will be on the exam.”
 “That’s the tip?” The tyke asks as if I told her something super obvious.
“Anyone could—” She yelps, then hisses like a cat when the boy yanks on
her bag strap.
“Thanks…” His eyes hover over the name tag on my forest green apron.
“Thanks, Danica. We’ll check with the others. Let’s go, Becks.”
After paying for their order, the kids run off, their heavy book bags
banging against their lower backs like wind-whipped window shutters.
“I guess they changed their mind about staying.” Linda stares wistfully as
the kids rush out into the afternoon sun. “He’ll be looking out for her, that
one.”
“Poor Fletcher.” I turn to the sink behind me and rinse my hands. “How’s
the leg?”
Linda stretches out her right foot, her ankle covered with an ankle brace.
“Better, but that’s just the painkillers doing their magic.” She sighs and
tucks a few strands of graying hair behind her double-pierced ears. “That’s
what I get for thinking I’m still a twenty-five-year-old rock climber instead
of a woman hovering on fifty.”
“At least you’re a cool ‘hovering on fifty.’ Those kids looked at me like
I’m the weird cat lady living in the haunted house across the street,” I
mumble, grabbing a clean dishrag to wipe the already spotless counter.
“For that, you’ll have to have a cat.” Linda smiles, and unlike my cheesy
customer grin earlier, hers is relaxed and effortless. They cause the natural
creases in her face to sink, creating a beautiful tapestry of a woman aging
gracefully and at total peace with it. I won’t know such peace. One strand of
coily, gray hair on my head and I’m searching the aisles for jet-black hair
dye.
 Linda eases off the stool, careful not to put any weight on her injured
ankle. Turns out, a sprained ankle isn’t enough to keep her from running the
second love of her life: The Frozen Donut. “I kinda see why that little girl
wanted to tap-dance with you.”
“How so?”
“Her dad’s a lawyer. You’re a lawyer.”
I shrug. “Thanks, but I have to pass the bar first.”
Linda pats my back. “And you will. How about you finish your shift
early, so you’ll have more time to study tonight? What did your mentor
say?”
I bite my tongue, knowing the truth will disappoint her. It spills out
anyway. “I… haven’t got one yet.”
“Danica Dixon! I thought you were going to ask Mr. Patel? Part-time or
not, he is your boss.”
I stifle a groan. “Yeah, on the verge of retirement. And between you and
me, he hasn’t been well lately. I can’t, in good conscience, ask him to take
me on. He gave me a lot of reading materials, though.” A bunch of old
essays and unlimited access to his library. But I’m mostly doing admin
work at his practice. I handle client concerns and take notes during
meetings, too. I can only study so much in the forty-five minutes I have for
lunch, while others are studying from sun up to sun down.
It’s still too painful to admit how devastating it is to fail at the only thing
I’m good at. Arguing. And I’ve failed the bar twice already.
This July is my last hope… to be good at something. To have a career that
isn’t some first-entry job, so I can help Mom pay off our debt, and stop
playing catch up on day-to-day bills. Then I’ll have enough left over to get
Hailey, my little sister, through college (debt free!). Besides, she’s already
telling her friends she wants to study medicine at Brown, or was it Johns
Hopkins? Mom and I do a good job of hiding how deep in debt we are, and
we’ll do anything to keep it that way.
Linda pats my shoulder. “You’re a hard worker and that pays off. And you
know Artie and I’ll support you as best as we can.”
“Thanks, Linda. But right now only a miracle—”
The rotary phone from the prep area—which I totally thought was a prop
when I first started working here—jingles, bringing our conversation to an
abrupt end. It makes a sound when we get deliveries, but then it’s somehow
linked to our Frozen Donut app… Yeah, I don’t remember everything the
tech guy said, but it’s a pretty cool setup.
“We’ve got a new delivery.” Linda announces.
“Who’s it from?”
“It’s a delivery from a…” she frowns as she reads the message. “A ‘T.A.’”
“Where to?” I ask, already shimmying out of my apron. Even if Linda’s
ankle wasn’t out of commission, I’d have gone, anyway. I need the balmy
sea air to help organize my thoughts.
“Walter Memorial. Emergency Ward.”
It takes everything inside of me not to react. But I should’ve known better
than to try to fool my best friend’s mom.
Linda raises an eyebrow. “Are we okay with the location?”
I shrug. “Of course. I’m just surprised someone wants a frozen donut
while they’re having a medical emergency.”
“Well, it can’t be that bad. They already tipped.” Linda holds up The
Frozen Donut cell and clicks on the app that manages the store’s payments.
Apparently, T.A. wanted five orders of a single flavor: chocolate cake
donuts with s’mores ice cream filling. And Linda’s right. The tip was very
generous, which meant that T.A. wasn’t having a bad hospital experience at
all.
“‘T.A.’ says they’ll meet you at the Front Desk. Apparently, it’s urgent.”
“Ooh, maybe it’s the president.”
Linda shakes her head. “We’d see a lot more heavily tinted SUVs. And
Martha’s Vineyard is a bigger catch. Oh, right!” Linda claps her hands.
“Maybe it’s a friend of Kyle’s. Remember that massive order he had us
deliver to that film studio in Toronto for those industry people? It could be
him, but he’s trying to be sly about it.”
I nod, unsurprised. With Kyle, my best friend and Linda’s son, co-starring
in one of the most anticipated World War II series since Band of Brothers,
he has a lot more money to throw around. But wasn’t he filming in France?
“Well, whoever it is, I’ll sneak a peek.” I start packing the order.
“All right, but head back soon, okay? I’m serious about you not getting
home too late for your studies.”
Agreed. Honestly, I’m scared about my lack of progress with my studies,
but Linda’s words are like a balm, making me think everything will be
okay. “Thanks, Linda.”
Once everything is ready, I grab my helmet and secure the thermal bag
with the carefully packed donut ice cream sandwiches, trying to ignore the
heavy weight taking up space inside my chest. Seconds later, sand and loose
gravel crunches under my wheels as I guide my bike away from the beach.
Sunset Beach is full of sunbathers splashing in the glittering bay. Mere
footsteps ahead, kids take turns showing off Ollie Norths and varial
heelflips at the skatepark, while a few others tuck into planet-sized burgers
oozing cheddar cheese on picnic benches next to Finn’s Burger Bar.
Everyone looks so sunny and attractive, like we’re on the set of one of those
teen shows based in California, but that’s actually filmed in Vancouver.
The fastest route to Walter Memorial is taking a left on Main Street past
Sip n’ Grits. I keep my eyes ahead, the pounding in my ears growing louder.
Flower shops, antique stores, and outdoor restaurants blur as I whiz by. I
slow at the intersection next to Mike’s Pizza and inhale. The scent of baking
garlic dough reminds me I haven’t had pizza in months. Being borderline
broke can do wonders for the waistline.
In no time, my watch beeps that I’ve arrived.
Walter Memorial looks more like a university campus than a hospital with
its square red brick buildings fastened together. It’s in a quiet residential
area with the Redemption Baptist Church steeple stretched to the sky over
fluffy, red oak trees, gently swaying in the early summer breeze.
Coming here, to this place, is like a bitter homecoming. Back in my senior
year of high school, Dad, Mom, Hailey, and I practically lived here. So, it’s
no surprise that instead of the emergency ward, my brain automatically
powers my feet to oncology. The walls are freshly painted, but they’re still
too familiar in my mind. And soon, the memories flood in:
Dad baking homemade pizzas loaded with cheddar cheese and green
peppers.
Dad falling asleep while we watched my favorite movie for the nth time.
Dad cracking jokes and trying to make Hailey laugh from his hospital
bed. She’d only been ten. I was seventeen.
Later, when the cancer took pieces of him with an aching slowness, it was
our turn to make him laugh.
Deep breaths, Dani. Inhale… exhale…
 But the antiseptic walls, bleach-white floors, and fluorescent lights burn
my eyes. My chest squeezes and releases my heart like a cat toying with a
mouse between its paws. I try to give a long exhale, but my eyes swim and
the bright lights go dim.
“Noooo,” I groan, at least I think I do, as the hallway swirls. My legs
weaken and it hits me. I’m going to be one of those people who faint out of
nowhere. Everyone will look at me, wondering, “Who’s that?” and
whispering, “Thank heavens she’s already at the hospital.”
But instead of smacking the back of my head on the cool floor, I fall back
against something.
Someone.
Someone who smells really good. An exotic concoction of sea breeze and
sandalwood flows into my nostrils, making me sink into a dream-like
trance.
“You smell amazing,” spills out of my mouth before I can stop the words.
My rescuer’s deep chuckle vibrates through my back. “Now that’s a
compliment I never thought I’d get from you.”
My body freezes like boiling water thrown out into sub-zero temperatures.
That voice. I know the commander of that voice. I may have failed the bar a
million times, but I’m not dumb enough to question reality.
I open my eyes, almost too afraid to look, but I do, tilting my head up and
back. My curls snag on the soft blazer and shirt covering the man’s solid,
toned chest. Instantly, I’m smacked with two shots of Caribbean blue, the
imperious flare of his nostrils, and his mouth, that even after all these years,
curves into his signature, insufferable smirk.
This isn’t my guardian angel coming to my rescue. It’s the one person I
swore I’d never speak to again, propping me up with his “wings.”
It’s the fallen angel himself.
Gabriel Kelley.

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 Chapter Two

Dani

O
xygen slams into my lungs with the force of a Mack truck the second
my body registers who’s exactly holding it—me. Twisting out of
Gabriel’s grip, I will my wobbly legs to stand on their own. My high school
nemesis, and overall thorn-in-my-flesh, stands there as handsome as ever.
Clearly, judging by his coiffed hair and his toned form outfitted in a navy
Savile Row suit, the years have been good to him.
A part of me still can’t believe this is happening to me, but this isn’t a
dream.
Because I don’t dream of Gabriel Kelley.
Ever.
And yet here he is, towering over me with that evil smirk. He’s a little
pale and there are shadows under his eyes, but anyone would look like an
angel of death under these fluorescent lights. Especially him.
I do my best not to squirm under his pointed stare, but I’m sure he can see
all of me: the sheen of sweat on my brow, my eyes, and my lips. Down he
goes over my willowy form—thinner than it was in high school—and my
worn, no-brand sneakers. But then the cretin’s eyes drift back up, latching
on to my name tag.
“Linda lent you a shirt or something?” His voice is smooth like a vat of
melted chocolate. It’s a little deeper than I remember, and yet it still has that
snobby tone–you know, that voice all those rich-kid Rhodians have.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He nods to my orange Frozen Donut polo shirt.
“It’s mine.” Now stop talking to me.
He frowns. “You’re working at the Frozen Donut?” He bites the inside of
his lip like he’s not sure whether to laugh or not.
I tilt my chin. “Yes, I am. Sorry, not everyone can do… whatever it is you
do.”
With a slightly raised eyebrow, he whips out a razor-thin business card.
“Attorney-at-Law in the states of New York, Boston, and Rhode Island.” He
hands it to me, and I hate to admit it, but the powder-white minimalist
design is impeccable, and the embossed finish on the ridiculously expensive
paper is pure art.
It reads:

TAYLOR & ASSOCIATES

CORPORATE AND FINANCE LAW
GABRIEL KELLEY
JUNIOR ASSOCIATE

His slow smile scorches me. “If you ever need my services—”
“As if I’ll ever need your… services.” I shove the business card back to
him, but he shrugs and slips it back inside his jacket. My head’s still a little
loopy, so I focus on squeezing my eyes open and shut, then turn away. No
need to drag on this unhappy reunion. We aren’t friends. We were rivals,
sure. But friends? At one time I thought we were, but that was a lifetime
ago.
A sliver of memory filters into my consciousness. Rain and damp wood
scents the air as I sit on the bleachers, alone, staring out at an empty,
waterlogged field. There’s no sound except for my sobs and the din of rain
hitting the bleachers and the football field, and then the bench sinks. Gabe
—I called him Gabe at the time—wordlessly sits next to me, his outer thigh
brushing mine, warm and alive.
“I won’t say anything else after this, but I’m here for you. I’ll always be
here.”
“Why are you working there?” Present Gabe asks me, confused and
curious. I’m not in the mood to humor him.
“Goodbye, Gabriel.”
“Dani,” Gabriel calls out after me, but I ignore him and the nickname. He
doesn’t get to call me that anymore.
“Don’t call me that.” I whirl to face the boy I thought I could trust, the
boy I thought would be the last person in the world who’d purposely ruin
my high school life.
Something flashes in his eyes, but it’s gone before I can read it. “You
didn’t answer my question.”
“And I won’t. Bye.” See you never.
A twinge of guilt passes through me as I storm down the hallway and take
the stairs instead of the elevator. Mom says I have a temper with teeth, but
I’m not usually this person. This… mean, angry woman. It’s just that the
mere sight of Gabriel makes me want to rip the world apart with my
incisors. Can anyone blame me?
At the start of my senior year, Dad’s cancer had returned with a
vengeance. My grades had bottomed out, which only made Gabriel Kelley
gloat. He calmed down a little when he found out it was because of Dad’s
illness. Gabriel was downright sweet. But I should’ve known better. I was
too busy grieving to feel the knife he was twisting deep in my back.
When I found out how much he tried to sabotage my life, I was such an
emotional wreck I barely graduated. There was no more talk about
scholarships. If I’d kept my grades up, I would’ve gotten a scholarship, and
gone to a legit university instead of taking law courses in night school.
Then maybe I would’ve passed the bar three years early. Then I could’ve
slapped my own business card in Gabriel’s hand.
It would’ve read:

DIXON & ASSOCIATES

DANICA DIXON
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
LAWYER OF… SOMETHING

I’m still figuring out what to specialize in, but it doesn’t matter. As long
as it’s not family law. Yech.
Back to my business card. It would’ve been fancy, too. Better than Gabe’s
by a hundred miles. But most importantly, I would be a lawyer. Lawyer Me
wouldn’t have to worry about Mom’s lack of retirement funds, or the
mortgage and car payments, or think about how we couldn’t afford to send
Hailey to university to study medicine, even with a scholarship. Taking on
more debt is not an option. It’s been eight years since Dad died, and Mom
and I are still paying off his hospital and medical bills.
Footsteps echo behind me in the enclosed stairwell. Gabriel’s Italian shoes
descend the stairs, almost on top of me.
“Stop following me.” My voice echoes in the stairwell.
“I’m not,” he replies smoothly. “I’m going to Emergency, which…” he
points to the emergency exit layout of the hospital framed on the wall next
to us, “is right across from General. Is that where you’re headed?”
Oh, how perfect. “N-no, I’m going to Emergency, too.”
With an arched brow, he steps around me. We don’t speak, but I thank him
when he opens the door for me. That’s something about him that hasn’t
changed. Gabriel Kelley might have gone after my throat when we were
running against each other for a coveted Student Council rep spot, but he
was an unapologetically chivalrous orator. For a kid who could barely look
you in the eye in middle school, he’d blossomed into something else.
He won, by the way.
“You didn’t answer my question about working at The Frozen Donut,”
Gabriel says as we stroll down the hallway. “I thought you wanted to go to
Ya–”
“Why are you back in Somerset?”
“There was…” A bleak look enters his eyes, but before I can comment on
it, footsteps rush toward us. From down the illuminated hall, a tall,
strikingly handsome man—also blond, unsurprisingly—sifts through
patients and visitors alike to approach us. Somerset must have the highest
ratio of hot blond guys to normies in the entire country. Kyle’s blond and
extremely attractive—but he’s my best friend. Gabriel is gorgeous to the
point of being downright beautiful, but definitely not a friend. Now this guy
is smack in the middle of Kyle and Gabe on the hot scale. The man trains
his eyes, which aren’t as blue as Gabriel’s, on The Frozen Donut logo on
my shirt.
“Frozen Donut?” He asks, a little out of breath.
I nod, eager to step away from Gabriel, but he follows my movement,
hovering over my shoulder like an avenging angel. “That’s right. You’re
T.A.?”
The man grins sheepishly, scratching his nape. “Sorry about that. I typed
in my initials and sent the order in before I could change it. I called ahead
and told Linda who it was, but you must have left already.” The man’s
smile is so infectious and golden, I can’t help but smile back. Don’t ask me
why, but I can feel Gabriel’s frown roasting the back of my head.
The man stretches out his hand, catching mine in a solid grip. “Tyler
Abbey.”
“Tyler Abbey that runs the Abbey?” Gabriel butts in, because of course.
Tyler turns his attention to Gabriel and beams. “That’s right.”
Gabriel’s demeanor changes in a snap. “Gabriel Kelley, nice to finally
meet you.” Now it’s his turn to get his hand shaken. “The Abbey’s
practically my grandmother’s second home.”
Recognition blooms in the man’s eyes. “I take it your grandmother is
Eleanor Kelley.”
“That she is.”
“Right, right… She hosts her book club during Afternoon Tea on
Tuesdays. I hadn’t seen her in a while, and I’d planned on checking in with
her, but I got some unexpected news. I just found out I’m going to be a
father!”
 “Wow, congratulations!” I say, handing him his order, which is the reason
I’m here in the first place. “Are these for your wife?”
“Thanks, but nah.” He shakes his head. “They’re for my mom. She’s been
crying nonstop since we told her the news, and of course, she had to come
to the hospital ‘to see the baby.’ The baby’s still cookin’.” He dissolves into
happy, almost teary laughter. “I’m hoping her favorite treats will calm her
down a bit.”
“She sounds sweet,” I say, meaning it.
Tyler huffs. “Let’s see how long that lasts. Something tells me Tasha and I
are gonna have a handful dealing with her. She’s already plotting how to
spoil her first grandbaby.”
Gabriel’s society smile freezes in place, but he can’t quite mask the
glimmer of sadness in those blue eyes. “Let her. Your little one will never
forget fun times with their grandma.”
“You don’t.” Tyler nods, his eyes turning glassy. He clears his throat
roughly and turns to me. “Anyway, thanks for coming all the way out here.
I didn’t want to leave Tasha by herself until the others arrived.”
I smile, genuinely liking the man. “Not a problem, Mr. Abbey, and
congratulations again.”
Tyler extends his hand to me. “It’s just Tyler. Feel free to stop by The
Abbey any time.”
Probably not anytime soon. Eating at The Abbey, much less spending a
night there, was far out of my price range. But if I pass the bar, work as an
attorney for a little while, and ship Hailey off to the university of her
dreams, Mom and I could have a little staycation there.
Gabriel, with the smoothness only achievable by old money folk, fishes
out his business card, answering, “Will do. And if you’d like to set up
anything for the babe—a trust or anything like that—I know a couple of
local folks who’d happily take care of you. Here’s my card.”
I barely hold back a snort.
Once Tyler Abbey leaves, the tension returns. But my job’s done. I can
finish up my shift at The Frozen Donut, go home, take a quick shower, then
hit the books. And once again, Gabriel Kelley will be a forgotten dream.
“Another satisfied customer,” I say to the air. I turn and fix my gaze on
Gabriel’s navy tie. They have tiny, chipping sparrows on them. My favorite
bird. His too.
“All the best to you,” I whisper. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his
thumb twitch.
“You too, Dani.” He hesitates. “Don’t fail again.”
My head shoots up. “What did you say? No, wait. How did you even…?”
Why bother asking? Of course, Kyle told him about me studying for the
bar for the third year in a row. Sometimes I wonder if Kyle is more his best
friend than mine.
I brace for his snarky remark, but there’s none. No smirk. No lazy humor,
just that look that reminds me of the waifish, pale boy he used to be in
elementary school, standing on the edge of the monkey bars watching all
the other kids play…
…the boy who hardly said more than a sentence in junior high unless he
was with me…
…the boy in high school who let me cry on his shoulder while we sat on
the bleachers in the rain.
… the boy who broke my heart way worse than Terrence, my ex-
boyfriend, ever did.
“Why are you really here, Gabriel? In this hospital? In Somerset even?”
 He snorts. “Visiting someone, obviously.”
I shouldn’t care, but I do. For us, hospitals equal death, and death is a
language we both know and understand. And even though I can’t stand
Gabriel’s guts, I have to know.
Gabriel reads the question on my face, his lips tightening. Just when I
think he won’t answer, he finally says, “My grandmother.” He stuffs his
hand deep in the pockets of his tailored pants. “She fell and dislocated her
shoulder. I’ll be staying with her until she’s more like herself again.”
My heart sinks, chasing away the hurt from my old wounds. “I’m sorry to
hear that. I know she means a lot to you.”
Gabriel laughs bitterly before shooting me a sardonic smile. “Oh, Dani,
don’t go soft on me now.”
I give him a plastic smile of my own. “You’re right. Fool me once and
twice, right?” What was I still doing here? Our story, our friendship—as
brief as it was—is now a closed book. With a finality I feel deep in my
bones, I say firmly, “Goodbye, Gabriel.”
He doesn’t answer, but it doesn’t matter.
I spin around, blindly finding my way to the hospital entrance. I don’t
breathe again until I feel the afternoon sunlight on my skin.
Funny, I’m still freezing.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Three

Gabe

N
ora’s room is quiet and still when I close the door softly behind me. I
stand there for a couple of seconds, needing to process the current
immutable facts.
My grandmother is in the hospital.
I’m back in Somerset, where the air constantly sweeps the scent of
sunlight, sea, and brine through the small town, and…
…and Dani still despises me.
I bite down on a groan, not wanting to wake my grandmother, who’s still
sleeping. Why did it have to be her? Why was she cosplaying as delivery
for The Frozen Donut? And why did one glance from her make me feel like
an insecure, eager-to-please kid all over again?
Since I got the call about Nora being hospitalized, I’ve felt like I was on a
nonstop roller coaster with a shredded seatbelt. The partner I work for at
Taylor & Associates as a junior associate, Grant Huxley, has been blowing
up my phone with emails about the client file I should have emailed to him
an hour ago. Now the docs are telling me they want to keep Nora overnight
to “run some more tests.”
I hate hospitals.
Dani does too.
But she was here, wearing a Frozen Donut uniform instead of one of those
navy, charcoal gray, and black suits the female attorneys wear at my job.
I tilt my head back against the cool walls, painted in a duck egg blue, and
stare at the low recessed lights above me. A trace of lavender drifts through
the air filter framing the bed where Nora sleeps in her private hospital
room. Despite the warm lights, Nora looks pale, her face lined with cracks
from the earth-shattering life events she’d experienced and endured. One of
them was having to be both mother and father to me when I was nine, after
my parents died suddenly and tragically. Her eyes are closed, but I don’t
think she’s sleeping. Maybe she’s trying to.
I skirt the edge of her bed and make for the couch where my laptop bag
lies haphazardly on its side.
I barely press the button to power up my laptop when Nora mumbles,
“You’re not allowed to work while I’m sick.”
“I knew you weren’t sleeping,” I say, cracking a smile. Her smile mirrors
mine, but it fades quickly.
“I told Knox not to tell you.”
“Yeah, well, you gave him enough of a fright he felt like he had to.” I set
aside my laptop and rise from the couch to sit on the edge of Nora’s bed.
“You’ll have to make it up to him when you get home.”
“If Knox wasn’t the best butler on this side of the hemisphere—and like
family—I’d fire him for worrying you so much.” She waves her hand
tiredly. Clear veins of thin tubes filled with IV fluids snake around her
wrists and arms. “Old people black out sometimes.”
No, they don’t, I want to rebut, but I don’t feel like arguing today. My
brief interaction with Dani sapped whatever energy I had left.
Stop thinking about her. When are you going to finally let her go?
Nora stares in my eyes with naked worry, and dare I say, a touch of fear.
“What did the docs tell you?”
“They’re keeping you overnight for observation, and they mentioned a CT
scan.” I’m careful to keep my face relatively bland. “They probably want to
rule out all possible injuries from your fall.”
Nora shifts nervously under the covers. “Y-yes, that’s probably it. How
thorough of them.” She clears her throat and tilts her chin, which is her
signal to change the subject. “Where is Knox anyway?”
She makes space on her bed so I can curl up next to her. It was much
easier to do this as a nine-year-old when nightmares of planes falling and
my parents in them sent me rushing to her room. At almost twenty-six, not
so much.
“I sent him home,” I reply, stifling a yawn. “I don’t think he’s slept since
you’ve been in here.”
Nora holds my hand, her skin fragile like wet paper. When had she gotten
so… old? This woman who’d always seemed larger than life, stoic at times,
but a buttress. I’ve been away from Somerset for too long.
“I was so scared,” she murmurs, caressing my head with her good hand.
I raise my head to look at her. Her electric blue eyes are like my dad’s,
only kinder. “You don’t have to be scared anymore,” I say. “I’m here now. I
got some time off work, and I’m going to stay with you until you’re back on
your feet. I’ve already checked out a nice rehab center for your shoulder.
It’s a little outside of Somerset, but they’re one of the best in the country
and—”
“Gabriel.” Nora stops me with a gentle hand on my cheek.
“I wasn’t scared for me, but for you.” Her eyes glow like uncut sapphires.
“I was so worried I’d have gone on to glory and left my one and only
grandchild alone.”
My chest seizes, and it takes a few seconds for me to breathe. “I’m… You
don’t have to think about that.”
“No, no,” she insists, trying to sit up, but the pain in her shoulder stills her
frantic movements. “No, you’re not fine. Not in the state that you are in.”
“I’m not the one with an arm in a sling.”
Her laugh is low and silent, like a ghost. “Oh, my boy. You’re so
handsome, just like your father.” Her breath shudders. “I am proud of your
accomplishments, but sweetheart, what are accomplishments without love?
I’ll tell you. It’s like the second edition of a beloved novel, but with no
words on the pages. The cover looks regal and refined, artistic even, but
there’s nothing inside to make you dance or laugh or cry, nothing to stir
your soul.”
A lump fills my throat, making it hard to breathe. “I think whatever meds
you’re on are making you awfully philosophical.”
“Gabriel, listen to your grandmother! Don’t spend your entire life chasing
your ambitions.”
You mean like my dad? But I bite back the words. They’d only hurt her. It
was bad enough that she blames herself for the accident that took away my
parents, even though she had nothing to do with the engine failure that sent
their Cessna crashing into an island in Washington State.
 “But if you must aspire for greater things,” Nora goes on. “At least find
someone who’ll want to share that with you.”
I groan. “Nora, you’re lying on a hospital bed. This isn’t the time to worry
about my love life.”
But her fingers tighten on mine as tears leak down her cheeks. “I don’t
want to leave this earth knowing that you’ll be all alone. Again. I couldn’t
bear it.”
A lump swells in the back of my throat, causing my words to shimmer
and shake on my tongue. “I have you.”
“You do,” she touches my cheek. “But I won’t always be there, even
though I want to.”
Yes, you will! I want to scream, but I can’t. Death is a long-time friend of
our family.
Dani, too, a thought springs up. Again.
I shove her out of my brain. She doesn’t belong there. Not anymore.
Besides, I don’t want to think about a stubborn girl—woman, now—who
was too silly to recognize who had her back from who didn’t.
And I had her back. I always did. From the very beginning.
“Before I ended up in here, I was talking to Jill about her granddaughter
possibly being your date for Carol’s summer garden party—”
“Nora…”
“Yes, yes, I am aware.” Her eyes turn sly. “But I guess I have to give up
all of that now, since you have someone else.”
Have who? “What are you talking about?”
“Your new girl. If my very apt nurse didn’t see you talking with a pretty
girl in the hallway, I would’ve truly despaired.” She wears an impish grin.
“She said you two looked awfully cozy.”
 Pretty girl? That’s definitely Dani. But cozy? Me and Dani? And when
did she and this phantom nurse have time to talk? No wonder Nora was
pretending to sleep. She didn’t think this would be the moment I’d choose
to introduce her to a girl, right?
“This… phantom nurse-friend of yours must be talking about Dani.”
Nora blinks innocent eyes up at me. “Is that her name? Sounds familiar.”
“She’s a friend…” Technically, was a friend. I never gave up on our
friendship. Dani did, and much more.
“From college?”
“No, uh… Here.”
Nora scrounges her forehead, the lines there forming a gently sloping hill.
“In Somerset? Interesting.” She makes a show of nodding her head, but I
know all her tactics. In her mind, she’s already planning to have Knox run a
background check on Danica Dixon, the woman who hates my guts. “And
when do I get to meet her?”
The word “never” hovers on my lips, but I don’t have the heart to say it.
For the first time since Nora’s hospitalization, the color has returned to her
cheeks, and even though she’s obviously tired, a glimmer of her old self
shines through. I can’t disappoint her again. Not when she’s worried about
me for years. Not when she’s suffered her third mini-stroke in a year and is
hiding it from me. To “protect” me.
An idea hatches in my brain, and my body instantly revolts. But what
other choice do I have?
Air whooshes out of my lungs.
God, forgive me because Dani never will.
“Well…” I start off slowly, my neck as hot as a thousand furnaces.
“Things are still new between us…”
 “I knew it. I knew it!” Nora gasps, but I settle her back on the bed before
she re-injures her dislocated shoulder. “No wonder you kept turning down
dates with Sophia Montgomery. You were already seeing your Dani. Why
didn’t you tell me? And why haven’t we been introduced?”
Because we’re not dating, and she’s stubborn, and she hates me.
I settle for a half-truth. “She’s focusing on passing the bar right now, so
it’s hard for her to get out much. I barely see her as it is.”
Nora pshaws me. Now, she’s back in full form. “So what? You’re a
lawyer. Coach her after one of your dates.”
“But—”
“In fact, why don’t you invite her over for dinner next Sunday, and then
study with her in the library afterward? Your father’s law tomes are still
there for the both of you to use. She can come over whenever she likes if it
helps her.”
Something falls inside my chest, something lifesaving like a rope or a
wrench out of reach, like in those old action movies. “N-next week? Don’t
you need more time to get better?”
“No, I do not!” She sits up now, ignoring her shoulder. “Now that my
grandson is finally in a relationship, I’m determined to see it through to the
end to meet her.”
“The… end?”
“You and Dani walking down the aisle, of course.”
No amount of logical argument is going to get me out of this situation,
and all the citations in law are even more useless when it comes to my
grandmother and her matchmaking ways. I’m stuck. Before either of us can
say more, the door opens and her nurse—the spy, perhaps—preps Nora for
her CT scan.
 As they wheel Nora—the only family I’ve got left—into the imaging
center, she hums and cracks the occasional joke with the nurses and other
attendants. One of them says something to her that makes her laugh, but she
winces whenever she shifts about on the bed. But she’s happy.
She’s proud of me.
My hands itch to fire off a quick text to Kyle and ask for Dani’s number,
but I slip it back into my pocket.
One, it’s after 10:00 PM in France right now, which means he’s probably
wrapping up shooting on set. Two, I don’t want to put him in the middle of
the chaos between me and Dani. Again. It was an unspoken promise
between Dani and I—when our frenemy relationship devolved into outright
avoidance—to never get Kyle involved since he’s like a brother to both of
us.
But how the heck am I going to convince a woman who’s nursed a
“strong dislike” of me for over eight years to be my girlfriend for at least a
month–maybe two–until Nora recovers enough?
No clue, but then an idea hatches in my mind as I stare at my dull,
warbled reflection on the floor of the imaging waiting area.
Will it work?
Probably not, but I have to try.
For both our sakes.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Four

Dani

I
look up at the knock on my doorframe as Hailey peeks into my room,
munching on a raw carrot stick. She’s sporting fresh passion braids,
which she has entwined in a messy bun on top of her head. We haven’t had
dinner yet, but she’s already dressed in her panda pajama set, just in case
she falls asleep studying.
Yep. She’s studying. On her summer break. But my baby sis wants a
scholarship for med studies at Columbia. Or was it Brown? She changes her
mind so often, I can’t track all her Ivy League choices.
“What’s up, little bug?” I ask, stretching.
“Mom says dinner’s ready, and she says, ‘No, you can’t eat in your
room.’”
“Buzzkill.” I grin, flipping my text shut. Simply Tort, it says on the cover,
but after today’s events, there’s nothing simple about anything I’m studying
right now. “Give me two seconds to wash up.”
I sigh as she skips out of my room. Rolling in my second-hand office
chair away from my thrifted study desk, I throw one of my crumpled essays
into the bin. I don’t know what it is about me and writing, but I can’t seem
to formulate what I studied into coherent thoughts on paper. This has never
happened before—me finding it hard to get the words out, but I guess
failing over and over does that to a person.
Outside my bedroom, scents of ground beef and vegetable chop suey float
down from the end of the short hallway. My stomach churns instantly,
reminding me I only had half a sandwich for lunch and a measly apple for
breakfast, sprinkled with tortilla chips in between. Not the healthiest, but
it’s the best I can do with my work and study schedule.
“Hey, Mom,” I say as I enter the kitchen.
Mom glances at me over her shoulder, shooting me a surprised smile as
she rinses her hand in the sink. “Hey, stranger. Didn’t expect to see you
today. I already had your container set out.”
“Funny, Mom.” I kiss her on the cheek, noticing the dark circles peeking
through her melanated skin. “I thought Hailey was the stranger, with all her
studying and going out with friends.”
Hailey giggles as she places a jug of homemade, orange-ginger blended
juice on a place mat in the center of our tiny dining table—also second hand
since the leg of our older one broke last year. Dad had made that table, at
least that’s what Mom says.
“She was, but now you’re comin’ in first place.” She notches an eyebrow.
“I take it the hours are paying off?”
I duck my head. “We’ll see.”
I tickle Hailey’s sides, and she dodges and jerks, trying to get away from
me. Yes, I’m twenty-four years old, my sister is seven years younger, and
we still horse around. Even if I’m a sixty-five-year-old granny, I’ll be
chasing the kiddies with my cane. In a good way.
 I walk over to the sink and kiss Mom on the cheek. “How was your
shift?”
“Long. Glad to be home.” She lifts tired eyes to me and nudges her head
to Hailey, who’s humming while she sets the table.
Did you tell her? She mouths.
I shake my head, my heart sinking to my toes. Not yet, I mouth back.
She taps on her watch. What are you waiting for?
“Do I need to step into the next room?” Hailey asks, spooning out some of
the ground beef from the pot and devouring it. Mom shoos her away before
she can snag it.
“Nope.” A nervous giggle ending in a hiccup flies out of my mouth. Not
good. My body has a good strategy for giving me away when I have a
secret I definitely shouldn’t share. I quickly gulp down on some water.
“Mom and I are dying to know when you’re gonna hurry and finish setting
the table so we can eat.”
Once we’re settled, the three of us sit around the table. Mom says grace,
then we tuck in… then Hailey starts talking about the one thing Mom and
I’ve been dreading all year.
“So, Mom, Taylor, and I were talking about our college choices, and… I
decided to add Yale to the list,” she says, spooning some more chop suey on
her plate.
Mom and I shoot each other a quick look. “Really?” Mom clears her
throat. “That’s… that’s good.”
Come on, Mom. Keep it together.
“Yeah. I know Dani wanted to go, but couldn’t, so I thought…” Hailey
shoots me a quick glance. “Maybe I could go for the both of us? Not to step
on your toes or anything.”
 “No, of course not. Yale has one of the most comprehensive medical
study program.”
Hailey brightens. “It does, doesn’t it? I mean, their medical research
programs alone make it a strong contender for schools I want to go to.
Taylor says Kyle knows someone who went there and they swear by it.
They didn’t study medicine though, but the proximity, right? And it’s only a
four-hour drive from Somerset.”
Mom sips quietly from her cup. “Sounds like a lot.”
The glow in Hailey’s eyes fades, her shoulders slumping. “By a lot, you
mean… a lot of fun?”
“Expensive.”
It hurts seeing Hailey’s heart sink. “I know, Mom. Really, I do. But this
will be a perfect opportunity for me. And I’ll study hard to get a
scholarship.”
“You certainly will, dear, but even with a scholarship—”
“Yes, you will,” I cut in. “And Mom and I will be there to pick up the
slack if we have to.”
Hailey still doesn’t look convinced. “Okay, yes, it’s a lot of money, but I
seriously need this.”
“And you’ll get it,” I promise her. Even if it kills me, she’ll go to Yale,
Johns Hopkins, Harvard—doesn’t matter. Whatever she wants, I’ll make
sure it happens.
Mom says nothing, but she doesn’t have to. The weight of my promise
sinks us both.
My reckless promise is all I think about as I close the office early for Patel
& Patel Law Associates, then start my afternoon shift at The Frozen Donut.
Taylor, Kyle’s baby sis and Hailey’s bestie, is here today to help out, but
Linda’s still not quite able to get back on her feet. So today, I’m in the
kitchen prepping the out-of-state donut ice cream orders to be shipped out
tomorrow.
As I consider how much blood plasma I’ll have to sell while Hailey’s in
college, the swinging doors creak open behind me.
I don’t know what it is—instinct, maybe—but the energy in the air shifts
like an impending lightning storm rolling across the bay. So, when Gabriel
enters the kitchen munching on a plain ice cream donut glazed in caramel,
I’m not surprised at all.
“Hello, again.” He says, shooting me a slow smile that tickles something
inside my chest. I stamp it down because I don’t like feeling like that,
especially around him. “I don’t know why but I keep imagining you in a
cute little dress with plaid collars and sleeves, like in those old black and
whites. Not an orange shirt.”
Like I want you imagining me at all.
I return my attention to my prep station, but did I say the man was
persistent? He saunters by, and my knees tingle as my nose picks up notes
of bergamot and layers of spice. Whatever concoction he’s wearing works
on me. I’m a sucker for guys with incredible scent-tastes… unless their
name is Gabriel Kelley.
I move away from him and take fresh dough out of the prep fridge. I
scoop it out of the bowl and lay it flat on the table. Once I sprinkle flour on
the counter, I take out the risen dough out of the bowl and slam it on the
counter with a thwack! I hope Gabriel gets the point.
 Nope. He saunters over to the freezer where we keep the ice cream donuts
for sale—he’s already polished off the one he was eating—and takes out a
donut I’d finished earlier.
“What flavor is this?” he asks.
Get-out-of-here with a hint of stay-gone. “Stracciatella. Look, this section
is for employees only—”
He ends up taking out a batch of pecan-flavored donuts with chocolate
sprinkles, makes a face, then promptly puts it back. “Nope, not this one.”
“Stop poking around in there.”
“Ah, found ’em.” He pulls out a batch of birthday cake donuts with
strawberry cheesecake ice cream and takes out a jumbo-sized one. He
ignores my protests and sets it on a ceramic plate with a knife and fork,
because of course. I guess he couldn’t shake all that time spent at those
hoity-toity finishing schools for boys—ahem—“young gentlemen” in
Vermont. With a grin, he reaches for the caramel syrup and drizzles it over
the ice cream donut.
His teeth flash as he grins at me, and it’s easy to imagine a thousand
women falling for that smile. To their own detriment.
“I love caramel,” he says.
Blech. No wonder I can’t stand the flavor. “You’ll have to pay for that.”
“Just add it to my bill.” He shrugs. “What’s one more to the eighty I
ordered for the New York office? Besides, this is my best friend’s parents’
dig, I’ve worked here before, aaaaand…” He takes a bite, severing the
donut in half, “I have a proposition for you.”
“Whatever it is, no.”
“You’re not even going to give me five minutes? I promise it’s
important.”
 “No,” I repeat, because apparently, his skull is thicker than…whatever the
thickest object in the world is. Besides, I don’t do favors for Gabriel Kelley.
I do ignoring, crossing the street, and hiding behind trees. Anything to stay
as far away from him as possible.
“You don’t even know what it’s about,” he whines.
“That’s right, and I don’t want to. Look, I know you’re back because of
what happened to Mrs. Kelley—and I’m sorry she got injured. But if you
being back in Somerset means I have to see you on a frequent basis, then
I’ll be the one to get out of your hair. Enjoy your donut.”
I wipe my hands on my apron before yanking it off. I’m about to breeze
through the door when his somber words stop me in my tracks. “My
grandmother didn’t just fall, Danica. She had a mini-stroke. Another one.”
My breath leaves my body in a whoosh, but before I can even express a
word of sympathy, Gabriel rushes on.
“Knox found her lying on the ground in the doorway between her
bedroom and the bathroom, unable to get up.” He clenches his jaw, his fists
balled by his sides. “My grandmother had been lying on the ground with a
dislocated shoulder for hours and I wasn’t there to help her. She’s fine with
me knowing about the shoulder, but not the stroke. Yesterday, she kept
pretending she didn’t know why she was having a CT scan of her brain in
front of the technicians. They weren’t as good at acting as she was.”
Any residual anger seeps out of my body at the pain shining in Gabe’s
eyes. His shoulders tremble, and he’s doing everything in his power to keep
himself together. Despite the fact that I can’t stand Gabriel Kelley, one thing
he’s never been shy about is the love he has for his grandmother. Eleanora
Kelley is the only living soul left in his family. She’s his entire world.
“What did the docs say?”
 He looks at me now, and his eyes are dark and desolate, just like the time
when I first met him sitting alone on the edge of the playground, watching
the rest of us play One-Two-Three Red Light.
“That this was probably her second mini-stroke, maybe third.” He blows
out a deep breath and stares at the floor. “The second one was around the
time I was working on a huge settlement case. She didn’t tell me. Probably
didn’t want me to worry.”
I get that. Dad had tried to hide how sick he was when his esophageal
cancer had jumped from Stage Three to Four.
“I’m sorry, Gabe.” His nickname slips out before I can pull it back.
He nods. “I know you can’t stand my guts, Dani, but she means a lot to
me.”
“Yeah.” I remember.
He looks into my eyes, determined. “That’s why I need your help.”
I gesture to my orange Frozen Donut polo shirt. “I mean… I’m not a
doctor, and I can hardly qualify as a lawyer.”
Gabriel eases out of his seat, ignoring his donut ice cream now dripping
down the sides and onto his plate. “No, you’re not a lawyer. Not yet.” A
slow smile teases the corner of his generous lips and for several minutes I
have to remind myself how much I can’t stand him, that he ruined my
senior year, which tanked my grades, which got me stuck as a server in an
ice cream shop.
Darn it! Why did he have to make himself all sad and sympathetic?
He’s standing so close now it’s hard to miss the expert stitching of his
hand-sewn suit. Looking at his face isn’t a good idea either. Something
inside my stomach tightens as his gaze hovers on my lips.
“Dani…”
 It takes everything not to back up, but not because I’m scared of him. “W-
what?”
Gabriel moves closer to me, and once again, that delicious manly scent
overpowers me. His blue eyes stare down at me, somber and determined.
Something pulses in my gut, slamming into me so hard I feel it in my spine.
“You need me,” he blurts out.
“N-no… I don’t?”
Dani, get it together!
His voice dips. “I can help make your dream come true.”
That breaks the spell, and I laugh directly in his face. “Good one. So,
you’re a lawyer moonlighting as a standup comic now?”
He rolls his eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets and taking a wide
stance. “I can help you pass the bar.”
Another laugh bursts out of me—I don’t mean to laugh, I really don’t, but
I do. “No thanks. If that’s all, I think you should leave.”
“I’ll help you go over the concepts, or whatever it is you need to know.”
“That’s what the Internet and books are for.”
“I’ll even give you feedback on your essays.”
I freeze. Ooh, he got me there. I don’t have a mentor or guide who has the
time for me to get actionable feedback on my essays.
“Unless,” he continues, folding his arms, “you want to work in an ice
cream shop wearing an orange polo shirt for the rest of your life.” I shiver
when he leans toward me, his deep baritone caressing my ear. “Personally, I
think you’d look divine in turquoise.”
His breath fans the back of my neck, and I turn to face him now. That
cerulean gaze penetrates me to the marrow, and that… stupid smile on his
face makes breathing so much harder. He notices, which only makes the
insufferable wretch’s smile grow a mile.
I swallow. It’s the only thing I can do to suppress the rage gnawing at my
insides like some flesh-eating bacteria.
When I left high school, I never wanted to see this guy again. I even
avoided hanging out with Kyle a lot because of him. Hands down, Gabriel
ruined my senior year. His little scheme involving Terrence had left me so
emotionally destabilized that I’d barely got any decent grades to graduate.
And you don’t get into the college of your dreams with “decent grades.”
Whatever little scholarships I needed to attend Yale weren’t enough, and
after Dad’s cancer and funeral costs, Mom couldn’t afford it. I’d lost so
much because of this guy, and now he’s here asking me for a favor with
several dollops of sarcasm?
“I work in one of the best law firms in the country,” Gabriel goes on,
oblivious to the emotions building inside of me. “I’m talking: Torts,
Evidence—definitely need to know that one, Contracts, the Constitution…
You name it, I can help you with it.”
The baser desperate side of me wants to throw back an insult, but the
logical part of me insists I listen, despite everything he’d done to me.
Traitor.
“And what do you get out of this lovely ordeal?” I ask in a carefree tone.
Inside, I’m barely keeping it together.
Not one ounce of emotion flits across his face. “You, as my girlfriend.”
I don’t laugh, not this time. “You’re joking.”
He shakes his head, the afternoon sun choosing just that moment to
stream through the kitchen window as it hovers over Sunset Bay. A muted,
warped version of Elvis’s “Looks Like An Angel…” plays in my mind.
 “My answer remains the same. No.”
“Nora’s nurse saw us talking in the hallway. She thinks we’re together,
and I swear Dani, it’s the first time she looked like her old self since she
collapsed.”
I spin around, seething. “Don’t you dare, Gabriel! Don’t you dare use
your grandmother’s injury to manipulate me.”
His face remains cool, unbothered. “I’m not. It’s the truth. And I’ll do
anything to keep that smile on her face until she gets better—and if dating
Danica Dixon does that for her, then so be it.” He scoffs. “I suffer enough at
work. What are a few more weeks?”
I can’t take it anymore.
“You… I don’t need this,” I’m proud of myself for my voice not shaking.
“Goodbye, Gabriel. I’ll excuse everything that happened because your
grandmother isn’t well. But tell her the truth. You and I want nothing to do
with each other. Tell her you only said I was your girlfriend because you
didn’t want to be embarrassed, or I was acting like a groupie–or whatever
excuse you want to tell her. I hope she feels better, and I wish her all the
best. As for you, enjoy your donut and the rest of your life, but stay away
from me.”
Gabriel stares at me for a long time, then nods, reaching inside of his
jacket pocket. Another Savile Row. “You don’t have a lot of time.” He pulls
out another one of his business cards. “You’re two months away from the
exam and you can’t afford to fail a third time. So, call me when you change
your mind.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Five

Gabe

I
am a world-class idiot.
The cursor on my laptop screen pauses at the end of the sentence I
just typed out as if to say, “And?”
But what else am I supposed to hallucinate? Not only did I blow my only
chance—even if I had a remote chance—of getting Dani to be my pretend
girlfriend for the next three months, I’m pretty sure I made her hate me
even more than before.
She doesn’t hate you, my brain tries to console me. She always says,
“Hate is a strong word.”
Yes, but just because she didn’t say the word, doesn’t mean she didn’t feel
the emotion.
Groaning, I glance at the time. It’s 12:47 AM. Two days and some change
since I ate my way into the prep room at The Frozen Donut. And two days
since Dani told me where I could shove my business card. This morning,
Nora practically barged into my old bedroom, demanding I tell her what
Dani’s favorite dishes are. Apparently, Nora was having Chef kidnapped
from his Michelin-starred restaurant in D.C. to prepare lunch for Sunday.
No ransom.
I raise my head at the soft knock on the door. “Come in.” Tension eases
out of my shoulders when Knox’s gray head and trimmed beard enter the
library with a fresh cup of espresso. My body sinks into the chair as the
delicious scent mingles with the scent of paper and old leather-bound
books. It didn’t matter how many times they aired the library out, the scent
never went away. Sometimes, when I sit in my grandfather’s old chair, I
pick up scents of leather, cedarwood, and Amyris, even though he’d passed
long before I’d moved to Somerset to live with Nora.
“Your espresso, sir,” Knox’s British intones in the flattest, yet most
cultured accent. He reminds me of Alfred Pennyworth from Batman. Gray,
efficient, silent, and exacting. Yet, he was one of the few pockets of light in
the black hole that was my childhood. And he was a darn good fencer.
Knox sniffs at the stack of espresso cups piled up on the only pocket of
free space left on the desk. The rest of the space is smothered in documents
I’d printed for work. Just because I took some personal days to care for
Nora didn’t mean I necessarily had time off.
“You should be sleeping,” I say to Knox, nodding my thanks as he clears
the empty cups.
“As should you.” He notches an eyebrow. “Madame Kelley thinks you’re
working too hard.”
“She wouldn’t tell you that.”
“I’ve been in her service long enough that she doesn’t have to.”
A pang of guilt floods me. The last thing I want is to add to her worries.
Nora’s stressed out enough. She still thinks I don’t know about the strokes,
or is pretending not to know that I know.
 “I won’t be long. Have a good night.”
Knox opens his mouth to speak, but then sighs. “Yes, sir.” He pauses at
the door, one gloved hand gripping the door handle. A nervous tickle
tumbles down my spine at his pointed stare. “Sunday dinner arrangements
are well underway, sir.”
Great. “I take it Chef has agreed to be kidnapped.”
“With the greatest enthusiasm, sir.” He rolls the “r,” in “greatest,” like a
thespian on stage. “I personally heard him express how eager he was to
meet the woman who’s captured his favorite taste-tester’s heart.”
I frown, but then realization smacks me upside the head.
He knows.
Of course, Knox knows about mine and Dani’s history! How he found
out, no clue, but at the old butler’s pointed stare, I’m guessing he hasn’t told
Nora. Like me, he doesn’t want to add to my grandmother’s cerebral stress.
I release a silent breath. “Sounds like Chef has something wonderful
planned for us. My girlfriend will have a blast.”
Knox doesn’t look convinced. “Indeed, I hope so. And I do hope she’ll
convince Ms. Eleanora that she is having one, too.” As silently as he came
in, he slips through the door, and I bang my head on the desk with a groan.
I’m a world-class idiot, and I’m beyond screwed.
My reality is such a cesspool, I barely feel the vibrating pulses in my
pocket. With my forehead still pressed into the desk, I scoot back a little so
I can read the text. If Huxley texts me one more time about that file I
already sent him, I’m going to flip.
I’m nowhere close.
 UNKNOWN: It’s Dani. Save this number. This is not a
“yes.” It’s a fact-finding thing.

“Yes!” I whisper-scream, fist-pumping the air. Grinning, I hit the call

button immediately.
Dani picks up on the fifth ring. “I almost didn’t answer you,” her husky
voice says as a way of greeting.
I close my eyes as it washes over me. I can imagine her here right now,
curled up in the aged, velvet wingback chair right across from my
grandfather’s desk, reading—no, studying. She’s studying. But there’s a
slight smile on her full, berry lips, and the soft lights on her skin enhance
that ephemeral glow that also lives in her smoky quartz eyes. A man could
drown in them.
“Am I interrupting study time?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I make a show of taking notes even though she can’t see what I’m doing.
“Okay, Dani… studies… at… around midnight.”
“I told you, this was a fact-finding thing.”
“You wouldn’t have sent that text if your answer was no.”
Slow down, kid. This isn’t high school where you have to force yourself to
go toe-to-toe with her to get her to even look at you.
“Changed your mind?” I try again, softer this time. My feet tap rapidly on
the carpet, hot blood rushing in and out of my cheeks. I don’t know if I
should sit or stand.
“I did,” she says, and nothing else.
I release a low breath. “Why?”
 “Hailey.”
Dread pools in my chest. “What’s wrong? Is she sick?”
She pauses, probably taken aback by my words. I could slap myself. Just
because my parents died in their prime—her father, too—doesn’t mean
everyone in Dani’s life is facing an imminent demise. Come to think of it,
I’ve never met her little sister, but I’d heard enough from Dani and Kyle to
paint a picture.
“She wants to go to Yale next year,” Dani continues. “If I pass the bar, I
can get a job in a law office, and… help her out.”
My stomach drops, and my eyes flicker to the certificates Nora framed on
the walls next to my father’s and grandfather’s Harvard certificates.
You were dead set on Yale, too, I want to say, but that’s already a sore
subject between us. “Does she? For the medical program?”
Another pause. “How did you know?”
“Kyle. He always went on about him having to be her patient. That
probably helped him get that bit role in that soapy medical drama series.”
Dani laughs softly, and my fingers tighten on my phone. I want her to
laugh more, to tell her that everything will be all right, but she won’t accept
that from me.
Instead, I ask, “Is that the only reason you want to study law?”
“Kind of. Why? Does that make me shallow?”
“No, just honest. When can we talk?”
The humor in her voice is replaced with her typical brisk tone, and I swear
I want to bite my tongue in half.
“I have some time to spare on Friday.”
“Lunch at Bagels?”
“Sure.”
 “I’ll reserve a table.” Hope enters my chest. Maybe everything will work
out. “See you then.”
“You better pray I don’t change my mind.”
I grin, whispering, “Thank you” heavenward. “Way ahead of you.”

Dani

I huff as my heels pound the pavement down on Main Street.

I’m late, and yes, it’s Gabriel, but I hate being late for anything. Mr. Patel,
even though footsteps from retirement, had a huge meeting with a client I
had to take tons of notes for. He’d scaled back on taking fresh cases over
the years, but when he got a big one, I was typically stuck at work for hours
on end. Thank goodness his children were there to take over the workload.
They’re nice, but sometimes I get the feeling I’m overstaying my welcome.
As I round the corner, Bagels’s red brick facade comes into view, and
already there’s a ridiculously long line. Patrons stand outside in the blazing
sunlight, looking impatiently at their phones, or under umbrellas aiming
those mini fans on their faces.
No surprise, it’s the lunch rush hour at Bagels. If Gabriel hadn’t promised
he’d reserve our seats, I too would be stuck outside in this heat, my sweaty
feet sliding down to the front of my heels.
I blame that influencer—what’s her name? Right! Tutti-Frutti!
 Ever since she announced to her 3.4 million subscribers that Bagels was
one of the most romantic coffee shops for “singletons,” you could hardly
find a space on the corner of the street, much less get through the doorway.
Still puffing—I’ve got to make time to work out—my phone pings that
I’ve got a text.
Please don't let it be one of the Patel offspring needing a file that’s
probably already in front of them.
Fishing my phone out of my purse, I read the text message.
I’m not even close.

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: Inside.

I snort. Like that would automatically tell me his exact geolocation. Still,
did I mention how grateful I am not to be standing out with all these poor
folks out here in this heat?
I smile apologetically at the people hovering by the door, waiting
impatiently to go inside.
“Sorry, not cutting in line, I promise. I’ve got a seat reserved. Truly.” But
the grumbling and dirty looks follow me into the air-conditioned coffee
shop. Had I been in Providence or a big city, I could have taken it. But in
this little ol’ small town, everyone took Bagels seriously.
Wind chimes give a melodic welcome when I open and close the door.
The interior is washed in dark sepia colors until my eyes adjust to the low
lighting. The human chain from outside continues inside the store,
wrapping around the counter and ending at the cashier. I pass them and
stride out into the open courtyard in the middle of the building—adding to
Bagels’s charm. It may not have a seaside view, but the alfresco dining area
in the heart of the building makes up for it. An olive tree grows in the center
of the red brick flooring, while intimate tiny tables and chairs surround it
beneath ivy-blanketed walls.
This scene reminds me of those romantic oil paintings of Italian
restaurants with the teeny outdoor seats. Everyone’s so at ease. So in love.
But I’m not here for love.
I’m here for coffee.
Gabriel’s sitting at a table in the middle of the dining area by the olive
tree, which makes it nearly impossible for anyone not to see him upon
entering the alfresco area. Once again, I’m struck by his immaculate
appearance. It’s not like he was a slob in high school, but he never tried to
make himself stand out. Not like this.
He’s wearing a dark gray suit—another expensive one—a cornflower-blue
shirt, neatly tucked in his pants, and a plaid blue tie with red lines. The faint
dark circles under his eyes make him look like a dashing, yet tired, pirate
angel. Why couldn’t he look haggard and wan like the rest of us mortal
folk?
Ugh, why did I agree to this stupid scheme? And why—
“You made it!” Gabriel announces loudly as soon as he spots me, half-
jogging to meet me. Again, very un-Gabriel-like.
In elementary school, he could hardly look another kid in the eye, much
less open his mouth to speak. High school wasn’t much different, unless he
was on the lacrosse field or playing video games with the surfers he and
Kyle often hung out with.
“I did,” I whisper pointedly in return once he’s closer. “I—”
 Gabriel takes my hand, clasping it before I could yank it back. He stares
at me for a while before he leans closer to my face. Sirens scream in my
ears, but they’re coming from inside, and my heart does some kind of
trembling pulsation. Just when I think he’s about to kiss my cheek, he
whispers, “Play along.”
Easing back, he smiles at me—a truly devastating one—and takes my
hand, leading us to our table. Somehow, my lips tremble upward, and I try
not to look around to see who else saw this ridiculous display.
Probably everyone. This is Somerset, after all. And Somerset loves a good
romance.
“What are you doing?” I hiss as soon as he seats me.
He flings himself in his seat and drags his fingers through his blond hair.
He’s doing that swoony-smile thing again. “You said you changed your
mind. We’re a couple now, darling.”
“Yeah, but we still haven’t discussed what being a ‘couple’ means,
dahling,” I say through gritted teeth. “So, calm the heck down.”
Gabriel shrugs, then looks up over my shoulder. “There’s our order.”
What? “You already ordered?”
He blinks wide blue eyes. “Yeah. Didn’t you see the line on your way in?
I begged one of the servers to keep it warm until you arrived.”
“H-how… Never mind. I’m grateful, but if we’re doing this, you’re not
ordering for me. You don’t even know what I like.”
Gabriel rolls his eyes. “I’ve heard you go on and on about Bagels and all
the sugary-carby overloads you planned on stuffing yourself with for years.
Remember the little cake they made for your birthday in junior high? You
didn’t have to tell them. They knew.”
 I’m speechless, just as I was when Bagels surprised me with the little cake
and a harmonious rendition of the birthday song. He remembered that?
“Point taken, but presuming someone else’s order isn’t a thing, okay?
You’ve been on enough dates to know this.”
“I don’t date much.”
“Why not?”
But Gabriel ignores me and raises his hand. “Heads up. She’s here.”
A young server, probably around twenty, approaches our table, her cheeks
growing more pink the closer she gets. She can barely look Gabriel in the
eye and I swear her hands are trembling.
“I’ve got your order,” she squeaks to Gabriel. “One espresso shot, a ham
and cheese croissant sandwich, and a chocolate-macadamia muffin topped
with caramel whipped cream, and...” She gives me a curious smile as she
sets down my order. “... a smoked salmon on toast with fried avocado and
bacon crisps, and a Luxy Choco Mochaccino with a dash of cinnamon,
marshmallows, and extra white and 85% dark chocolate shavings.”
I gasp, hardly able to believe what I just heard.
Gabriel got the Luxy Choco Mochaccino? With extra white and dark
chocolate shavings? In the summer? How? Wasn’t it only available in the
fall?
Before I can even sputter a syllable, Gabriel points to my favorite coffee
drink in the entire world, and says to the server. “My girlfriend loves this
stuff.”
She pats her cheek, blushing, but if she swoons, I’m seriously getting up
from this table. What should I be more shocked about, getting a Luxy
Choco Mochaccino in the beginning of summer or Gabriel announcing to
the whole world that I’m his “girlfriend?”
 “You’re so lucky,” the server whispers to me, reverently sliding the coffee
drink to my side of the table.
For a second, I can’t tell if she means I’m lucky to be seated in Gabriel’s
presence or something else, until she explains, “Russ hardly ever breaks
protocol to make out-of-season limited orders.”
Despite my bad mood, the chocolate shavings are so perfect, the whipped
cream so… whipped.
“Wow, um…” She’s not wearing a nametag. “Please thank Russ for me.”
But she shakes her head. “Don’t thank Russ. Thank your boyfriend!”
With one last dreamy stare at Gabriel, she scuttles away from our table.
Gabriel beams at me, and for once, I’m speechless.
I should be happy, touched even, that Gabriel got Bagels to make me
something that wasn’t on the menu. If this were an actual date, this
would’ve been quite something. If we were still friends, even better. But if
he was still that boy in the rain…
Shaking my head, I pick up my sandwich, and the only thing I manage to
squeak out before I take a bite is, “Thanks.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Six

Dani

“H
ow did you pull this off?” I ask, still staring at my mug of “luxy”
goodness.
Gabriel smiles, shrugging. “Promised Russ some free legal advice.”
“Wow, must be nice being a successful corporate lawyer.”
“You will be one too when you pass the bar.” Gabriel takes a sip of
espresso and sinks back in his chair, briefly closing his eyes. He looks tired,
drained. I don’t want to care, but I do. A little. Then his eyes snap open,
taking me in and swallowing me whole, but I look away and focus on
sipping my coffee. Still, his eyes never leave my face, not even when a bit
of whipped cream temporarily beards me. I lick it away, and I swear his
eyes follow each movement.
“So, you placed the order before I even showed up?” I blurt out, heat
burning my cheeks—which annoys me.
“That I did.”
“And what if I’d changed my mind about the whole thing?”
Gabriel shoots me a long stare. “You wouldn’t.”
 “How do you know?”
“Because you want to be a lawyer more than anything,” Gabriel says,
polishing off his sandwich. “And you don’t change your mind that easily.
Once you’re dead set on something you want or something you believe to
be true, you don’t deviate, you don’t swerve. You’ll hang on with your bare
teeth if you have to.”
I can’t disagree. Dad called me out many times about being “inflexible,”
but even I got him to admit that I wasn’t wrong about most things. Not the
important ones. “I do hang on a bit. I can admit that, but only if I’m right.”
“And what happens when you’re wrong? Do you also hang on out of
sheer stubbornness?”
Something about the way he words the question sets me on edge, but not
in a creepy way. He’s sizing me up like I’m in a deposition.
Like I’m on trial.
“Where are you going with this?” I ask.
“Nowhere, apparently,” he mumbles, his gaze flicking away. “But to
answer your question, if you were going to stand me up, you’d do it by
text.”
“So, you consider this,” I gesture to our surroundings, “as a date?”
“Our primera.” Our first. Gabriel rests his chin on one hand and grins, his
perfect teeth flashing against his tanned skin. “Our little pretend game
started the minute you walked through that door.”
No wonder he made such a fool of himself—and me.
Clearing my throat, I imitate his movement and lean forward. Not smart
of me. He still smells so good. “Fine, then. I say we use this little “date” to
iron out the details of our relationship.”
“Agreed. You start.”
 I release a slow breath and clasp my fingers.
Okay, I got this.
“How…” I try again. “What are we…? How are we…?”
“What will be the parameters of our fake relationship?” Gabriel finishes
encouragingly.
“Correct.”
“Well, we…” He frowns like he has to think about it, which is laughable.
Gabriel should have zero issues with knowing how to woo a woman. Sure,
he’d been a shy kid, but in high school that had disappeared as soon as his
height, muscles, and swag started filling in. Hanging around Kyle, who was
a natural chick magnet, should have given him more of an edge…
Wait a minute…
Come to think of it, Gabriel hardly dated at all in high school. He hung
out with Kyle and me—but only because he was trying to gather intel on
what I was doing to sabotage me. If I went to the library, he had to be there
to distract me from my studies, or he’d trail me to the cafeteria.
But Gabriel kept certain parts of his life secret, even from those he
considered his friends. It wasn’t until junior year that I found out he still
attended those private, upper-crust cotillions with Cinderella-Ball-type
events like he was some golden fairy-tail prince. Who knows? Maybe he
dated someone he met there.
Don’t know.
Don’t care.
Gabriel is still giving suggestions on what we could do as a couple. “We
communicate through calls and text messaging…”
“You sound like an infomercial.”
 “Whatever.” His voice picks up. “And then we dress up and go to nice
restaurants or Sunset Beach.”
“Uh-huh,” I deadpan, rotating my wrist, indicating that he should keep
going.
“Oh, and you have to tell your mom and sister about us.”
I will. Eventually. Probably never. I nod anyway. “Who’s going to tell
Kyle?”
He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, Kyle...”
“He won’t believe us. Not with our history.”
Gabriel drains his cup, then sits back in his chair with a furrowed brow.
“Okay, so I’ll tell Kyle, but you have to tell your family first.”
“No, I’ll tell Kyle. He’s my best friend.”
Gabriel chortles. “It’s not a competition, Dani.”
“I told you not to call me Dani.”
He feigns an innocent look. “Why not? We’re dating, aren’t we? It’d be
weird for me, as your boyfriend, not to have a nickname for you.” He
massaged his lower lip with his index finger, pondering. “Unless… you
want me to call you something else, mash our names together. What do you
think about DAH-RIEL? Or, how about GA-BRI-NI-KA?”
“Heavens, make it stop.”
“What’s that?” Gabriel cups his ear, grinning like he won first prize in a
debate.
“Fine, you can call me Dani.”
He grins, then winks. Winks! “Thanks, DA-NI. But I have to be the one to
tell Kyle, for reasons I’m not willing to go into right now. How long will we
be dating?”
Even hearing the word is too much. “Until I take the bar.”
 “How about August?”
“I take the bar in July,” I point out.
“I know, but there’s an event—a garden party—in Martha’s Vineyard in
August.” He sighs. “My grandmother’s bestie, and co-founding member of
her book club, is hosting it. It’s a yearly thing and kind of a big deal.” He
fiddles with his napkin. “And I’m expected to bring a date.”
I shrug. “Break up with me before then.”
Gabriel frowns. “No can do. Sorry, but I’m including that in my
mentorship fee. Besides, my grandmother would be quite upset if we broke
up so soon. She’s always liked you.”
I hold back a snort. Barely. “Your grandmother knows about me?”
Gabriel leans forward. “Eleanora Kelley knows every single friend I’ve
had from elementary school, upward. Her mind’s just programmed like
that.”
Heaven help me. “What am I getting out of this deal again?”
Gabriel counts off each point on his fingers. “Personal legal mentorship
from an experienced junior associate at a prestigious law firm in New York.
Full access to the extensive library on the Kelley Estate filled with the latest
legal tomes. Graded feedback on all essay questions from said junior
associate. As a bonus, I’ll be your study alarm clock.”
This time I snort, and an elderly woman at the table next to us shoots me a
dirty look.
“My phone does that pretty well on its own,” I whisper.
“Yeah, but we have to text at some point.”
“Text Kyle or something.”
“He’s on set all day. Besides, I know you don’t know the “adult me” too
well, but I’m not much of a texter.”
 How about I don’t know you at all? I thought I did at one point, but I truly
didn’t. If I did, I would have seen his betrayal coming from a mile away.
Gabriel continues. “If I’m not texting you regularly, my grandmother will
notice and become suspicious. And if she finds out about this whole thing,
our deal is off.”
“No kidding. What kind of lawyer are you again?”
“Corporate lawyer.” He beams.
“Figures. You’ve honed your skills since senior year. You’re cutthroat and
ruthless…” I could add in “backstabber,” but we’re still negotiating and I
don’t want to tank it.
Gabriel shrugs and studies his nails like he’s bored with me. “Only for the
things that matter. I surprise myself sometimes with the things I’m willing
to do to protect the people I love and care about.”
“How noble.” I cross my arms, then my legs at the knees. “Fine. What do
you want from me in return?”
Gabriel’s eyes trace my form before he looks away, his neck suspiciously
flushed. “I don’t know, answer my texts, make googly eyes at me from time
to time. Call me ‘Gabe.’ And when we’re together…” He pauses, his
features tensing at something he sees over my right shoulder. “She’s here.
Quick, hold my hand.” He reaches across the tiny circular table for my
hand.
I yank it back. “Uh… How about no.”
“Dani, we have to do this now or our cover is blown before it even gets
off the ground.” He’s still trying not to look at whatever, or whoever, it is
over my shoulder.
“Why?” I demand, but my fists loosen. I want to look behind me so bad,
but I know better. Squeezing my eyes shut, I snap them open again and
just… do it. Gabriel’s supple fingers close around mine and I’m surprised at
the ghostly zing pulsing from the contact point. I look at Gabriel to see if he
has the same reaction, but he’s too busy scooting his chair closer to mine.
To the outside world, it looks like we’re having a very intimate
conversation. Heck, maybe even making wedding plans.
“Here’s the play-by-play. There’s a woman standing by the door, and let’s
just say she knows my grandmother very well.” His espresso-scented breath
stirs the fine hairs behind my ear. “At the moment, she’s trying to scoop her
jaw up from the floor now that she’s seen the two of us sitting so close. By
afternoon tea tomorrow, the Somerset grapevine will be on fire.”
“Oh, how wonderful.” A toxic flow of shock, anger, and admiration
courses through me.
“Isn’t it?” Gabriel looks back at me, his eyes dropping to my lips. “Her
mother is also a member of my grandmother’s book club, so… you get the
drift.”
I want to cry, like have a full-on two-year-old temper tantrum in the
presence of everyone in this coffee shop. “You knew she’d be here.”
The woman must have left because Gabriel eases away from me and sinks
back into his chair. His brow quirks like he’s about to say “duh,” but
doesn’t. “I did.”
“How...?”
“Janet Morris gets her afternoon coffee here every Tuesday and Thursday
without fail, right before her spin classes. When she’s good on her diet, she
orders a black coffee or café latte—no sugar or syrup. When she’s fallen off
the wagon, it’s every sugary coffee concoction Bagel serves.”
I can’t decide whether to be furious or impressed. “Instead of being a
lawyer, you should have been a P.I.”
 That makes him grin. “I spent months working with one of the top private
investigation companies hired by our firm. I’m a quick learner.”
And cold, my brain warns me.
I want to pass the bar, I really, really do, but never did I think I’d have to
suffer so much in the process, and with Gabriel Kelley of all people.
You’re doing this for Hailey, a thought reminds me.
You’re doing this for Hailey because she’s your sister.
You’re doing this for Hailey because she’s your sister, and she’s the
smartest, most adorable young woman in the whole freakin’ world, and she
deserves to go to the college of her dreams!
“Anything else—about us dating, that is?” I ask, taking deep breaths.
“Yes. I want to iron out your study schedule,” he says, glancing at his
watch. I, too, check the time, and I’m due for my shift at The Frozen Donut
in ten minutes. “But before I do, I need you to agree to trust me completely
on this.”
Trust him? This fallen angel? Now that’s funny. In fact, I do laugh.
“Excuse me, Counsel, but can you please rephrase?” I snort at his scowl.
“Just hear me out, all right?”
“I am, but don’t ask me to do the impossible.”
“What? Give a guy a moment of your time?”
“No.” I set my fork down a little too hard on the wooden table. “Trust
you. Because that, Gabriel Kelley, is one thing I will never do again.”
He blinks, and I’m surprised to see a swash of hurt darken those baby
blues before it fades away. “If you’re talking about what I think you are,
you’re wrong about everything, and about me, too.” He crumples his napkin
and drops it next to his half-eaten muffin. “But don’t worry, I won’t try to
change your mind again. Why bother?”
 Gabriel eyeballs the table, then lets out a low breath. But when he does
look at me again, his gaze is remote, cold even.
“If you won’t trust me, then trust the process. If you do, you will pass the
bar. Just don’t panic when I tell you what you’re gonna have to do, though.”
I squirm in my chair, fighting sparks of guilt. “And what exactly is that?”
“First, dinner on Sunday with me and Nora.”
A bit sudden, but I’m game. “What next?”
Gabriel stares at me for a long time, and a part of me can’t help but
imagine his halo sliding a little further from the top of his light-blond hair.
“Second—and this will be my first advice as your mentor. If you want to
pass the bar in July, you’re going to have to say goodbye to Mr. Patel.”

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 Chapter Seven

Dani

W
hen I was in my junior year of high school, I got a “D” in literature.
Macbeth, to be more specific. I’d spent countless nights studying
Macbeth’s tyranny, his reckless ambitions, and the hallucinations that drove
him into the arms of destruction. I beamed when Ms. Staub told us to flip
over the test paper at the start of the test. I’d got it in the bag.
Imagine my shock when I got my grades back. I’d been so convinced I
aced the test because I’d done the right thing: put in the hours studying and
making flip notes, went over the concepts with Dad while he worked at his
mechanic shop. He’d nod along as he washed the grease from his fingers,
patiently listening despite not being a fan of Shakespeare (or unabridged
English books in general).
I’d contested the grade, of course—and in hindsight, Mrs. Staub had been
very patient with me. She’d come to Dad’s funeral, too. But in the end, my
grade remained the same.
I was furious, of course, but there was something Ms. Staub said to me—a
quote from William Zinsser, the guy who wrote that tiny book we had to
use in our English classes. It stayed with me for years.
The car-sharing service driver’s appreciative whistle drags me from the
memory.
“This the place?” he asks, his eyes fixed ahead at the iron gate with the
initials “K” engraved on the front.

“The game is won or lost on hundreds of small details.”

“Yes,” I answer, trying not to sound like I’m being driven to my

execution.
I’ve never been to the “Kelley Château”, as it’s known in Somerset, not
even when Gabriel—I can’t believe I have to call him “Gabe” now—and I
were friendly rivals. He’d invited me, of course, but something always
came up.
Kyle’s been here before, though. Whether he continues to visit the Kelley
Château when he gets the chance to come home, I’ve no clue. Kyle and I
have long decided that in order to preserve our friendship, he keeps his
activities with Gabriel Kelley to himself. Sounds unfair, but at the time, it
was the only thing I could think of to keep Kyle in my life. Gabriel had
already taken so much from me.
It’s a stone and shingle cottage-style mansion that overlooks Sunset Bay.
The building itself, around 10,000 square feet, sits in the center of acres
upon acres of land. It looks like it would fit in an upscale neighborhood in
rural England, where Austen-inspired noble families would retreat in the
summer. But I don’t pretend to know too much about that. I’m not a Jane
Austen superfan, which is something I don’t dare say out loud in Somerset.
Every year, the local library celebrates Jane Austen Day in the summer, and
they go hard.
After I pay my driver, I take several calming breaths, then walk up the
steps. My palms are sweaty, but I resist wiping them on the sides of my
dress—Mom’s dress. It’s a pretty wrap dress the color of a summer storm
with daisy prints along the bodice, hem, and sleeves. I wish I was more
girly like Mom used to be. She used to dress up a lot before Dad died. The
cream espadrille wedges with the ballet straps are Hailey’s. To my eternal
relief, when I asked to borrow them, she and Taylor were too busy arguing
over their study notes to pay me any attention. Imagine trying to explain
that I needed them to meet my fake boyfriend’s beloved grandmother!
I press the doorbell and wait, my heart pounding in my chest. I’m not here
as Danica Dixon, Gabriel’s former friend-slash-rival. I’m Danica Dixon,
Gabriel’s happy-for-now girlfriend.
In a matter of seconds, the front door opens, but instead of it being
Gabriel or his grandmother, a slender man with impressively white, slicked-
back hair opens the door. Is he the Kelley butler? Do people even have
butlers in America?
He inclines his head. “Welcome, Ms. Dixon. Madame Kelley and Mr.
Gabriel are in the breakfast room. I will direct you to the drawing room and
inform them of your arrival.” He pauses. “Would you like any refreshments
while you wait?”
“Uh…” I’m so nervous I can barely swallow. “No, thank you—thank you,
but no… No, thank you.”
The man gives another imperious head nod with zero expression. “Very
well, Ms. Dixon.”
 As he leads me out of the massive foyer, I try not to freak out at the old
money wealth surrounding me, but it’s just so overwhelming. The curved
grand staircase swerves up behind me, crested above it is a gigantic crystal
chandelier. A part of me imagines Gabriel racing up and down the stairs
with a model airplane and wearing shorts with suspenders attached to them.
He mimics the drone of the airplane as he play-acts under the watchful
gazes of the portraits on the wall, most of whom have eyes as blue as
Gabriel’s. But even that imaginary scene doesn’t seem accurate.
Gabriel was a super shy, super quiet kid. And in elementary school, when
the other boys found out he wasn’t particularly good at sports either, it was
game over.
The butler-man seats me in a forest green velvet armchair inside the
drawing room, which is just as Victorian as the foyer. “Thank you, Mr. …”
“You may call me Knox,” the butler says.
Okaaay, then…
Don’t get me wrong, this situation is a little cool, but I’m clearly out of
my depth.
Knox must have been gone for almost five minutes when I can’t keep still
anymore. When my brain’s restless, my body has to do something. It can’t
just sit in one position and remain functional. So, I give in to my natural
instincts to explore. Like I’m at a museum, I circle the room and study the
oil portraits and landscapes seated on the paneled walls. There are more of
Gabriel’s ancestors here, and I try to pick out the resemblance they’d passed
down to their current spawn. Except for the eye color and a high-bridged
nose, there’s not much difference. They’re all angelically beautiful.
My wanderings take me out of the drawing room and down a dark
passageway. At the end of one hallway, I hear voices whisper heatedly from
a tiny room past the den, behind a door that’s barely cracked open. The
muffled voices grow clearer as I draw close.
“You worry too much,” I hear Gabriel say wearily. He sounds so tired,
and I remember the faint dark circles underneath his eyes at the hospital and
again at Bagels. Maybe being a junior associate at the “New York office”
comes at a hefty price in both work hours and sanity.
“All I’m asking is for you to get some rest,” Eleanora Kelley says.
I peek through the slit in the door, but I can’t see much, and Eleanora’s
sitting out of view.
“I thought you said you could take some time off,” she continues.
“Yes, but only from actually being at the office.” Gabriel sighs. “We’re in
the middle of a huge case and I can’t leave everything to the others. It’s not
fair to them.”
“I understand that, my dear.” Gabriel’s grandmother reaches for him and
holds his hand. “I just don’t want you to overdo it. You’re working long
hours as it is, and you’re helping me. If I’d known how tired you were, I
wouldn’t have made the reservation. You need to rest.”
“Nora, please. You’re the one who needs the rest,” Gabriel implores, and I
know he’s thinking about her and the mini-strokes. “It’s fine. Dani won’t
mind going to The Abbey. Besides, I met Tyler Abbey already, and he’s
looking forward to seeing us, anyway.”
The airflow in to my lungs comes to a horrifying halt.
He’s taking me where?
Gabriel didn’t even ask if I wanted to go. If I could go.
The Abbey is one of the most bougie bed and breakfasts in Somerset, not
to mention their restaurant. Who’ll pay for dinner? I bet a salad there costs
$35!
 I dig my fingers into my palms to keep quiet. This must have been how I
ended up getting roped into this whole fake dating mess in the first place.
Gabriel told his grandmother we were dating before even considering if I’d
say yes or no.
Selfish jerk!
We’re seriously going to have to talk about his presumptuousness. Right
now. That would teach him a lesson. I ball up my fists, ready to storm
inside when the air shifts behind me, and the fine hairs on the back of my
neck zing upward.
I shriek as Knox’s ghostly, “I beg your pardon, Ms. Dixon,” floats behind
me. Gabriel and his grandmother grow quiet behind the door.
“Knox, is that you?” Eleanora calls out.
“Yes, madam,” Knox intones after knocking twice.
“You’d be the perfect ghost in a haunted mansion movie,” I hiss as he
passes.
Knox cracks a smile, but then smothers it when Gabriel’s grandmother
says, “Come in, Knox. Is Ms. Dixon with you?”
Knox answers while I take a couple of seconds to regain my composure.
We enter the room, and my eyes immediately locate Gabriel standing at the
far end of the room. He’s slouched against the paneled wall by the high-
ceiling windows. The first two buttons of his shirt are undone, and he does
look a little frazzled. Not at all like the refined man at Bagels. Don’t get me
wrong, his angelic looks are perfectly intact. It’s just that the halo’s tilted
more than usual.
I tear my eyes from Gabriel and observe the room. What I thought would
be a tiny reading room was the most spectacular space I’ve ever seen. It’s
covered wall to wall with bookshelves that stretch up to the vaulted ceiling,
stuffed with stacks of hardcover books. It reminds me of the reading rooms
in those English historical dramas with the sliding ladders.
“Welcome, welcome,” Eleanora says in a vibrant hostess voice as she
rises from her chair. Despite her arm and shoulder being in a sling, she
looks regal in her light blue cardigan and tan linen slacks. I don’t recognize
the label, but it must have cost the earth.
“I’m Eleanora Kelley.” She extends her good hand. “Welcome to my
home.”
“Nice to meet you, Eleanora,” I say a little shyly. Even Gabriel raises an
eyebrow at me, but I ignore him and shake his grandmother’s hand firmly.
“I’m Dani.”
She squeezes mine gently in return. “Danica Dixon?”
I blink, stunned that this regal woman knows who I am. Duh, Gabe told
her about you. “That’s correct.”
“You wouldn’t believe how happy I was to find out you and Gabriel have
been friends since elementary school.” She glances at Gabriel over her
shoulder. “I don’t know why it took me so long to put the pieces together,
but then again, my grandson is so secretive.”
Correction. We were friends. “That’s right. We practically grew up
together.” Then we stopped being friends and became rivals sometime
between junior high and high school.
Eleanora clasps her hands. “And now you two are together. Fantastic! I
always say the best of friends make the best lovers.”
I bite my tongue, literally, because there is so much I could say about that,
but Gabriel’s the one to snort.
“I wonder what you’d say about enemies.” He looks me dead in the eyes
as he says this. He might as well hold up a sign saying this relationship is a
farce.
But Eleanora wriggles her fingers like she’s sprinkling fairy dust. “Meh.
Two sides of the same coin.” She turns to me, taking my arm. “Chef will
ring for us soon, but let’s get to know each other. Gabriel won’t say a word.
I could hardly get him to invite you over to dinner…”
Gabriel sighs wearily. “Nora, she’s here, isn’t she?”
“Yes, but I wanted to meet her sooner.” She throws me a helpless look
that says grandchildren. “How long have you two been dating, Dani—can I
call you Dani? You can call me Nora like Gabriel does.”
“Um… sure.”
Gabriel leaves his spot by the windows and strides over to us. “At least let
me greet my girlfriend properly before the inquisition?” He doesn’t wait for
her response. Instead, he gently takes my arm and tugs me away from
Eleanora, whispering in my ear as he pulls me close. “We reconnected after
college, and have been dating for six months.”
“I know. We talked about this last week, remember?” I respond through
gritted teeth.
“Just a reminder.” Gabriel smirks, and out loud says, “Hello, my dear.”
Stamping down a wave of irritation, I play my part anyway, angling my
head for him to kiss my cheek. Against my will, my stomach flops about as
his soft lips press against my skin, and it takes everything in me not to lean
into his scent—the same one he always wears. If we were anything close to
being romantic, I’d be tempted to bury my head in his neck and shoulders,
and just… inhale.
Oh, what am I saying?
We haven’t even discussed K-I-S-S-I-N-G yet.
Just then, a bell jingles from somewhere out in the hallway.
 “That’s the dinner bell,” Eleanora says cheerfully. “I have so many
questions for the two of you, but first. Let’s eat!”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Eight

Dani

I
’m not an expert on meals cooked by world-famous chefs, but I don’t
think I’ve ever eaten food so rich.
I don’t mean rich like “one-percenter rich,”—even though that must’ve
certainly helped, but I’m talking rich in quality ingredients, flavor, and
presentation. No wonder Chef, who looks like Santa Claus with the
strongest Brooklyn accent imaginable, gets all those Michelin stars year
after year.
I freaked out a little when the appetizers came—crab-stuffed mushrooms,
but Gabriel must have told Chef about my mild shellfish allergy because I
was served prosciutto-wrapped asparagus instead.
Hm… how nice of him.
Eleanora and Gabriel carries most of the conversation, mainly about how
happy she is that Gabriel has “finally fallen in love”, while we tuck into
Atlantic halibut, lamb, and oysters flown in fresh from Iwate, Japan, Chef
expounds on the quality of his rosé, which is from his personal stock in
Provence, France.
 I relax a little around dessert—raspberry crème brûlée—when the love
talk dials down, and she moves on to Gabriel as a boy. I try not to make it
obvious how much I’m enjoying this as my “boyfriend” squirms in his
chair.
Once Eleanora gets started on Gabriel running around her maze garden
with a plastic sword to fight the evil Sir Branch and the prickly Sir Rose
Hedge, Gabriel scoots his chair back, setting his linen napkin on the table.
“Wow, I can’t believe how late it’s getting,” Gabriel mumbles, his cheeks
growing pink. I laugh outright as he makes a show of looking at his watch.
But he gets the last laugh. Turning to me, he says, “Love of my life, we
really need to get to studying.”
Ugh, puke. “Certainly, dearest.” Shaking off the internal tremors, I turn to
Gabriel’s grandmother, “Eleanora—”
“—just Nora, dear.” She looks at the both of us, then back at me, and
winks.
“Nora, dinner was lovely. And it was so wonderful hearing all the lovely
stories about Gabe. Now I know where he’s gotten such an active and
imaginative brain.”
“It’s served him well,” Eleanora says. She pats his arm, and I almost see
tears in her eyes. “Well, if you two insist on leaving, I’ll have coffee sent to
the library—”
“The reading room,” Gabriel interjects.
His grandmother rolls her eyes. “Wherever you’ll be, darling.” But with a
smile, she accepts Gabriel’s kiss on her cheek as he helps her up from her
chair. Knox immediately appears by her side and leads her out of the dining
room. But at the door, she turns to me and says, “Please come again, Dani.
I’ll have Chef prepare all your favorite desserts.”
 Eleanora’s kindness touches me. I hate that I’m playing a part in this
charade, but Gabriel was right about her looking well. If it weren’t for the
sling, and the slight crookedness around her lips, anyone would think she
had a clean bill of health.
Gabriel leads me to the reading room, which is more like a mini library.
He gestures to the antique study desk with a few law texts laid neatly to the
side of the polished oak surface. With an audible yawn, he shrugs out of his
charcoal gray blazer and throws it on the back of the loveseat set directly
across from the study area he’d set up for me.
“So you were a knight. Funny, I thought you’d be Superman.”
Gabriel gives me a waspish look. “He’s a brunette.”
“It’s tiring, isn’t it?” I ask as I take my seat.
“What is?”
“Playing the happy couple.”
Gabriel scoffs, then flings his tall, toned frame onto the loveseat. He
throws his hand over his eyes. A tinge of concern flares up inside of me at
his exhaustion, but I give the feeling a quick death.
“Do something long enough and you get used to it,” he murmurs.
What’s that supposed to mean? I’m about to ask him just that when he
immediately launches into what the study schedule is for tonight. Without
looking at me, he directs me to the book, page, and paragraph I’m to start
studying.
“Today, we’ll touch on Evidence. Might as well get the hard stuff out of
the way first. I take it you reviewed the pre-study notes I emailed you?”
I take it you reviewed the pre-study notes… I soundlessly mimic to my
desk. But I chide myself for being so immature. “Yeah, I got it.”
 It was real sweet of him to outline what I’d be studying, and for the rest of
the week, right down to the sample case laws I should read up on
beforehand.
Despite our history, this was the side of Gabriel I truly admired. He was
smart and incredibly organized. Kyle used to groan and moan about Gabriel
having to get every detail right or plotting around every outcome before
taking action. It was like he went into each and every scenario playing 4-D
chess. A little Machiavellian, but most smart people had some kind of tick.
Besides, if I didn’t trust Gabe’s abilities as my law mentor and instructor,
no way would I have agreed to be his “girlfriend,” even for a sweet woman
like Eleanora Kelley.
After a half-hour of Gabriel lecturing and going over the case laws with
me—all from the couch—he sets the timer for me to start the practice
essays, the bane of my pre-law existence. Fifteen minutes in, I hear a soft
snore from the couch, he’s asleep, but I don’t mind. Less distraction.
As I go through the facts of the case and recall what sections of the law
would be best applicable, the words pour out of me. I love the law. I really
do. It’s not perfect, as nothing else is on this beautiful blue marble, but the
structure of law helps society tick along.
When the timer goes off, I place my essay papers in order and set them
aside for Gabriel to review later.
I jump when Gabriel mumbles right next to me. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“When did you wake up?” I ask when my heart rate slows.
“Just now.” He pauses, looks at me for a little while, then scratches the
back of his head. “Uh… I’d like to ask you something.”
“What about?”
Another pause. “How free are you this Friday?”
 Ah, now you remember…
“I may or may not have plans.” I blink at him innocently. “Why do you
ask?”
His brow furrows. “Are these plans… super important?’
“Aren’t they all?”
“Why are you being so vague?”
I shrug. “Don’t know. I tend to get like that when people make plans for
me, and around me, before asking me.” Yep. Haven’t forgotten about that.
Groaning, Gabriel’s face crumples and he presses the heels of his palms
into his eyes. “I was wondering how much you’d heard.”
“Dinner at the Abbey? I think on our ‘primera’ date, we forgot to discuss
the financing of this whole fake-dating operation.”
“Yeah, about that—”
“What time am I expected to show up?” I ask pointedly.
“Look, I’m sorry, all right?” He pulls his hands away from his face. “Nora
asked where I was taking you out on Friday night. I told her we’d be
studying, but she didn’t like the fact that I—quote, ‘keep you locked away
all this time.’ She thinks I’m hiding—have been hiding—our relationship,
so I just blurted out the first place that came to mind. The next thing I know,
she’s calling Tyler Abbey’s cell—remember that guy from the hospital?—
and promptly reserved us a seat. Apparently, our table is on the east wing,
with an incredible view of the bay.”
“And who’s paying for this?” Yeah, not my most tactful moment, but one
dinner at the Abbey could seriously ruin a struggling girl’s budget.
Gabriel smirks. “You don’t have to worry about that. Anyway, they’re
having a theme—Japanese fusion. I’ll find the link and text it to you later.”
“Thanks, but I intend to pay for my meal.”
 He frowns. “Not if we’re dating you don’t.”
I rise from my chair. “One, I can take care of myself, and two, you don’t
get to tell me what to do.”
But Gabriel’s ready to go head-to-head with me like he always does.
“One, sure you can, but think about how it’ll look if you paid. Sure, neither
of us has been on a date in a while, but some things are time-honored. Two,
when have I ever tried to tell you what to do?”
An intense heat surges to my cheeks, scorching me on the way up. “You
know nothing about my life, or who I’ve been on a date with.” I ignore the
second comment.
“Oh, yeah?” Gabriel challenges, leaning forward and skewering me with
those intense eyes. He’s so close, his scent and body heat surround me.
“How do you know I don’t?”
“Because Kyle doesn’t talk about me to you, and vice versa. And unlike
you, I trust him.”
He snorts. “Kyle told me you failed the bar, but I’m sure he didn’t mean
to.”
“Wow, you definitely grew a sarcastic bone in the time you left
Somerset.”
His gaze lowers to my lips again. “I’m trying to stop.” A smile plays on
his mouth that’s both sensuous and forlorn, but then he lifts his eyes back
up to mine. Blue whirlpools. Stare into them too long and they’ll suck you
under. Awareness fills me, and my knees tremble.
Ever since Bagels, something keeps happening to me whenever I’m
around Gabriel. I don’t like it. My heart does something stupid, which
makes my knees do something even more stupid, and then my brain starts
entertaining thoughts and feelings it ought not to.
 After a moment of intense staring, Gabriel releases me from whatever
invisible hold he has on my senses and steps back.
“Look, Dani, I was in a bind, but you’re right.” As always, he mouths to
the air. “I should have given you the heads up. I’d planned on taking you
out anyway, but the timing just got pushed up,” he murmurs, his voice deep
and warm like the melodic strum of an acoustic guitar. “When you ask me
out, feel free to do whatever.”
“But we’re not truly dating, are we? This is all pretend,” I say, my voice
barely above a whisper. But he doesn’t answer. Instead, his gaze drifts over
my face, setting my skin afire with each glance.
I swallow, desperate to push against whatever this is growing between us.
“If you and I were real, you would’ve asked me out first.”
Instead of being teed off, my words seem to have the opposite effect
because he leans away from me—finally—and laughs. Color floods his
cheek, bringing back a bit of the cheeky Gabriel. “Is that why you’re so
pressed?”
“Part of it,” I mutter, a part of me shivering from the loss of our closeness
earlier. “We’re trying to be an authentic fake couple, aren’t we? This is a
team effort, not just one person calling all the shots.”
Gabriel nods penitently, and once again I’m shaken by how innocent and
boyish he looks, just like in high school before his betrayal made sure we
could never be friends again.
“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just used solving problems on
my own.” He clears his throat like he’s about to step out on a Broadway
stage and bows. “Dani, a reservation was made for us at The Abbey this
Friday night. I’d love to take you out on the most romantic night of your
life.”
 “Don’t overdo it.”
“Look, are you going out with me or not?”
Deep breaths. I take one, then several. And then a thought hits me, and
it’s so deliciously bad I refuse to talk myself out of it.
Sorry or not, if Gabriel thinks he’s going to use these dates to get what he
wants—and make me miserable in the process—I’ll teach him two can play
at that game. One unforgettable date at The Abbey on Friday, coming right
up!
With a smile, I scoop my essay papers up from the desk and hand them to
Gabriel. “I’d love to go out with you, Gabriel Kelley.”
And I’m going to show him how much of a perfect date it’s going to be.

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 Chapter Nine

Gabe

D
ani hasn’t stopped fuming in the passenger seat since we left home,
but I don’t mind. Despite her silence, I’m (somehow) still awake.
Today was exhausting—the whole past week was. Don’t get me wrong. I
love my job, and I work hard every day to use the best of my knowledge to
help my clients. But I hate the politics and the soul-crushing hours spent in
a boxy office.
Being back in Somerset reminds me how much I’d taken this quiet beach
town for granted. I’d forgotten the sound my sneakers make when they hit
the sand on my morning runs, or the way the briny Atlantic air salted my
skin and tongue. And Dani… I keep forgetting how out of control I feel
sitting next to her.
The Porsche gives a final roar as I slide it into the parking space on the
quiet street opposite Dani’s cottage-style home. It’s dusk, but the heat
wallops us with a vengeance despite the air-conditioning being on. Tension
oozes out of my shoulders as I switch off the engine.
 Dani’s still in her seat, clenched like a jaw wired shut. She stares out into
the distance toward the ocean. A random stranger walking past would think
we’d just reached the end of a divorce agreement and we're just soaking in
the toxic aftermath.
In addition to all of that, I’m sure my driving didn’t make it easier on her,
but I had to dodge a few potholes along the way—heck, who am I kidding?
Dani’s absolutely ticked about our impromptu dinner date at the Abbey on
Friday.
But this time really wasn’t my fault! My dear grandmother had ambushed
me out of nowhere at breakfast about me and Dani not spending enough
time together, and before I knew what was what, I had a table reserved at
one of the most romantic spots in Somerset.
Call the whole thing off, something inside me warns.
But I can’t. It’s too late. Nora’s too involved now.
She’d always wanted me to be in a relationship. Mercifully, she’d left me
alone during high school, remained calm during prom season when she’d
found out I was going with Kyle and Dani and a couple of our friends
instead of going on a traditional date. But when I was at Yale, she went
scorched earth.
Since then, my little primadonna grandmother has made it her mission to
see me married off.
That must have been around the time she’d suffered her first stroke.
I think about the revolving door of prospective dates, the “accidental”
run-ins with granddaughters of her closest friends, none of whom I’d had
the slightest romantic interest in.
Because they weren’t Dani.
I push the thought away before it takes root.
 “I’m leaving now,” Dani looks back at me, her hand hovering on the door
lock.
Despite her bad mood, she’s so incredibly beautiful.
“Had fun?” I ask.
She smiles lightly, and my heart does that little hiccup thing it always
does around her. “Eleanora is amazing and funny.”
“I had fun with you, too,” I say pointedly, mostly to tease her, but I mean
it. But it’s not like she’ll believe me in the slightest. Funny, I can make
compelling arguments and advise billionaire clients and conglomerate reps,
but I doubt I can convince Dani to trust me with a paperclip, much less her
true feelings.
A loose tendril of her coily hair lays gently across her cheek, and I curl
my fingers in my palm to stop myself from reaching out and twirling it
around my finger. Instead, I take her in: her natural, thickly lashed dark
eyes, the delicate bulb of her nose, her full lips, and the smooth cut of her
chin.
Back in high school, Dani was always gorgeous, but this woman next to
me, fierce temper and all, is downright irresistible. I wish she didn’t hate me
so much, and yet the other part wishes I’d never run into her at the hospital.
I’d just come to terms with the fact that she and I could never be anything
to each other—not even rivals anymore—and now we’re doing this…
dating thing.
“How long are you going to keep staring at me? Can I, or can I not get out
now?” Dani’s words slice through my thoughts like a cleaver.
Don’t leave just yet. “What’s stopping you?”
She looks at me sheepishly. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get out
of this car for the past five minutes.” She pulls at the locked door for
emphasis.
Laughter tickles my gut, but I bite the inside of my lip to suppress it. I’m
already on her bad side. Why push myself off the deep end? “I got you.
Stay here.”
I release the lock and hop out of the car. I race to the other side just as
Dani opens the door. She stares at my extended hand, and just when I think
she’s not going to take it, she does.
My heartbeats echo in my ears as her soft fingers fit perfectly in mine.
Once she’s set, I release her, then stuff my tingling hands in my pocket.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, lowering her eyes. I’d bet my last dollar that
she was blushing.
“Have a good night,” she says to the air over my shoulder.
When she turns to walk away, I take one step behind her, then another.
Dani pauses, obviously hearing my footsteps, and whirls around. She
doesn’t seem to care that she’s standing in the middle of the street. “What
are you doing?”
“What do you think? I’m walking you to your door.”
“Oh, no, no, no, no. Thank you, but no. I can manage.” Her smile is as
real as imitation crab.
“I know you can. I can manage, too. Thanks for asking.”
Dani steps up to me just like she did in high school, but even in her wedge
heels she barely reaches my shoulder. Before she can say anything, I
murmur, “Did I tell you how beautiful you looked this evening?”
A soft gasp escapes her parted lips, and she looks at me like she did in the
reading room earlier.
“What are you doing?” she asks, softly this time, her words taking on a
new meaning. Could it be that she doesn’t hate—sorry, “strongly dislike”—
me as much as she thinks she does?
“I told you. I’m walking you to your door.” I step closer to her until she’s
forced to crane her neck to look up at me, to see me like she used to.
“Our ‘date’ ended the minute we left your house… mansion… property,”
she whispers.
I laugh. “Says who?”
“Darn it, Gabe!”
“Ha!” My voice echoes under the darkening orange and purple skies.
“You called me Gabe.”
Dani turns away, staring at me over her shoulder, her Cupid bow lips
curling. A chord, like a guitar string being plucked, vibrates inside my
chest, just like it did every time I was around her back in high school and
every time I think about kissing her.
When did my feelings for her start? Middle school, maybe, when the
lonely ache in my chest was so real, it felt physical.
Ignoring her protests, I follow Dani to her front door. She mumbles
something about Taylor and her sister seeing us and how it would look, but
that’s the point. I’m banking on Kyle’s little sister seeing us together.
Before Dani can fish the keys out of her bag, the front door flies open,
revealing a shocked Taylor and another girl with pretty braids wrapped up
in a top bun that I’m assuming is Dani’s sister.
“Gabe!” Taylor yells, rushing into my arms and giving me a bear hug. “I
knew I saw your car, but I was wondering what you were doing here…”
Her voice peters out as she takes in me and Dani.
“Is that what you wore when you left the house?” she asks Dani.
Dani grips her purse. “Uh, yeah…”
 “Why? You never dress like this,” Dani’s sister says, wrinkling her brow
in confusion. She looks down at Dani’s shoes. “And why are you wearing
those?” Her eyes fly up to me, then to Dani, then back to me. “Um, what’s
going on?”
Dani looks at me worriedly, but I fold my arms and wait. Her front yard,
her house, her story to tell.
“I… had dinner with a friend. Um… this is my friend—no, um.. He’s…”
Taylor lets out a scream so loud I’m pretty sure the entire neighborhood
can hear her. “You and Dani are...?” She smothers her mouth with her
hands, but the rest of her unsaid question hangs in the air.
So, I do the natural thing.
Nod and smile.
“Oh-em-gee!” Taylor squeals. “How could my own brother not tell me
you two are dating—wait!” She stops short. “Does Kyle even know?”
Dani glances at me. “Um…”
“I’m sure it’ll be a surprise,” I answer. “It’s early days, but I can honestly
say things with Dani and I are going great. Aren’t they, hun?” I wrap my
arm around her shoulder and pull her into a side hug.
Dani levels me with her signature withering glare. Death by a thousand
stares comes to mind.
The girls babble excitedly about us dating, and keeping it a secret so well,
until their study alarm goes off and they disappear into a room still
chattering excitedly. As soon as the door closes, Dani hauls me back out to
end of the sidewalk.
She whirls on me as soon as we’re at a safe distance. “You’re pushing it
now,” she rounds on me.
I shrug. “Better now than later. Besides, I’m just laying the groundwork.”
 “I should call SWAT.”
I frown. Oooookay. “For what?”
“Because I’m being held hostage. At least give me some time to get used
to this ‘relationship’, or at least allow me to tell others myself!”
“Shh, will you keep your voice down?” I stare over my shoulder, slightly
panicked, but we’re the only two souls on this street corner. “Look, I know
you well enou—”
“Correction, you don’t know me at all.”
“You’re a procrastinator and a self-saboteur, but I won’t let you do this
now. May I remind you that too much is at stake for the both of us?”
She folds her arms. “Well, I guess we’ll find out Friday.”
What does that even mean? Whatever, I’m too tired to go into it, anyway.
I pull my keys out of my pockets and angle the key fob toward my car
parked further up the street. I click the button and the Porsche chirps in
response.
“On Friday, I’ll pick you up here—”
“Sorry, I have a late shift at The Frozen Donut,” she interjects. “I’ll meet
you there.”
Ignoring a sliver of disappointment, I shrug. “Fine then. See you at The
Abbey. I’ll review your essay as soon as I can, but I have some very
demanding client work to finish up. Forgive me if I won’t be able to see you
much.”
Dani folds her arms and a stiff evening breeze flirts with that tendril of
hair on her cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
I ignore that too. “But I’ll be texting you just in case you sleep through
your alarm. I’ll make it fun. Promise.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine.”
 I grin. “All right, I’ll leave you to it then.”
After a stiff “goodnight” she storms up the small, concrete path leading to
her front door.
“Dani!” I call out to her, not wanting her to leave like this, or to like me
even less than before.
She turns to face me.
“I…” But the words won’t come.
I never meant to hurt you back then. I only wanted to protect you.
“What did Mr. Patel say when you turned in your resignation?” I ask
instead.
Dani hesitates. Maybe the man wasn’t happy she was leaving, and so she
stubbornly stayed on. Her determination was definitely a plus and a minus
for her.
“He said it was a good idea since I needed the study time, but that I could
come visit him if I needed anything,” she says quietly. “They’re having a
little retirement party for him next week.”
“Sounds fun.”
She nods, looking away. “Yep.”
Silence settles between us, and yet neither of us makes a move. “And
you’ll be at The Abbey Friday?”
Dani’s jaw clenches, but then she smiles. “I certainly will.”
I wonder what that smile means as I drive home and trudge off to the
library to catch up on work. My phone pings angrily on the desk where I’d
left it, accidentally, of course. I check the notifications.
None from the other junior lawyers, thank goodness, but there are several
missed calls from Kyle.
Mission accomplished.
 “Thanks, Tay,” I whisper, tapping the call button to phone my best friend
back. As it rings, I fall back into my office chair. Sleep burns my eyes, but I
press the heel of my palms against my eyes to soothe them.
Kyle doesn’t answer, which means he must have called when he had a
moment to spare on set. Still, I flit through my messages to see if he’d left
any texts.
And yes.
Yes, he did.

KYLE S: Dude, what the heck are u and Dani up to??!! And
don’t tell me smthg stupid like u’re dating and in love, bcuz
we both know she hates ur guts.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Ten

Dani

I
regret giving Gabriel permission to text me.
Groaning, I flip over on my bed, my head aching from waking up so
suddenly by my human “study alarm” and the ridiculous text he sent me at
1:59 AM on a Thursday morning.
When he’d made the offer to be my personal study alarm text, I never
thought he meant peppering me with a bunch of animal factoid texts. And
they’re not automatically sent. Oh, no. He’s awake when he sends them.
I feel around my bed and grab my phone from under a pillow. Swiping the
screen until I get to my messages, I pull up the text Gabriel sent me minutes
earlier.

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: The tiger pistol shrimp is

one of the loudest animals in the world. Consider this wake-
up-and-study text your personalized sonic boom.

What. A. Nerd.
 I can’t believe that for a guy in his mid-late twenties, he was still obsessed
with hoarding as many animal facts as possible. But then again, he was
always spouting off about something he read in The National Geographic.
Why didn’t he become a zoologist or a conservationist? Why law?
My phone pings again.

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: Sent an update on

tonight’s study outline. See attached.

“This is really happening…”

Groaning, I roll out of bed and trudge my way into the dining room. If I
study in my bedroom, even if I’m sitting at my desk, I’ll fall asleep.
Cradling my books and study notes, I make my way out of the room,
hearing a rustling noise coming from Hailey’s room across the hall. She’s
probably awake and studying, too. I wish she’d take it easy. It’s summer
after all.
Shifting my books in my arms, I place my free hand on the doorknob on
her bedroom door and gently turn it so it doesn’t make a sound, but Hailey
hears me anyway.
“Hey, sis,” she says when I open the door. No surprise, her books are open
and spread out across her desk. Unlike me, she’s managed to stay awake
long enough to wrap her beautiful braids in a silk scarf. I’ve taken to
sleeping with silk pillowcases and sheets because, after a shower, dinner,
and an hour or two of studying, I’m too tired to do anything much with my
hair.
“Nothing says summer break like studying biology right through it.”
 “Calm your butt. Taylor and I are going to Block Island today, but I need
to catch up on biology. Should I apply for a job at the marina? Mr. Cameron
says he doesn’t mind the extra help.” Her voice gets quiet. “It’s time I start
pulling my own weight.”
“Sweetie.” I swallow the lump in my throat. Hailey’s only doing this
because I had to quit my job with Mr. Patel, and while I’m grateful for the
extra study time, the last thing I want is to burden her and Mom. “You’re
adorable, you know that?”
Hailey shrugs, twirling one of her long braids. “Not really. I’m just trying
my best. Like you.”
I shift my arms, cradling the heavy texts, but I don’t let an ounce of
emotion show on my face.
“You and Mom are the only ones keeping me going.” She continues,
glancing back at her books, and I blink back my tears before she sees them.
Oh, Hailey… I clear my throat. “Look, I won’t keep you. We’ll talk when
the sun’s up.”
She smiles. “Okay.”
I turn to go, but Hailey’s voice stops me. “Dani?”
“Yeah?”
“We’ll be okay, right?” Her sweet brown eyes are worried, and I feel like
she’s not just talking about school or us passing our tests and exams. She’s
talking about money and the debt she’s not supposed to have a clue about.
Because even if she received several scholarships and grants, it might not
be enough for her to pursue the school and program of her dreams. And yes,
student loans are a thing, but Mom is adamant about Hailey not shackling
herself to a mountain of debt that she may (or may not) be able to pay off.
Mom is such a pressure cooker of worry about our financial situation, still
in pain from losing Dad and having to raise two daughters alone that if
Hailey takes on debt, I’m scared it’ll kill her.
It was bad enough Mom had freaked out when I quit my job with Mr.
Patel last week. Not the yell-on-top-of-your-voice or collapse-on-the-couch-
in-despair type of freak out. Nope. She’s one of those who goes quiet, the
ones. She’ll smile and nod, taking the bad news in and weighing it before
mentally flinging the burden on her back. Then she’ll spend days
shouldering the pain alone. When it becomes too much, she’ll wait until
we’re asleep, and pace under the elm tree in the backyard and cry and pray.
After Dad died, and I was old enough to be at home alone, she’d go to
Dad’s grave.
I’m like her in a sense. In the days and months after Dad died, I chose the
bleachers when hardly anyone else was around. I’d sit there, dry-eyed and
lost. If others were around, they’d usually stay away.
Gabriel didn’t. The first day he’d found me, he sat next to me, not saying
a word. But on the day it rained, Gabriel held me. In his arms, I could cry. I
could let it all out.
“Dani,” Hailey whispered, waving her hand in front of my face to catch
my attention. “We’ll be okay, right?”
“We’ll be okay,” I promise her. “Because I’m going to pass the bar, and
you’re going to Yale, or Brown, or—whatever school you choose.”
Hailey’s shoulders sink, and I cross the small space into her room to kiss
her cheek. “You trust me, right?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “Sure.” I tickle her sides until I get a definitive
“yes.”
“Good, now get back to studying.”
 I slip out of her room, gently closing the door behind me. I glance under
the doors of Mom’s room, but the lights are off. She’s staying overnight
with her hospice patient.
Feeling like I’m wearing a thousand-pound jacket, I trudge to the dining
room and set my books and loose-leaf essays on the table.
I’m about to shut my phone off when I see another text from Gabriel.

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: FYI. Kyle knows about

us.

Gabe

Kyle hasn’t stopped texting me since he found out about Dani and me
Sunday night, but it’s easier to ignore him these days because of his set
schedule and the absolute dumpster fire that is my professional life right
now: the insane working hours, demanding clients and the endless
paperwork. I love my job, but it’s almost too much.
Stretching, I glance at the time. It’s Friday, 1:30 AM.
Date night at The Abbey.
The theme for tonight: Nights in Osaka. I’d checked again just to be sure.
 But in my little standoff with Dani on Sunday, I forgot to ask if she was
allergic to any sea creature other than shellfish. I don’t remember her being
that allergic, judging by all the tuna sandwiches she’d smeared with herbal
pepper sauce.
I decide to ask Kyle. He should be in the makeup chair or at breakfast
about now.

ME: Dani’s allergic to shellfish. Anything else? We’re

having Japanese on Fri. aka, tonight.

I send the message, completely forgetting that I hadn’t responded to his

earlier texts. But instead of a text back, my phone buzzes. For a heart-
stopping second, I think it’s one of the other junior associates, but Kyle’s
name flashes across the screen.
“Bonjour,” I answer, grinning.
“Now he’s taking my calls,” Kyle drawls.
I laugh. “Say that in French.”
Kyle gives a blistering retort instead, which is extra funny because his
voice sounds muffled, like he’s trying to talk with his mouth closed.
I lean back in my chair, my eyes falling on Dani’s essay that I’ve graded.
She did pretty good but missed a few key areas I was hoping she would
have commented on. Working in a hypercritical, hyper-detailed
environment as I do means I can’t miss a single detail.
“You’re up almost as early as I am.”
“I’m in the makeup chair, and judging by all this fake blood on me, I’m
probably dying in a couple of hours.” He laughs softly. “Sometimes I think
the director and the writers can’t make up their minds whether they want to
kill me or not. And they won’t let me see the next part of the script.”
I chuckle. Kyle should wrap up shooting his World War II historical series
by the end of this month, and even though he had to mirror the harsh
conditions over there, he seemed to be getting good feedback on his job.
“Something tells me you’ll be fine,” I reassure him. It’s his first big role
in… anything.
“Can’t say the same about you, though. Between your workload and Dani,
how are you functioning at all?”
“Kyle…”
“Oh, come on, Gabe. You and Dani? Do you have a death wish?”
What a drama king. No wonder he became an actor, after all. “She’s
taking our arrangement well, all things considered.”
Kyle snorts, and a woman in the background with a thick Australian
accent tells him to stop moving his head. “She must be pretty desperate if
she agreed to date you,” he continues.
“Thanks, brother.”
“Hoorah.” Kyle pauses. “Did you finally swallow the grenade and tell her
about that—ow!—that... toolbag? Man, I want to call him another name,
but can’t. I’m in decent company?”
The slight ache behind my eye crescendos. “Nope, and I have no intention
of telling her about Terrence.”
“Coward. Eight years is long enough for her to kill any residual feelings
she’s had for the... for him. I doubt she’s in a vulnerable situation like she
was before.”
That’s where Kyle’s wrong. Dani’s still in a vulnerable position with her
worrying about passing the bar and her family finances—why else would
she be working two jobs? It was probably out of a sheer determination that
she completed a law degree online, but then why skip out on Yale? She’d
been so passionate about going to Yale. Nothing could stop her.
“I’m not telling her yet,” I insist. “Later, maybe. After she passes the bar.”
Kyle coos. “Aw, look at you. Finally drumming up the you-know-what to
tell you-know-who after aaaallll these years you’re still very much in—”
“Look, is Dani allergic to any other specie of fish or not?” I hover my
finger over the end call button just in case he wants to run his big mouth
again.
Kyle sighs, and I can’t bear to hear the pity in his voice. “Gabriel, don’t
do this to yourself, bro.”
“Just tell me,” I demand, ignoring the tendrils of despair entwining around
my gut, telling me, hauntingly, that Kyle’s right. But I can’t give up. Not
again.
Finally, Kyle responds, “Only shellfish, but we’ve already established
that.”
“Thanks. Don’t forget your lines.”
I’m about to hang up when Kyle says, “Fine, go ahead with this crazy
scheme if you want to, but you’re only going to get yourself hurt, just like
last time.”
I take the warning in stride. “Thanks. I’ll keep you posted.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Eleven

Dani

T
he Abbey is perfect at dusk. It stands like a glistening Victorian jewel
on the cliffs overlooking Sunset Bay. At least that’s my take from the
parking lot.
I almost feel guilty about what I’m about to do. Maybe if I hadn’t met the
owner, Tyler Abbey, at the hospital, I wouldn’t have felt so bad, but the goal
of this mission takes precedence.
If Gabriel wants to spring surprise dates on me, then he better deal with
the consequences. Grinning, I hop out of Mom’s fifteen-year-old sedan and
slam the door twice, so it closes all the way. My combat boots crunch over
the graveled walkway that leads up to The Abbey’s restaurant entrance.
This is going to work. Hailey’s face before I left the house said it all. She
thinks all that studying has cracked my brain and I’m going to the grungiest
underground rave there is—in fishnet stockings and all. I spent the entire
evening dodging her questions about where I was going and if Gabriel
would be there—she’s a mini-replica of Mom in looks, attitude, and probing
questions. But judging from my sister’s reaction, Gabe is going to be too
embarrassed by my attire to want to take me anywhere as fancy as The
Abbey. And who knows? Maybe tonight will be enough for him to break up
with me before his summer garden party, or gala—whatever bougie event is
happening on Martha’s Vineyard.
And who’s going to help you study for the bar if you break up now,
dummy?
I growl under my breath at the thought. Okay, maybe I haven’t thought
about it all the way through, and even if I wanted to change my mind, it’s
too late now.
I saunter past Gabriel’s Porsche on my way out of the parking lot, and not
long after, spot Gabriel’s handsome profile standing by the open French
doors, staring out at the dusk-painted sea.
“Oh, my…” I bite the inside of my lip, hoping some of that pain
transference would counter the alien feeling swelling inside my chest.
Gabriel Kelley looks… good, like, way too good. He’s wearing a navy,
slim-fit blazer above a crisp baby blue dress shirt tucked into dark-rinsed
jeans. Tan suede derbies round out the look—the perfect outfit for a GQ
Magazine cover. The heavenly edition.
As if sensing my presence, he turns and smiles, a genuine one. Not the
reaction I was hoping for.
“You made it,” he says once I’m closer.
“Yeeeaaaah, just fulfilling my end of our bargain,” I say, just in case he
wants to confuse this as the real thing, but Gabriel doesn’t seem to care one
bit about my choice of words.
“Well then,” he murmurs, before sticking out his elbow. “Let’s go inside.
It’s a little chilly out this evening.”
 He’s not saying anything about my outfit. He’s not saying anything about
my outfit! My insides scream as I loop my arm in his. I mean, I put real
effort into this. I’m wearing all black (I’m in mourning.): a blazer above a
tube top, and pleather, high-waisted shorts. To complete the look? The
fishnet stockings I mentioned earlier are neatly tucked into my combat
boots.
But Gabriel’s all smiles as he guides me into the restaurant dining area. I
can’t even criticize because he displays such gentleman-like charm it makes
chivalry want to make a comeback.
It’s so unfair. He’s evil incarnate and yet he’s so… angelic-looking, and
he smells so good—my weakness. His superior fragrance taste is making
me like him one percentage better, which is horrifying.
The only point deduction is that the hand holding mine is trembling on
and off. Why? He’s not nervous, is he?
While we’re waiting in line to confirm our reservation, he leans over,
whispering in my ear, “Where’s the party?”
Finally. “In my mind.”
He chuckles, his eyes drifting appreciatively over my form. “Am I
invited? Or do I look like too much of a square?”
“That depends.” I bat my falsies at him. “Can we end our date early?”
His grin burns me from the outside in. “Not a chance.”
“Then sorry, you can’t make it.”
He bends his height, and his delicious scent is all over me as he whispers,
“Well, even if that’s your final decision, I gotta say, you look uh-mazing in
those shorts.”
My heart somersaults as his words caress my eardrums.
Dani, get a hold of yourself!
 Thankfully, our server checks our reservation, smiling broadly at Gabriel,
who in turn, has no issue turning on his full charm. Who is this person and
which alien body snatcher injected him with a sociable personality?
Still, it’s taking a longer time than usual to get to our table because the
server is full-on flirting with Gabriel. First of all, I’m used to it from
hanging out with Kyle, who is also blond, tall, and unfairly gorgeous. And
second, I’m playing the role of the self-assured “girlfriend.” Not an
annoyed and clearly bothered hostage.
“Gabriel Kelley?” a familiar voice calls out from behind us.
We turn to see Tyler Abbey and an attractive woman walking toward us.
Her sapphire-blue satin dress complements her chestnut skin expertly and
floats over her slightly rounded stomach.
“Tyler Abbey,” Gabriel returns, instantly recognizing the handsome man
from the emergency ward two weeks ago. The woman with him must be his
wife.
The two men shake hands and I smile “hello” at his wife—Tasha, I think?
“So glad you could make it.” Tyler turns to the woman by his side. “This
is my wife, Tasha Abbey.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say to Tasha, who is absolutely gorgeous. Now I
feel awful for showing up at their place dressed like this. I’m pretty sure
The Abbey has a dress code.
Tasha takes my hand. “Nice to meet you, too.” She eyes me and Gabriel,
then me again, and my clothes. “Is this a…?”
“It’s a date,” Gabriel answers smoothly before draping a hand over my
shoulder. His firm grip prevents me from flinching or jabbing at his sides.
Maybe I can stomp on his little toe. I am wearing combat boots, after all.
“We finally have time to go on a date, but as you can see...” Gabriel pauses,
gesturing to my outfit. “Time isn’t something both of us have. Right,
honey?”
Honey? I blink Morse codes with my eyes that he’s gonna get it later, but
he ignores me. “Yeah, I’m currently working while studying for the bar. It’s
been so hectic.”
“Wow,” Tasha says with wide eyes. She nods sympathetically at Gabriel.
“It must be so hard for you two to see each other.”
“Well, it helps that I’m her mentor,” Gabriel answers. Clearly, he’s
enjoying this.
“Some might say that’s a conflict of interest in terms of concentration,”
Tyler jokes and everyone laughs except me. One, dad-joke. Two, this guy
has no idea how much of a walking conflict we are.
Instead of Flirty Greeter from earlier, Tyler shows us to our table and
takes our order, which is nice, especially for an important guy like him. We
say goodbye to Tasha, who’s having dinner with her parents somewhere in
the gardens.
Tyler seats us on the balcony, and everything is so perfect, from the table
setting to the impressive view of the lights dotting the cliffs overlooking
Sunset Bay. How would I have felt had tonight been a real date?
Gabriel talks to Tyler like they’re old friends, something I’m having to
become used to. When he first moved to Somerset, Gabriel had pretty much
kept to himself, and would hardly talk in class, or to anyone at all. He had
lunch alone, wouldn’t talk above a whisper during group activities, and
would stay by himself at all times.
One day we were playing a game—I don’t quite remember which one—
but Gabriel stood by the school steps while he waited for his driver,
watching us. There we were, having fun, laughing our faces off, and
standing in a tight circle. And there he was, watching us with large blue
eyes in his pale, thin face. I can’t recall what came over me at the time—
maybe it was seeing him alone, or the whispers of him being an orphan and
didn’t talk anymore because of it—but I didn’t want to accept that excuse.
So, I did what I do best. I insisted he play with us. I doubt he knew the
rules. Heck, I didn’t either, but I couldn’t bear to see him stand there alone
anymore.
“Dani, darling,” Gabriel whispers, gesturing with his eyes to the menu in
my hands. The slight crease in Tyler’s brow jolts me back into my role.
“Sorry, what is it?”
“We’re ordering now.”
“Oh, right.” I smile. “Gabri—Gabe told me tonight features a special
menu.”
Tyler grins. “A long-time friend of my father’s is showcasing some of his
best Japanese-fusion dishes. We’re on Day Three now, and so far it’s going
really well.”
“I would love to try,” I answer, actually a little hungry. I hope they serve
big portions.
As Gabriel and I pore over the menu, I take a look around us. Tiny globe
lights burn a gentle white-amber light in the center of the restaurant tables,
highlighting the faces of happy couples and families. Summer and sea salt
waft over us from the Atlantic, and music from the live jazz band playing
down below on the lawns mingles with the gentle chatter from The Abbey
patrons.
Gabriel flips through the menu. “We’ll order the shogun sushi and sashimi
platter with all the works. And maybe the shrimp and shiitake miso soup to
start?”
 Before I can ask what’s what, Tyler nods and taps on his tablet. “We serve
our sushi both raw and mildly cooked. Which would you prefer?”
“We’ll have the—”
“Let me see,” I interrupt, pausing to glare at Gabriel, who only shrugs.
Tossing my head back, I give Tyler a dazzling smile. “I would like my sushi
cooked, please.”
“Understandable.” Tyler smiles kindly, then turns to Gabriel. “And for
you?”
Gabriel’s eyes don’t leave mine. “I’ll have mine as it was culturally
intended. Raw.”
Tyler taps a couple more times on his tablet, then beams. “All right, your
orders will be up shortly.” He and Gabriel talk French and Italian wines
while I look out at the sunset.
“You okay?” Gabriel asks me once Tyler leaves.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a group of women staring hard at me
and Gabriel. One of them whispers something to the others. Tittering soon
follows. Gabriel glances at them, then back at me. The last thing I want to
see is pity in his eyes, especially since I brought this mess on myself with
this getup.
“I always wanted to come here,” I say to the drink menu, but Gabriel
pushes it out of my reach, covering my hand with his.
“Well, aren’t you lucky?” His thumb brushes the delicate skin between
my thumb and index finger, warming it.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say quietly, still not looking at him.
“Do what?”
“This hand-holding thing, or this… thumb-stroking thing.”
 Gabriel throws back his head and laughs, and I can tell it’s real because
his cheeks grow a dusky pink. “We’re supposed to be in love, remember?
Honeymoon-in-love, not ‘tonight’s your night to wash the dishes, love.’”
I roll my eyes. “Wow, what a quip. Did you practice that one in the
mirror?”
“No, but I used to practice my pitch to clients in the mirror when Taylor &
Associates first hired me—I still do, sometimes. My first year on the job
came with a rickety set of training wheels.”
“I guess it paid off. You’re all Mr. Social now.”
He stares at me for a long time. “We all grow and change, Dani.”
Gabriel’s giving me that look again, the one that makes my heart do that
fluttery thing I read about in fan fictions. The space around us morphs and
blurs. I don’t even hear the women at that table anymore.
We talk about his job and how he got hired by such a prestigious firm in
the first place when our food arrives. Halfway through our meal, a server
apologizes for not serving us what looks like a neon-green paste in a tiny
egg-shaped bowl at the side of my platter.
It looks interesting enough, and since pretty much everything on this table
is new to me, I figure it could be harmless.
“That’s wasabi,” Gabriel points out as I slather my (not raw) tuna with it.
“Thanks,” I say.
Gabriel slowly chews his food, his eyes trained on the glob of wasabi on
my sushi. “I don’t think you want to eat too much of that.”
“Why? Do you want to cut my steak, too?” I ask without heat as I
paraphrase Molly from the Titanic movie.
I can’t help but feel nervous when Gabriel sets down his chopsticks and
dabs his mouth with his linen napkin. He sits in his chair, like all the way
back, as if he’s ready to bust out some popcorn and watch a summer
blockbuster.
My brain screams a warning, but I ignore it and pop the whole thing into
my mouth.
The acrid taste hits me instantly, and for a second the flavors explode on
my tongue before it sends my taste bud vitals crashing. I wince, jerking as
my body reacts. Gabriel is saying something about letting the flavor “work
through me,” or some other hippie-food nonsense, but I’m not sure because
my nose is burning, and even though I’m crying, no tears are coming out.
When I surface, I barely manage to squeak, “What… is this thing?”
“I told you. It’s wasabi—Japanese horseradish.”
My nose and eyes burn like I’ve gotten a face full of pepper spray.
“I thought they’d have the Westernized version, but it turns out they have
the real thing.” Gabriel hands me a glass of water before I gulp it down. I
don’t know if I feel better yet. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
“Why even order something like this?” I sputter.
“Carol Price’s garden party will have even more foods like this for you to
sample. And since she’s quite the food connoisseur, think of it as me
helping you expand your palate for the party in August.”
“I’m not going to your little garden soiree.”
“If you say so, Dani.” Gabriel shrugs, taking his butter knife and
smoothing a pea-size portion of wasabi on his sashimi before eating it. I
shudder to think how I could’ve ever smothered a tablespoon of the stuff on
my food. “But a deal’s a deal.”
He ends his little missive with a smirk that nearly sends me through The
Abbey’s roof. Is this an on-purpose? For my outfit? He grins, accurately
reading my exact thoughts.
 Smug, jerkazoid… fallen angel! There’s no way I’m going to survive him
before August, much less the bar exam.
You started it with your ridiculous getup, my brain reminds me, and this
time, my heart agrees.
I tell them both to shut up and try to think of a way to survive this date
with my “un-expanded palate” intact.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twelve

Dani

T
he timer goes off as my face slips off my chin, jolting me awake.
Groaning, I blink and sit back in my chair, then glance down at the
papers strewn across my desk. Right. I’m studying in my room.
No wonder I fell asleep. I should be studying around the dining table, but
I could barely crawl out of bed.
I take up the first page and try not to cringe at my essay.
Today’s topic? Property Law.
I’m supposed to be writing arguments for another case study Gabriel sent
me, along with my 2:00 AM study-animal-wake-up text.
This one’s just as ridiculous as the others.

GABRIEL/ DO NOT ANSWER: Hummingbirds are the

only known specie of birds that can fly backward.

I ignored it, of course, and whatever meaning was behind the text. But I
take a good guess.
 He knows I’m mad about the wasabi incident, and rightfully guessed that
I’ve added it to the tab of other things I’m mad at him about—and with
good reason.
Yes, it’s been two weeks since our disastrous first date, but Gabriel still
deserves to get flack for it. My so-called boyfriend watched me heap a
bucket load of wasabi on my sushi and said nothing. He might as well have
sat back and shared popcorn with the couple sitting at the table next to us.
Better yet, if I was a hummingbird, he’d happily watch me poke globs of
wasabi with my beak. I kid you not. That night I had to watch a bunch of
“People Taste Wasabi for the First Time” videos to make myself feel better.
But time and distance do soften the blow, somewhat. I glance at the date I
scribbled at the top of my essay page. Gabriel’s supposed to be back in
Somerset in a day or two. Last week, he’d had to travel back to the New
York office, and no doubt, must be working himself to the bone. I’ve hardly
heard from him.
My phone buzzes, and I ignore it, thinking it’s one of Gabriel’s texts. I’m
about to hurl it toward my bed when I glimpse the notification on my lock
screen. It’s not Gabe. It’s Kyle, Gabriel’s greatest co-defender.

KYLE: Checked in with ur bf yet? And u still haven’t told

me about wasabi-gate.

Yep. Should’ve ignored him too...

Two minutes later, he texts:

KYLE: Dani, it’s not that serious.

 See how Kyle ALWAYS comes to Gabriel’s defense for the slightest
thing? He promised not to get involved.
I fire off a quick text.

ME: Call me.

KYLE: Can’t. Eating brekkie with the crew. Did I tell u I

think the director, and the lead, got sick from some kind of
superbug? [Fingers-crossed emoji] and I’ll b noshing on
some of my mama’s ice-cream donuts very soon.

ME: Sounds terrible.

KYLE: Absolutely terrible [laughing-crying emoji].

Imagine hoping production gives us a break after 2 mnths of
non-stop filming in mud pits.

ME: You’re awful.

KYLE: [Monocle emoji]. You’ve got me beat.

I frown. What the heck is Kyle talking about? And why so many emojis?
My fingers fly furiously over the screen.

ME: Explain.
 KYLE: U need to b nice 2 GK. He may not act like it, but u
hurt him.

Hurt him. Not “can hurt him”, but “hurt” in the continuous tense. Since
when have I done that? I slam my phone face down on my papers.
How can I hurt Gabriel when he doesn’t have a heart? And what about
wasabi-gate? Gabriel sat back and watched me choke on… on horseradish!
After stewing in silence for a few seconds, I grab my phone, refusing to
censor myself.

ME: Did all those set explosions jolt your brain into
forgetting what happened or something? Your bestie, GK,
couldn’t beat me scholastically, so he chose emotional
warfare. My father died and he chose that time to blackmail
my bf to make him stop seeing me. Terrence breaks up with
me and I end up flunking ALL my finals. No scholarship.
No Yale. Is the path down memory lane clear enough now?

Even after all these years, my eyes well up, but I take deep breaths as dots
appear when Kyle types, then stops, then appears again, then stops.
I whisper my mantra since I started this whole fake-dating escapade.
You’re doing this for Hailey.
You’re doing this to pass the bar, so she can go to college without
excessive debts.
Kyle’s side of the messaging app is quiet, so I exit the program, reset my
timer, and do another essay question. After the 50-minute timer runs out, I
check my unread texts from Kyle.

KYLE: GK still hasn’t told you, huh [blank emoji face]?

Take it from me, Dani, he did right by you. I’ll go further
and say I wd’ve done the same thng had I been in GK’s
[shoes emoji]. Don’t ask. GK has to tell u himslf. Luv you,
Dani, but u’re wrong about him.

Three minutes later he’d typed:

KYLE: They’re calling us now. Gotta run.

It’s a Thursday on summer break, but Linda says I can take the afternoon
off to catch up on my studies. I’m grateful. With the bar exam less than a
month away, I need all the spare time I can get.
After I cycle out of The Frozen Donut parking lot, I make a quick stop
home to shower and change out of my work uniform. Once I look semi-
decent enough, I book a ride to the Kelley Château. Gabriel’s still not back,
so I don’t mind getting there a little late.
He’d texted me that he’d land at the airport in the early afternoon, but
would probably be a half-hour late for our study session. Understandable.
But what I didn’t get was the cryptic study text he’d sent me. Usually, his
little animal texts are about us, or hold some clue about the topic I’ll be
studying for the day, but this one I still can’t figure out.

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: Great white sharks can

sniff out a single drop of blood in 25 gallons of water. Their
olfactory senses are so powerful, they can sense tiny
amounts of blood from as much as 3 miles away.

Then he’d texted…

GABRIEL/DO NOT ANSWER: Stay away from the

reading room! I’ll be late but I WILL BE THERE!!!
Promise [smiley/halo emoji].

Like I said, I’ve no clue what “blood in 25 gallons of water” has to do

with my study schedule for today. I don’t even know where I’ll be studying.
Maybe Knox can help.
Ridiculous texts aside, Gabriel is an excellent mentor. When he’s tutoring
me, it’s like he’s able to lock away his backstabbing tendencies and actually
tutor me in the law. Even concepts I didn’t quite grasp in my online law
classes, I could now understand under his tutelage.
He encourages you too.
Yes, he does. Even when I make mistakes in my essays, he always follows
up his correction with an encouraging note and a smiley face.
It’s sweet.
 My ride drops me off at the Kelley Château, behind a line of Bentleys and
Mercedes parked out front. Seconds after I press the doorbell, Knox opens
the door.
“Hey, Knox.” I beam, hoping he’ll crack a smile. We’ve known each other
for a month now, and I’ve never seen him smile. Ever. “Is Nora hosting a
party or something?”
Knox lifts an eyebrow. No smile. Bummer.
“Ms. Dixon,” he greets me in his usual monotone. “Mrs. Kelley is hosting
her bi-monthly book club. She requests your presence in the reading room
before you commence your studies.”
I flinch as Gabriel’s text props up in my mind.
Stay away from the reading room!
“Um… are you sure that’s a good idea?” I glance down at my gray
Batman graffiti tee, washed-out jeans, and my shoes! Why, oh why did I
wear my most worn slip-on sneakers? “I don’t think I’m dressed for the
occasion.”
The corner of Knox’s lips tilts upward, barely. “Mrs. Kelley will be happy
to see you, nonetheless.”
“Thanks for not lying about my clothes.”
Knox tries and fails to smother his grin.
Point One for me!
I follow Knox down the end of the hall where I’d accidentally
eavesdropped on Gabriel and Eleanora that one time. He opens the double
doors, flooding the dark hallway with warm sunlight through the windows
from the other end of the room. Gentle conversation flutters to a halt, and
pairs upon pairs of eyeballs—some shielded by spectacles, some not—turn
to face the doorway. And me.
 Great white sharks! Gabriel’s text screams in my head again. I stop my
breath to hold any preemptive nervous hiccups.
Eleanora rises to her feet. “Oh, Dani, there you are,” she says with an
energetic smile, her blue eyes warm and inviting.
She’s wearing a cardigan over a cream jumpsuit. The tiny pink diamonds
on her silver bumblebee brooch catch strays of sunrays, temporarily
blinding me. “I was looking out for you since Gabriel said you’d be here.
Did you get his message about him being a little late?”
“I did.” I smile nervously, nodding a greeting whenever I make eye
contact with one or two of the mostly elderly, and fabulously dressed
women. “He said I should meet him in the library, so I really should head
out…”
Eleanora’s eyes round. “So soon? I’d love for you to meet the ladies.”
Knox bows slightly next to me, then makes his way to a buffet table at the
other end of the room.
Someone clears their throat behind Eleanora.
“The… ladies?” I ask under my breath, heat sluicing up my neck.
“Oh, yes! My book club members.” She leans in, whispering, “A few of
these ladies have been my friends for over fifty years.”
“That’s amazing,” I whisper back. “But I don’t want to disturb your
meeting—”
“Not at all!” she says loudly. She raises her arm, still resting snugly in its
sling. “Because of my arm, we’re having our meeting here instead. I’m told
that a few of the ladies have seen you and Gabriel together out and about,
and they are very curious about you.”
I shake my head. “Oh, I couldn’t… my clothes. I’m not dressed…”
Now you care? My brain chides me.
 Shut up!
But Eleanora takes both my hands. “You’re a beautiful young lady and
you’re my guest. That’s enough.”
My gut plays jump rope with the butterflies as Eleanora leads me to the
Jacobean couch set in the dead center of the room. I’m careful not to let my
book bag slump to the floor, and instead cram it (neatly) in the tiny space
next to me on the couch.
Behind me, Knox stands by the windows, supervising the other members
of the household staff as they spoon out mini sandwiches and cakes on
ornate dessert plates. Funny, I see more cucumber and avocado-salmon
sandwiches than books and notepads.
Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane” plays quietly in the background, and I try not
to fidget, or feel self-conscious about my appearance. Everyone else is so
polished, tucked in, and coiffed with their legs crossed at the ankles. And
I’m just… here.
“Ladies,” Eleanora announces, her cheeks a salmon-pink shade like the
cardigan draped around her shoulders and sling. “This is the young lady I
mentioned earlier. Danica Dixon, Gabriel’s girlfriend.”
Oooh, boy. As soon as the “girlfriend” title slips out, seven pairs of eyes
zero in on me, like I’m holding the last life jacket on a sinking ship.
“Nice to meet you,” I say with a smile I pray isn’t wobbly.
“Ah, the girlfriend.” A woman wearing a gold pug brooch with rubies for
the eyes says. Rouge dusts her cheeks, which clash horribly with her
sapphire-blue suit and dyed grayish-purple hair. Her face looks familiar, but
I can’t place it. Was this the same woman Gabriel mentioned from Bagels,
or was this her gossipy mother?
 “What a surprise, Eleanora,” another woman says in a quiet but dignified
voice. She’s wearing a gold peacock brooch with a diamond-encrusted tail
sparkly enough to rival Eleanora’s. She’s also wearing a cream suit—most
of the women are wearing neutral colors, except for the first woman with
the pug brooch. It looks lovely against her polished mahogany skin.
It’s then that I notice a young woman in the group sitting next to her, who
looks to be around my age. She gives me a smile that says, “curiously
amused,” like she knows many secrets, like Gabriel and my relationship is
as real as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Oh, why did Eleanora seat me here in the middle of this school of great
white sharks?
“I was surprised myself when Gabriel told me,” Eleanora answers
graciously as she pats my hand. “Pleasantly surprised. They’ve been friends
since elementary school, but they finally realized how wonderful they are
together.”
A murmur of approval flows from the group.
“Friends to lovers,” a woman with a gold maple leaf brooch nods
approvingly. She’s sitting the closest to Eleanora. “Gabriel is an EX-cellent
lawyer.”
“And very particular about time,” I say, even though he’s late. I give them
a smile that hopefully won’t numb my cheeks. “With that said, I should
probably head on over to the library, and meet him th—”
“How long have you been dating?” Peacock-brooch lady asks with a
slightly raised (manicured) eyebrow. If I didn’t feel like I was under a
spotlight, I’d be gushing about how chic she looks with her proudly graying
hair styled in a tapered cut. Her tight curls crown the top of her head, giving
all kinds of high-fashion.
 “My granddaughter here,” she continues, nodding to the young woman
seated next to her, “has been Gabriel’s friend since childhood, and we’ve
never seen you around, not even at club outings. Which of the Dixons are
you?”
“The Dixons of… Somerset?” I answer, hoping she doesn’t hear the
shakiness in my voice. “We’re transplants, actually. My mom is originally
from Ghana and my father is from Queens, New York.”
Is that posh enough for her?
The granddaughter catches my gaze and tilts her head, giving me a
helpless smile. Again, she’s looking at me like she’s seen me from
somewhere.
“As I said, Monty, she’s a long-time friend of Gabriel’s,” Eleanora says
patiently while Knox refills this Monty lady’s delicate teacup.
Monty sniffs, but then sips her chrysanthemum tea while the young
woman sitting next to her whispers something in her ear. As the other
women speak about friendships and love, I force my legs to stop bouncing.
You’re fine. You’re enough.
Heck yeah, I’m good enough for Gabriel and his rich fancy-pants peers!
Why wouldn’t I be? I’m smart, and even if we can’t stand each other’s guts,
there’s a lot I have in common with him.
“You two are adorable,” Maple-leaf brooch lady gushes. “But you two
shouldn’t fight, especially in public.”
I blink several times. “I’m sorry?”
Eleanora makes a small cough in her teacup before setting it down,
frowning. Uh oh. “What do you mean, Carol?” she asks.
“I…” Carol makes a helpless gesture. “I don’t want to presume anything,
but my husband and I were having the most amazing unagi at The Abbey
on Friday with Barb and her husband, like I told you, Nora. We saw you
two sitting out on the balcony a few tables away from us. We weren’t seated
close by any means, but we couldn’t help but notice how frosty the two of
you seemed—at least in the beginning. Of course, I had no idea you were
his girlfriend. It looked like you two were in the middle of a thunderstorm.”
Pug-brooch lady gives an indelicate snort and Monty shakes her head
slowly.
I mentally scan how I was that evening. Yes, I had dressed like I was
going to the grungiest rave, but we weren’t openly hostile at all. I even let
him hold my hand and stroke it.
Still, I have to fix this.
“Well, it was a long day for Gabriel—Gabe—and I,” I say, blurting out
the first thing that comes to mind. “And to make matters worse, I was
annoyed I’d eaten a whole tablespoon of wasabi without being warned.” I
quickly glance at Eleanora, who’s still wearing a worried frown. “But we’re
okay now.”
I go into the whole wasabi episode and manage to raise a few chuckles
from the women. My legs start tapping again, and I have to press my hands
down on my thighs to keep them still.
But right on cue, Pug-brooch lady asks. “But what was the disagreement
about?”
The young woman sitting next to Monty scoots forward. “Let me guess,
Gabe probably thought The Abbey served the Westernized version, so he
didn’t feel the need to tell you.”
She calls him Gabe, too? “Well, that’s a… pretty good guess.”
The young woman smiles at me knowingly. “Not exactly.”
 Whatever I want to say next shrivels on my tongue. I don’t know how I
know this, but I’m certain this girl–whoever she is–is close to Gabriel.
Maybe an ex? He never told me about any of his exes, or that one of them
was a member of his grandmother’s book club. Is that why he wanted me to
stay out of the reading room? Because he knew she was coming?
“Was that all you were talking about?” Carol asks again, like she’s eager
to solve the world’s greatest mystery. “Forgive my nosiness, but Gabriel is
like a godson to me, and I’ve never seen him act that way before.”
The door closes shut behind us, startling the group.
“We also spoke about the foods she’d miss at your lovely party in August,
Carol, if she couldn’t make it,” Gabriel says from the doorway, slightly out
of breath.
With reddened cheeks and eyes bursting with blue lightning, he grins at
me. The corners of my mouth wobble upwardly, and I’m so happy to see
him—shockingly—I could cry.
Finishing up his role, he winks at me. “Changed your mind yet,
sweetheart?”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Thirteen

Gabe

L
ooks like I arrive just in time to prevent any societal disaster, or to
face it.
Dani stares at me open-mouthed, like she’s not sure whether she’s happy
to see me. I hope she is.
As much as it pains me not to go to Dani’s side immediately, I force
myself to walk past her to greet Nora.
“Sorry I’m late,” I whisper as Nora kisses my cheeks. She pats my
shoulder, although there’s a confused expression on her face. I couldn’t hear
much of what the women were saying to Dani outside the door because I
was completely out of breath. My fitness has taken a nosedive since the
new case at work keeps me seated behind a desk all day and up all hours of
the night, but the little I heard was enough. Especially from Carol.
After giving a general greeting, Nora makes space for Dani and me on the
couch while she takes a seat next to Carol.
“You all right?” I whisper, slipping my hand in Dani’s and meshing our
fingers together. They’re cold and trembly, and they cling to mine. Relief
flares in her dark eyes and a hot wave of annoyance rises in my chest.
Were they awful to her? Nora wouldn’t let that happen, but then again,
they were outnumbered nine to two, and these women’s tongues could be as
lethal as a viper’s.
Directly across from me, a familiar pair of hazel-brown eyes stare at me
and Dani… My heart soars, then crashes.
Crrrrraaaaap! Sophia’s here and with Monty, her taciturn grandmother,
of all people? I begin to rise from my chair, but Sophia stares pointedly at
Dani and our joined hands. She notches a delicate eyebrow, but her serene
smile stays in place.
“Soph, what a pleasant surprise,” I say with a slight nod.
Sophia crosses her legs at the knees and covertly taps her manicured
finger twice in Dani’s direction. “The surprise is all mine,” she says in that
sweet, soft voice. Always polite and unbothered. Looks like I’m not the
only one on stage. I’m proven right moments later when her mask slips and
her gaze slides over my shoulder to the double doors behind me. Her eyes
brim with a mixture of half-hope, half-trepidation.
Come on, Soph. You know Kyle’s not here.
Just as quickly, Sophia realizes this, and swings her gaze to the other side
of the room, her mask firmly back in place.
Dani squeezes my hand for a millisecond, dragging me from my thoughts.
“Please don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend,” she whispers.
I grin, whispering, “And what if she was?”
She gasps, her full lips parting and glossy. For a second, I forget what
we’re talking about.
“You wouldn’t,” she says, steering us back to the original convo. “You’re
not a cheater.”
 “How would you know? Aren’t I the worst thing ever?”
Dani rolls her eyes, angling her body away from me, and for the millionth
time, I feel like a heel. Yes, because of our turbulent past, I’m constantly on
high alert around her, but she was actually saying something nice,
defending me even.
I’m about to apologize when Opal What’s-Her-Name’s voice rings out.
“What are you two whispering about?” she demands. She still wears that
brooch of her pooch, Boxer. He’s adorable, so I understand the obsession.
“We’re looking forward to Carol’s garden gala,” I lie. I hate lying, and I
hate how this silly, fake-dating scheme is quickly turning me into one.
You can make it real, a thought steps forward, but I push it back into the
basement. Too much has happened between us, and time and distance have
only made us older and more set in our ways. In Dani’s universe, I’ll always
be the villain who ruined her life trajectory, and in mine, I’ll never stop
wanting to protect her from the truth.
“It sounds wonderful,” Dani chimes in.
“Careful, I’ll probably have wasabi on the menu,” Carol jokes. The
women laugh good-naturedly.
“I’m open to trying again,” Dani responds cheerfully. “It’ll add to my
redemptive arc.”
Once again, most of the older ladies laugh, as easily charmed by Dani as I
had been for years.
“Are you still having Norwegian turbot?” one woman asks.
“I’m having them ordered as we speak.”
They discuss the menu for longer than I care for until Nora swings the
conversation back around to Dani.
 “But you’re still coming to the gala, right Danica?” Eleanora asks with
worried eyes. “I know it’s a little soon after your exams, but it would be
splendid if you could come.”
“What exams?” Magda Montgomery—Sophia’s grandmother, exclaims
before Dani can answer. “Shouldn’t you have finished college by now? You
should be around,” she gestures to her granddaughter, “Sophia’s age, and
she already has two master’s degrees.”
“Gran,” Sophia whispers, patting her grandmother on the arm to quiet her.
“She’s taking the bar in July,” Nora fills in patiently.
“And I’m her mentor,” I add in a barely docile tone. For emphasis, I slip
my arm around Dani, giving her a reassuring squeeze. My heart leaps for
joy when she actually leans into me. “On that note, we’ve interrupted your
meeting long enough and should get back to our studies.”
“We won’t hold you any longer,” Nora announces, already raising her bell
to signal a break for tea. “And we need to get started with Tenant’s Whisper,
River.”
After answering a few more (intrusive) questions about our dating life,
including Monty’s barbed “observations” about me and Dani, the group of
ladies splinters for refreshments, which Knox is only too happy to serve.
Nora grabs Dani, and I excuse myself, gunning it straight for Sophia. I’m
waylaid by a couple of Nora’s friends who are disappointed that I’m no
longer “on the market,” but somehow I manage to extricate myself from
their “Are you sure she’s the right one?” tones.
With a heavy sigh, I join Sophia in the corner of the room, where she’s
busy assessing the books on the shelves. She smiles helplessly as I
approach, but not before I pull her into a bear hug.
 “You’ve no idea how happy I am to see you,” I whisper. “Why didn’t you
tell me you were coming?”
“It was so last minute. My grandmother voluntold me into being her plus
one today. She says it’ll improve my culture, but the truth is she thinks Rita
is a bad influence on me.”
Ah, Rita Faraldo. Sophia’s best friend from college. “She’s still working
at Somerset Pet Sanctuary?”
“Yes. She has a charity idea she wants to run by me. When it comes to
animals, you know I can’t say no.” She looks around the room until she
finds Dani standing next to Nora. From the stiff set of her shoulders, she
wants to bolt from the room. “Danica Dixon. Kyle mentioned—I mean…
I’ve heard her name come up before.”
I pretend not to hear the slip. “Dani and I have been friends for a long
time.” Sort of. “She’s best friends with Kyle, too.”
Sophia swallows, her shoulders slumping. “I see. Kyle likes her.”
I press a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Strictly friends, Soph.
Promise.”
She looks at me now with a touch of irony. “Are you saying that to
reassure me or yourself?”
I laugh. “I missed you.”
“Me too.” She leans into me, pulling me into another hug. “I can’t tell you
how many dance partners I’ve had that don’t come close to you, in moves,
looks, or conversation.”
Chuckling, I move to release her but Sophia tightens her grip on my
shoulders, whispering, “You two put on a good show, but my
grandmother… She doesn’t believe you or Dani. She’ll have the other
ladies convinced of that too before the meeting’s over.”
 Ice tendrils of dread crystallize in my chest. “How—”
“Doesn’t matter.” Sophia steps back, smoothing her hands over the lapels
of my blazer. “You probably have your reasons for doing this, so I won’t
interfere. But whatever you have to do to fix this, do it now.”

Dani

The second Gabriel walks over to me with that look on his face, I know we
messed up somewhere, somehow. He slips his hand in mine just like he did
earlier, standing close. My heart does that weird, trippy thing again.
“We have a problem,” he whispers, his eyes serious.
“How big of a problem?”
Gabriel glances behind him toward the Monty lady and Sophia, the
woman he claims isn’t his girlfriend. He didn’t seem to be in a platonic
mood when she threw her arms over his shoulders and clung to him like a
starfish on a rock.
Still, I say nothing as he leads me away from the serving table to the
corner of the room next to the spiral stairs leading up to an upper-level
library. Gabriel stares at me for a long time, a turbulent storm cloud
brewing on his face.
“Will you just spit it out? You’re killin’ me here.”
 Gabriel leans into me, and I want to push him away, but his hand on my
arm stops me, his warm breath caressing my ear.
“I’m going to… suggest something and you have to promise not to show
how much you hate me.”
“I don’t… hate you.” But he doesn’t want to make me buy him flowers
either. “What is it?”
“We need to…” Gabriel ducks his head, his cheeks reddening. “You have
to kiss me.” He mumbles the words like he’s floored he had to actually say
them.
I rear my head back and Gabriel gestures wildly with his eyebrows. “Stop
doing that!” he whisper-hisses, pulling me closer. “They’re watching us.”
He shifts us until his broad shoulders shield me from the eyeballs trained
at us. But as we try to hide behind a giant, potted ming aralia, I catch
Sophia Montgomery’s slight frown before I snap my gaze back to Gabriel’s.
“Talk alone isn’t going to convince them,” Gabriel continues, as if he’s
trying to convince himself more than me. “We have to make this organic.”
Nothing about us is organic! I want to yell. But I say, “We should discuss
this.”
“Later. Kiss me.”
“Gabe!”
He smiles at my use of his nickname. “Kiss me, Dani. Or better yet, let
me go first.”
“This isn’t us waiting to use the slide on the playground. We…” My
breath shallows as Gabriel wraps an arm around my waist and my body
sinks into his chest. What is wrong with me? Why am I not pushing him
away? I can’t believe I say this, but I do.
“All right, fine. Let’s just… get this over with.”
 “Great. Put your arms around me,” Gabriel instructs.
“I know the mechanics of kissing.”
“Do you?” He smirks. “And your last date was when?”
“With you, dummy. And I don’t remember having the greatest time,
either.” We’re standing so close his breath fans my face.
“Then let me make up for it.” He lowers his gaze to my lips, his eyes
darkening, his voice not quite his own. “This is your last chance to back
out.”
“Do I have a choice?” My voice isn’t all right, either.
Gabriel’s thumb brushes my cheek, and pulsations erupt all over my body.
His touch is so gentle, I can’t tell if he’s still pretending or not.
“Of course you do. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable.
But I’m hoping you’ll choose to save us, or at least remember how
important for the both of us.”
My fingers curl in the lapels of his blazers. I don’t want Gabriel to be so
gentle. I don’t want to see the worry in his eyes or be fooled by his kind
words. But I’d be a stone-cold liar if I said I didn’t almost cry with
happiness when he’d burst through those doors like a knight saving me (the
princess) from a seven-headed dragon wearing a pug-faced brooch. He’d
charmed the women, taking their attention off of me and my ratty clothes—
just like he did at The Abbey.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I say the words. “Make it quick.”
Gabriel tilts my chin, and my eyes are open now. He leans into me,
smiling like he’s reminiscing about some pleasant moment from our past,
but his eyes are strained, somber, and impossibly deep. Like a bottomless
pool. His thumb brushes the corner of my lower lip, and my arms slide up
over his arms and shoulders. Tipping on my toes, the gap between our lips
closes.
Gabriel’s response is instant. His lips mold over mine, and I’m surprised
at how soft they are. A warm and heady feeling spills into my chest like the
first sip of mulled wine at a Christmas market. The feeling invades my
body, splitting me between two feelings. The Gabriel Kelley of the past,
who hurt me beyond measure versus the Gabriel Kelley of the present,
whose gentle kisses transport me some place else entirely. I’m no longer in
a stuffy reading room with a bunch of (mostly) gossipy old ladies picking
me apart glance by glance. I’m the enigma at a masked gala, stealing away
into a secret garden with a prince with golden hair like an angel’s.
When he finally releases me, I raise my fingers to my lips, but Gabriel
grabs them, like he’s about to kiss the back of them. He doesn’t.
“Don’t. They’ll know.” Gabriel says heatedly, but it’s not because he’s
angry at me. His heaving chest tells me he’s trying to catch his breath, just
like I am. My heart’s pounding so hard it physically aches.
For a second, he stares at me like he did when he’d grieved with me as I
grieved losing Dad. The boy who almost kissed me in the rain.
He tears his eyes away, instead wrapping an arm around my middle and
leading me back to the buffet table. We make a show of filling our trays
with snacks for our study session, but he can feel me trembling. I’m sure of
it.
After we say goodbye to the ladies, we head for the library in silence. But
the truth of what we’d done, the path we’d chosen, pounds into me.
Gabriel Kelley, the boy-now-man I had never wanted to see again, kissed
me...
I kissed him back and I…
I liked it.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Fourteen

Gabe

T
he silence from Dani’s study table is killing me. Not that I’m any
better. I’m the one pretending to sleep.
Juvenile? Yes.
Necessary? Abso-freakin’-lutely.
Okay, Dani and I kissed. So what? People kiss all the time. Animals do,
too, in their own way. Dogs lick and nuzzle. Elephants give trunk hugs. And
otters hold hands while they sleep. Like kissing, those are all signs of
affection and bonding.
Then why do you want to “bond” with Dani again and again?
I bite the inside of my lip hard, but that’s not a good idea. I still feel the
sensation her lips left on mine. Stifling a groan, I squeeze my eyes shut
even further. I know the reason for this inner turmoil—have known for a
long time. But it’s much easier to close my eyes and shut everything rather
than acknowledge the impossible. Because what Dani and I experienced a
little less than an hour ago isn’t real.
Our “relationship” isn’t real.
 She doesn’t even consider me as a friend anymore. The sooner I realize
that the quicker I wake up to reality: my sick grandmother, the prime years
of my life slipping away inside a cubicle and spending endless nights
rattling around in an empty apartment where no one, not even a goldfish,
cares if I’m home.
I jolt as Dani’s timer goes off, signaling the end of her essay-writing
session. Opening my eyes, I put on a show of stretching my arms and legs
before swinging my feet off the leather recliner. Standing, I drag my fingers
through my hair, trying to give it some semblance of order, but I stop
because Dani’s watching me…
… and she’s not rolling her eyes and turning her head in disgust like she
often would.
“Something on my lips—I mean, face?”
Face! Faaaace, you idiot.
Dani chuckles, but then ends it abruptly.
“Here you go,” she says, handing me her essay papers. She holds the very
end, not wanting to make the mistake of touching me.
“I’m not gonna bite,” I mumble, as I take the papers. I better grade them
right after dinner because I have another all-nighter with some case files.
I read a sentence on the first page of her essay for the millionth time when
Dani sighs harshly.
“This is awkward.”
I give her what I pray is my best “confused” glance. “What is?” But she
narrows her eyes, seeing right through me.
“Can we talk about what happened earlier?”
I choke at the question, and unconsciously, I brace myself for her demand
for an apology. “What about?”
 “Do you think what we did… helped pull things off?” She swivels back
and forth in the office chair, folding her arms around her waist. She inhales
deeply and holds it. Looks like she hasn’t grown out of her nervous-
hiccuping tick. She’s so adorable.
“What we did? You mean our kiss?”
A hick sound flies out of her mouth and she immediately grabs a glass of
water to smother the rest. I don’t mean to laugh, but I do, which only makes
her scowl deepen.
“Yes, Gabe, kiss. Something we should have discussed before all of this.”
She waves her hand around like that’s supposed to tell me what “this” is.
“Like I explained earlier, Soph warned me that her grandmother didn’t
believe we were together. And knowing Monty, she’s probably airing her
suspicions to the group as we speak.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
We. I have to hold back a smile. “Don’t worry about the ladies. They’ll
see, hear, and believe what they want to either way. Look at Carol. I’m
more surprised she didn’t mention your little rave getup at The Abbey. You
should have worn it today. I’m sure Nora would’ve gotten a kick out of it.”
Dani pouts. “Haha. Like I want to be you rich people’s dinner
entertainment. Besides, I’m more embarrassed that I even thought that was
a good idea. The look on Tasha Abbey’s face when she saw my tube top
lives rent-free in my head.”
Sighing, I stuff my hands in my pockets and lean against Dani’s desk.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” I say, arranging her papers and stationery in order.
“You looked hot, especially in those shorts.”
Her mouth drops open, and even though I can’t see her blush beneath her
rich melanin, she definitely is.
 “I’m serious, Gabe. Stand-up isn’t your thing.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not joking. Just spitting raw, unfiltered facts.”
Dani doesn’t speak for a long time, but when she does, she’s looking
everywhere except at me. “Look, how about we just… just get back to the
point,” she stutters.
A strange, warm sensation enters my chest at her vulnerability. My little
firebrand isn’t nervous around me, is she? “Which is?”
“Are we going to be kissing again or not? Because I’m telling you right
now, I’m not into the PDA thing. That’s past my limit.”
“Agreed.” I nod slowly. “But we’re going to have to be comfortable
showing some form of affection, at least for the time being. And certainly at
Carol’s garden party. Everyone will know about us by then.”
Dani groans, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. “How far away
is August again?”
“A little over a month and two weeks.”
She moans again. “How am I going to survive this?”
Wow, look at her act like kissing me is the worst thing in the world.
“Look, if I’m that bad of a kisser, you can just say so.”
Dani glares at me. “I never said that.”
“Then stop acting like you didn’t enjoy it.”
“I…” She hesitates, and then it dawns on me, causing my chest to seize
up.
“You liked kissing me, didn’t you?”
Her teeth grazes her bottom lip. “It was… It’s not like I’m kissed every
day of the week.”
“What about that old guy who plays chess at the park?”
 “How did you—” Her eyes and mouth round, and then she makes an
explosive sound which makes me laugh. “I’m seriously going to merk Kyle
Strudwick! First of all, that was a long time ago. And, two, it’s not like we
made out. It was like giving your grandpa a peck on the cheek.”
I snort at that. “Wouldn’t know. Never got the chance.”
Her shoulders sink, and I regret killing our flirty-teasing mood with my
sordid family drama. But being around her makes me want to spill
everything out.
I never hid the fact that the only person I mattered to in my entire family
was my grandmother. My grandfather had passed before I was even
conscious of who he was, and my parents lived in spaces I was shut out of.
To them, I was in the way all the time, and I’d be constantly asked to leave
or to stay with the nanny. One night, I overheard my mother cursing my
father for getting her pregnant. When they were gone for months at a time
due to the running of their international hotel chain, I’d be left alone with
only the staff for company until Nora stepped in. Any little mercy I got
growing up was in this house because Nora and Knox embraced me like I
was their own. I am theirs.
“Gabe,” Dani whispers.
I look down and that’s when I notice her holding my hand. Her sienna
skin looks warm against my paler hue, and the mere touch of her palm and
fingers floods me with raw electricity. Before I can stop myself, my grip
tightens on her hand and I haul her out of her chair and up against me.
A soft gasp escapes her parted lips, but I haven’t scared her off. She’s
right here with me. Slowly, her arms come up around my shoulders, and she
buries her head in my neck. That’s as high as she can go.
 “You’re remembering them, aren’t you? Your family?” she murmurs, her
hot puffs of breath heating the exposed skin under my collar.
And you’ve forgotten that you hate me, haven’t you? At least for now. “I
don’t want to. Not now.” I trace my finger from her neck up to her chin,
tilting it upward until our lips almost touch. Still, she doesn’t push me away.
“Help me,” I whisper. Beg.
“How?”
I rest my head against hers. “Help me forget.”
“How?” she asks again, her voice breathless, more insistent, but then a
dazed look floods those dark brown eyes. She knows what I want. What I
need.
My thumb brushes her parted lower lip, and another almost imperceptible
gasp escapes. Her eyes flutter closed. She’s not as immune to me as she
thinks.
I lower my head, nuzzling her nose with mine.
“This is just practice… like we discussed,” she says, as her arms slip
down around my waist.
A chuckle rumbles out of my chest. “Whatever you want to tell yourself.”
The kiss is short and sweet, maybe a little timid like earlier when we were
in the reading room. But then I hear Dani sigh, and we both discover that
age-old rhythm—but our edition. My hands span her tiny waist, and I pull
her closer to me. She murmurs appreciatively, and in turn, she glides her
fingers up my nape and into my hair. The sensation of her fingers on my
skin drives me crazy.
She whispers something incoherent, but I use that moment to deepen our
kiss, gather her closer to me.
 Nothing matters here. Not our past, or that our senior year ended so badly,
and that I spent years longing to see her again, or trying to work up the
courage to tell her the truth of what happened with her literally evil ex-
boyfriend. Nothing at all. All I want to do is feel the spirit of the girl who
ruined me to everyone else. She does too, I think, because she’s whispering
my name. Not Gabriel, but Gabe, urging me on…
…and I can’t get enough of her: her softness, the scented heat rising from
her skin, the soft curls coiled at her nape. She’s beautiful in every sense of
the word, and I sway into her like I’m intoxicated. But we have to stop.
Now.
Reluctantly raising my head and gasping for breath, I stare into her eyes
as rich as the earth.
“Dani,” I whisper, my voice hoarse and needy. If she touches me again,
I’ll burst into flames, but I don’t care. I’d happily burn if it means I get to
hold her like this.
I lower my head, burying my head in her neck, my lips dotting feathery
kisses on her skin, when Dani goes still. Immediately, I stop, drawing away
from her. I barely finish asking her what’s wrong when I notice her gaze is
trained over my shoulder at something across the room.
My back is directly opposite the stone fireplace mantle…
Which means…
Oh no. I whip around and see the very thing I didn’t want her to see.
This was why I kept insisting we study in the reading room every time she
came over. Why I’d begged Knox to remove the certificates from the walls
before Dani showed up at the house. But if Knox was busy prepping for
Nora’s book club meeting, he wouldn’t have had the time…
 I reach for Dani, but she’s already moving away from me, cataloging one
more issue she’ll never forgive me for.
“Dani, let me explain.” I swallow, desperate to hold on to the moment we
just had, but it slips away like a forgotten dream.
Hurt, confusion, and anger flood her eyes. I’m too late.
“You went to Yale?”

Dani

Seconds earlier

I can’t believe for the second time in the space of one afternoon, Gabriel is
kissing the daylights out of me. I’m not sure how long I stand there in his
arms, and I don’t care. Because my body is like gravy on a loaded baked
potato, like the buttery caramel he’s obsessed with on hot popcorn. My
knees shiver and buckle, which only makes Gabriel pull me closer.
I can’t deny that I want his kisses or how they make me feel and that
we’re definitely not practicing anymore. But this is Gabriel we’re talking
about. The guy who helped make my senior year the worst of my entire life.
So why am I pulling him closer? Why am I kissing him back, accepting his
deep, bone-melting kisses that make me want things I shouldn’t?
 My heart trembles as Gabe—yes, he’s Gabe now—slides his lips from
mine to make soft, open-mouth kisses on my jaw and neck. My fingers curl
in his hair and he groans appreciatively, whispering my name. His hands
sluice up and down my back, caressing my neck and the soft fine curls on
my nape.
He raises his head, chest heaving, his lips hovering over mine, our breaths
mingling…
“Dani,” he whispers, tormented. I tip to kiss him again, to put us both out
of our misery when a strip of a bluish-indigo color in the frame right across
from me catches my eye. I freeze, taking in the full picture. It’s Gabe
beaming into the camera next to Nora and Knox under a sunny sky. Nothing
would’ve been wrong with the picture if I hadn’t known those colors, that
cap and gown.
Yale colors.
Yale, not Harvard, like he’d planned on going to.
Gabriel freezes in my arms like he knows what I’m looking at, but he’s
too late. I push him off of me and storm toward the unlit stone fireplace
across the room.
“Dani,” he calls out to me wearily, but I ignore him. Tightness fills my
throat as I take in the commencement ceremony photos, the certificates
above the mantle…
“Let’s talk about this,” Gabriel says from right behind me. He’s so close
his breath stirs the fine hairs on the back of my neck, and already my
traitorous body aches to be held by him, to be kissed by him again.
I whirl to face him, but there’s no expression on his face. No remorse, no
apology. Nothing but a blank slate.
“You were supposed to go to Harvard.”
 “I was.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
He hesitates, staring at me for a long time, then sighs. “I changed my
mind.”
“Did you change your mind before or after you found out I didn’t get the
scholarship?”
It’s hard to miss his sharp inhale. “I didn’t find out about that until my
first week on campus.”
“Liar!” The word roars out of me, part-snarl, part-sob. But the angrier I
get, the more Gabriel shuts down, making me feel like a jerk.
“It’s the truth. How else would I have known? By then you’d stopped
speaking to me. You even threatened never to speak to Kyle again if he so
much as mentioned my name.”
“So, what? You went to Yale to one-up me? Again?”
“No, of course not!”
But I don’t believe him. I can’t. Blindly blinking back tears, I stuff my
papers and stationery in my purse, not caring how crumpled everything
looks inside. I need to get away from him right now. “Yeah right.”
“Why is it that every time I try to tell you the truth, you refuse to hear it?”
I continue stuffing random stuff into my bag. I don’t know what they are,
but I do. “Ever since we got to high school, you did everything to one-up
me. You probably think Yale would be the final nail in the coffin, but I still
think your best work was senior year. What I still don’t get is why Terrence
allowed you to get away with blackmailing him.” I drag my bag strap over
my shoulder.
“I didn’t…”
 “But that was so long ago, right? So, who cares? You probably just love
sticking it to me.”
Gabriel reaches for me, but I skirt out of his reach. “That’s not true. I… I
was immature, and I was just trying to…” He exhales loudly. Just when I
think he’s about to spill, he stares at me blankly.
“Just spit it out! It’s because you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Dani—never that,” he insists. “I was wrong for how I
acted in high school toward you, and I understand you were probably
wondering why the heck I was acting so weird. But I wanted to go to Yale.”
“Why? To prove to the world that you’re better than me, that you’re
smarter than me?” A horrible thought slams into me, making me choke.
“Wait… is that why you studied law, too?”
He doesn’t answer, and even I am speechless.
Choking back a sob, I whirl away from him, beelining it for the door. Heat
claws up my neck and it’s so hard to breathe. Just when I thought Gabriel
couldn’t hurt me anymore, I’m walloped in the face all over again. But with
this? Yale?
Just as my hand turns the knob, Gabriel grabs my hand, stopping me. “If
you want to leave, fine, but at least hear me out first. Yale was already on
the list of schools I wanted to go to. But yes, when I heard you wanted to
attend Yale, too, I bumped Harvard from the top of my list. I wanted to go
with you, as a friend. As for wanting to be a lawyer, again, yes, you inspired
me. You talked about helping people understand the law, so they could
protect their livelihoods. All of that made sense to me.”
He blows out a breath when I give him zero reaction, and he scrapes his
hair back. “Is that so hard to believe—no, better question. Why can’t you
understand me? You used to, but you don’t anymore. You don’t even want
to try.”
I turn to Gabriel and make sure I stare straight at him, so he won’t even
think of twisting my words. “Let’s get something straight, you and me. Kyle
is my friend. And second, my patience in trying to ‘understand’ you flew
out the window the minute you tried to blackmail my boyfriend into not
seeing me, so you could screw with my chances of being valedictorian. But,
haha, joke’s on you. I already knew Terrence was cheating on me.”
His jaws tighten and anger burns in his eyes, hot and slow like molten
lava. “Believe what you want. Like I said last time, I won’t try to tell you
the truth again. If painting me as the villain makes you feel better, kudos to
you.”
“I’ll take all the kudos and more!”
A soft, almost imperceptible knock sounds on the door, pulling us out of
our heated sphere. Gabriel turns away and strides across the room with a
sharp order for the knocker to come in.
It’s Knox with a hamper stuffed with goodies in his hand. He glances at
me first, then Gabriel, then heavenward, mumbling under his breath. No
doubt he heard Gabriel and I yelling our faces off at each other.
“Mrs. Kelley—footsteps away might I add—is inquiring if you’ll be
joining her and the ladies for dinner, Ms. Dixon,” he says imperiously.
I smooth my palms over my jeans, desperate to calm down. “S-sorry,
Knox. I gotta head home today to finish studying.”
“I suspected as much.” Knox sniffs, and I swear there’s a tone of reproach
in his voice. Gabriel gets a similar treatment. “And you, Mr. Kelley?”
Gabriel forces a smile. “Not tonight, Knox. Please send my apologies.”
 “Apology not accepted,” Eleanora says as she breezes into the room,
surprising us both. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes hold tiny little
lights. Funny, she doesn’t look mad at all, or even disappointed. Maybe she
didn’t hear us after all.
She continues, “Gabriel, I don’t care how much work you have to do. I’ve
hardly seen your face all week. Please prepare to join us for dinner. If you
don’t, poor Sophia will be the only one with the burden of entertaining us
bag of old bones.”
Gabriel groans. “Nora, rude.”
But Eleanora waves away his admonition. “Oh, hush. The more you
argue, the longer it’ll take for you to escort your girlfriend home and get
back in time to wash up for dinner.”
I study Eleanora’s serene but stern expression. No, she didn’t hear Gabriel
and I fighting. Maybe. Well, thank goodness for that. The last thing I need
today is another disastrous episode.
Fifteen minutes later, after a mostly silent and awkward ride home, I’m
forced to eat my prophetic words. Because as Gabriel’s Porsche rounds the
corner, there’s Mom and Hailey, walking in and out of the house carrying
bags of groceries and boxes of tissue paper.
“Gabe!” I yell out in fright, clutching his arm, and completely forgetting
not to call him by his nickname.
The car screeches to a halt a little way from my driveway.
“What?” Gabriel yells back, jolted.
“Mom.” At his confused look, I point to my mom and sister, staring at us
as they carry another huge pack of tissues. “My mom! She can’t see us—
you!”
 But as if in slow motion, I see Hailey drop her end of the tissue pack and
make a dash for Gabriel’s car, all the while yelling for the whole
neighborhood to hear that “my boyfriend” is back.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Fifteen

Dani

“Y
ou’re so screwed.” Kyle laughs, taking a huge chomp out of the
double chocolate ice cream donut I made minutes earlier. We’re
at Sunset Beach, sitting on a park bench. It’s my break, my books are open,
I’m trying to study, and my so-called best friend is pretending he’s not
enjoying my misery.
“So, this is how you’ll look when you go bald,” I say as a comeback,
knuckling his mid-fade buzz cut.
“God forbid,” Kyle makes the sign of the cross on his chest before
polishing off the dessert and wiping his vanilla-syrup-covered fingers on a
paper towel. He’s lost a ton of weight and there are bruises everywhere. His
character—Kyle never mentioned the name—from the series he was
shooting must be going through it. Don’t get me wrong, he still looks
handsome, but just not as built... or healthy.
Kyle leans back against the park bench, sighing under the sun’s rays with
his eyes closed.
“They killed your character, didn’t they?” I ask.
 “Au contraire, belle amie,” he counters in a flawless French accent.
“Director got sick after all and the location is flooded. The studio deemed it
best to send us home before we really started killing each other. It’s been
storming all week over here, so everyone’s miserable.”
“Isn’t that what they need for the shot? To capture all of that misery?”
He pops one eye open, and there’s more hazel than blue there. Very much
unlike Gabriel’s. “What I don’t want to capture is trench foot from wearing
soggy boots all day.”
A huge, gray-white wave barrels toward the shore and Kyle watches as
one lucky surfer catches it before the others.
“Nice,” he whispers when the young surfer backflips off his board once
the wave peters out. He takes another ice cream donut from the box. This
time, it’s butter pecan on a glazed donut with sprinkles and a white
chocolate drizzle.
“Are you supposed to eat that?”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” He winks. “Besides, once I’m done shooting,
I’m piling on the protein and hitting the weights. I look way too emo right
now.” He finishes this donut ice cream as quickly as the first one. “But
finish telling me your story. Mrs. D actually agreed to Gabe coming to
dinner on Sunday?”
I nod, groaning. I tell him about Gabriel pulling up to the house in his
Porsche and Hailey announcing to the whole neighborhood—and Mom—
that “my boyfriend dropped me home.” And after Gabriel helped carry the
mountain of tissue paper inside—Mom’s donating a portion of them—
Hailey gleefully invites him to Fourth Sunday dinner, while I glare at her,
and Mom gives me the “We need to talk face.” Fortunately, “the talk” never
happened since there was an emergency with one of her patients and she
had to stay at their place overnight. That was two days ago. Fourth Sunday
dinner is tomorrow.
Kyle shakes his head slowly. “Like I said, you’re screwed.”
“Precisely.”
“Then what the heck are you doing here with me? You should be prepping
Gabe.”
“I can’t. He doesn’t…” An aching thud pulses behind my right eyeball.
“He doesn’t know that she knows we’re not on good terms.”
Kyle frowns. “So, you’re just going to let him walk into an ambush? It’s
Fourth Sunday dinner.”
“I know.”
“I have to go out of town with Mom, Artie, and Tay, so I won’t be there to
play Switzerland.”
“I know, I know!” I growl.
“And you’re still mad about this Yale thing? Seriously, Dani, Gabe going
to Yale isn’t such a big deal.”
Like you’d understand, I want to yell, but I stifle the impulse. I’ve aged
out of my jealousy phase when it comes to Kyle and Gabriel’s friendship.
Still, I can’t help but mumble, “Thanks, Kyle, for always having my back.”
He catches on quickly because his tone softens. “Chill, all right? There’s a
reasonable explanation for Yale, but—”
“—but you’re going to leave it to Gabriel to explain it himself, right?” I
interrupt. “See? The script is still the same.”
“Yeah, but have you ever heard of an unreliable narrator?”
You mean yourself? “Sure, I have.”
“Good, then you know that the only reason you’re so mad at Gabe is
because of the whole Terrence thing. Your brain is selling you a script to
protect you from being hurt again.”
“And can you blame me? Gabriel has hurt me, something I constantly
need to remind you of.”
Kyle sits up and takes my hand. “I’m not saying he was right, because he
wasn’t. Because of his cold fish parents, he has a messed up, ninja assassin
way of dealing with issues. But know this. You’ve hurt him, too. Badly.
Something I constantly remind the both of you of. You’ve no clue how
many times I’ve told him to move on, to forgive himself and you?”
“Forgive me for wha—” I scoff. “Look, I don’t even know what you’re
talking about, but I’m not going to sit here and listen to you defend Gabriel
anymore. For the sake of our friendship, I’m ending this conversation.”
“And I’m going to continue it,” Kyle says stubbornly. “And your
‘boyfriend’s’ name is Gabe. Nobody calls him Gabriel except Nora and
sometimes, Knox.”
But I’m done listening to him. “I love you, Kyle, but I have to get back to
work.” I slam my book shut, forgetting to mark the section I was reading
from. Stupid Kyle and Gabe and their stupid Bro Code.
“Fine,” he growls, then sighs. “Look, I’m sorry if it seems like I’m on
Gabe’s side all the time. I love you both dearly. But it’s hard being around
the two of you sometimes. If you guys would just talk things out, it would
clear up a lot of stuff. But you’re both so scared of each other it’s driving
me nuts.”
For once, I’m speechless. No way am I scared of Gabriel, but Gabriel’s
scared of me? Before I can ask him further, he swings an arm around my
neck and hauls me to him before pressing several brotherly kisses on my
cheek until I tell him to knock it off.
“What about Hailey?” he asks. “Does she know?”
 “Heck no. She’s practically in love with him.” I pause, a horrific thought
slamming into the forefront of my brain. “Please tell me Taylor doesn’t—”
He arches an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right? Don’t even finish that.” He
pauses, and when he speaks again, he sounds contrite. “You still love me,
right?”
My heart warms because he looks like such an adorable puppy. “Of
course, I do.”
“So, you’ll help me pick out a shirt for Carol’s party?”
My mouth drops. “You got an invite already?” And you know Carol?
He smirks. “I am her godson’s bestie, after all.”
I rotate my neck, angling it to the sun. “Tell me about it.”
“Come, Dani,” he whines. “Help me look like I belong with these rich
people.”
“Aren’t you rich?”
“Nope, all my earthly possessions are for Tay and my ’rents. Just give me
a surfboard and a beach house and I’ll be golden.”
I stare at Kyle’s literal golden head of hair and smile, super glad that the
celebrity life hasn’t changed him in the least. I hope that all his suffering
now will win him a nice, shiny award.
“Okay, whatever. Need me to find you a date, too?”
A little of that humorous light dips in his eyes before he smiles
sheepishly. “Nope, and don’t bother asking around either. You just focus on
keeping your mom from ripping poor Gabriel to shreds.”
I wake up Sunday morning with a massive headache and the scent of
Mom’s spicy pork chops sailing through the crack under my door. Instead
of studying the night before, I’d spent it cleaning every crevice and
neglected corner of the living room, dining room, and bathroom. After that,
I prepped my signature kelewele by soaking the plantains in a homemade
spicy mix of hot peppers and ground spices. I was in charge of the
appetizers, Hailey the dessert, and Mom the main course.
She hasn’t said much since finding me asleep on the couch last night with
my hand still on the broom, but she started preparing the goat light soup,
fried fish and pork chops we’re having with jollof rice—a mildly peppery
dish of long-grain rice with onions, tomatoes and different spices. It scares
me that she still refuses to ask about my relationship with Gabriel. I think
she thinks it’s real, because she keeps sending me confused, angry looks.
It’s obvious she wants to talk about it, but she won’t. Not when Hailey’s
literally bouncing on the ceiling like an escaped helium balloon…
…speaking of my little sis, she’s completely oblivious to the tension
between Mom and me. She and Taylor have been chatting on the phone all
day about Gabriel and how “hot” he is, and how “lucky” I am to “get a guy
like him.” Mind you, Taylor’s supposed to be hiking with Kyle and the rest
of her family, and yet she seems to find all the spots with amazing network
connections to chat.
Around 12:50 in the afternoon, just as I smooth my damp palms over my
floral, forest green, georgette dress, the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it!” Hailey yells from the living room a half-a-second later. I give
my reflection a quick glance, grateful that my hair, which I’d slicked back
into a low bun (using tons of water, gel, and a satin hair tie, mind you), is
surviving the humidity so far. My sandaled feet pace the wooden floors in
my bedroom, and I’m praying Mom doesn’t act too… hostile.
“Sis, get out here!” Hailey calls out.
“Coming!” I yell back, hating the tremor in my voice.
I open the door, accepting my fate for this Sunday afternoon. As I step out
into the open living, dining, and kitchen space, I scan the area for anything
poking out of place, but no matter how hard I scrubbed and polished this
space, our centuries-old welcome mat stands out, and so does the rustic coat
hanger still stuffed with our winter scarves and gloves from last year. Not to
mention our lucky bamboo plant standing in the corner. It’s still mostly
dead. We’ve spent months trying to resuscitate the poor thing.
You should have warned him, my conscience—which oddly sounds like
Kyle—chides me. He welcomed you into his home with open arms. He
never made you feel like you didn’t belong.
And I’ll do the same for Gabriel. No matter how mad I still am about the
Yale thing, for now, we’re in this together.
I paste a smile on my face, ready to greet Gabriel, but the hallway is
empty, and Hailey’s parked in the doorway and staring at something down
the end of our short driveway.
“Where’s Gabe?” I ask her.
“Standing outside his car. He wants you to help him with something.” She
shrugs, then smiles like a cat with a vat of cream. “I think he wants to
‘talk.’” She gives an exaggerated wink, which I beg her to quit.
Outside, Gabriel has the back door of his car open, trying to balance a
bouquet of fresh flowers and a paper bag with an NYC bakery logo on the
front. Despite his frazzled appearance, my heart picks up at how dashing he
looks in his herringbone blazer, crisp, white shirt, raw denim jeans… and a
tie?
“I thought we said casual?” Things are still awkward between us with the
kiss(es) in his grandfather’s study and the Yale bombshell.
“I had work this morning,” Gabriel grunts as he tries to juggle the
package of gifts. And sure enough, there are faint dark circles tattooed
underneath his eyes. Didn’t he get any sleep last night?
“It’s Sunday.” I take the bakery bag from him and the scent from the bag
smells delicious.
“They don’t care,” Gabriel mumbles, sounding uncharacteristically
grumpy.
“Hey, I get that you’re tired, but you can’t go in there in a bad mood.
Mom is already on high alert.”
Gabriel spares me a sidelong glance but says nothing on that point. He
hands the bouquet of wildflowers to me. “These are for you.”
“Oh…” Gently, I cradle the bouquet, inhaling its delicate scent.
Wildflowers are my absolute favorites. He remembered that? “They’re
beautiful.”
I look up to find Gabriel’s eyes already on me and my body tingles,
remembering the look he gave me in the library right before he kissed me.
Just when I think he won’t say anything, he mumbles under his breath, his
cheeks red. “You’re beautiful, too, Dani.”
Heat floods my cheeks. No, I shouldn’t give in just because a handsome
boy said I looked beautiful. But too late. I already feel the latent anger
slipping away. “Thanks for that… and for coming. You look great, too. But
look, let’s just get this over with, okay?”
 I ask him to hold the bouquet, then reach up to remove his tie. His eyes
are on me the whole time, beckoning me, saying, Look at me.
But I can’t right now. I don’t dare.
Now that Gabe’s more casual than corporate—and my heart rate returns to
normal—he tells me the bakery bag I’m holding has the best and gooiest
chocolate chip cookies in all of New York. But then he pulls out the largest
comet orchid (in bloom!) I’ve ever seen. No doubt this is for Mom. Comet
orchids grow wild in my mom’s hometown in Ghana.
A lump forms in my throat at his thoughtfulness. “Aw, Gabe… Mom will
love this.”
Gabriel—Gabe—holds my gaze. “I did it for you.”
I can’t look away. If Gabriel wasn’t holding a million items, he would
have me in his arms, and I’d already be standing on my tippy toes, craving
another kiss. Why is it that whenever I’m like this, I want to believe him
about Terrence and everything else? Why is it getting harder and harder to
be mad at him?
Gabriel’s visual arrest finally releases me. “Tell me,” he says in a shaky
voice. “Can I pull this off?”
No. Tell him about Mom or he’s DOA.
“I… You can try, but the thing is—”
“Are you guys coming in or what?” Hailey yells from the entrance.
Again, the neighbors. “Just kiss him and come inside!”
But instead of going back inside, she sprints down the end of the drive for
us. Hailey chatters excitedly to Gabriel, and I don’t know how he does it,
but it’s like a flip switches on inside of him. An affable, suave character
replaces the nervous, uncertain man from seconds ago.
How often does he do that, switch on and off for people?
 Hailey tugs Gabriel inside, continuing to chatter to him like a happy bird
as she shows him around the house, flitting to the bookshelves where our
baby pictures are, then to the kitchen area where Mom refuses to leave. I
know she’s doing this out of a sense of loyalty to me, but come on.
Finally, I drag her away from the stove and bring her to Gabe, who looks
doubly nervous.
“Mom, this is Gabriel Kelley. You remember him from school.”
Mom smiles—a tiny one—before she intones, “I remember.”
And here we go…
Gabe releases my hand to shake Mom’s. “It’s nice to finally meet you in
person, Mrs. Dixon. Dani spoke a lot about you. I remember talking about
the orchid collection you wanted to start, so I figured… you could start with
this.” He gestures awkwardly to the comet orchid. This is the real Gabe
showing up.
Mom’s iron mask cracks, and she coos over the orchid. “Thank you,
Gabriel. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s Gaaabe, Mom,” Hailey says, looping an arm in his. “No one calls
him ‘Gabriel’.”
Over Hailey’s head, Gabriel notches an eyebrow at me, then says to my
sister. “It’s all right, Hailey. Mrs. Dixon can call me whatever she feels
comfortable with.”
“If you don’t mind, I would love to call you Gabe,” Mom says with a
practiced smile. My stomach drops. What was I thinking, allowing Gabe in
my house and around my mother, an innocent golden lamb unknowingly
descending into a lair of a powerful lioness and her cubs?
Mom waves her hand around the room, from the water-stained ceiling to
the ancient, desperately need-to-be-replaced linoleum floors. “Probably not
what you’re used to having grown up at the Kelley Château, but welcome to
my home.”
“I feel right at home, Mrs. Dixon.” Gabe rushes on. “I’m honored to be
here. Truly.”
Gabe’s sincerity touches my heart, and before my brain has the chance to
stop me, I find his hand again and curl my fingers around his. He gently
squeezes mine back.
Mom catches us, and now she’s not smiling anymore.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Sixteen

Gabe

“M
y palate is in heaven,” I announce over my empty plate. Yes, the
dishes are new, and my stomach is still deciding if it likes spicy
foods, but I’m honestly enjoying myself a lot more than I thought I would.
“Glad to hear that,” Dani says formally. I frown. What is with her? She
isn’t nervous, is she?
“Mom’s stewed beef is always amazing,” Hailey gushes. “But next time
you should try Dani’s fufu—that’s cassava dumplings—with braised pork.”
She kisses her fingertips. “Chef’s kiss!”
I nod, wanting to sample anything Dani cooks. “I’ll have to try that one.”
I hope I do. I’ve enjoyed plenty of home-cooked meals since being back in
Somerset, but I don’t remember eating dishes with such feeling. And I’ve
eaten at some of the best Michelin restaurants like 487, Julius, and Soto.
Maybe it’s because I’m finally in Dani’s house and seeing the dynamic she
has with her family.
Hailey continues, “Mom’s tried to teach Dani how to make her special
spicy pork chops, but each time she does it, it’s like eating a raw jalapeño.”
 Laughter rolls around the table. Hailey’s such a ball of energy. I see why
Dani fights so hard for her. She reminds me of Taylor, and since they’re
such good friends, it makes sense.
“Gee, thanks for the feedback, little Miss Food Critic,” Dani teases,
playfully pulling her sister’s cheek.
“Hm…” I join in. “Dani and cooking aren’t a thing.” I wiggle my brows
at her. “I definitely believe you on that.”
Her eyes narrow at me, but she’s not scowling—not really. It’s like she’s
trying hard not to smile, or blush, or both. I don’t know why that makes me
want to experiment with food in the kitchen with her. Maybe we could learn
to cook together.
“I’m touched your mom spared me the pain, then.” I grunt as Dani
whacks my outer thigh with her knee. I give her hand a gentle squeeze
under the table, and she looks away, smiling all the way this time. She’s a
completely different person today, and I’m not sure if she’s putting on an
act to convince her family, or if this is real.
As always, she looks lovely in her off-shoulder floral dress. Her hair is
styled in a low bun with curls at the sides, like she’s about to take a stroll
through a daisy field. But I’ve caught her checking me out too, especially
when I’m chatting with her little sister, which makes me think stupid things,
like:
Dani is attracted to me…
Dani is attracted to me and wants me to kiss her again.
But reality looks more like Dani’s in helicopter mode because Mrs.
Dixon, for whatever reason, hates my guts. And I’m using the word “hate”
because I have no clue if she has a policy against the word like Dani does.
 I wish I had a moment alone to ask Dani if her mom knows anything
about our… history, but so far, the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. I
thought I had when I’d volunteered to clear the table with Dani, but Mrs.
Dixon promptly told me—in the politest way, of course—to park my butt in
my chair while she and Dani got the dessert plates.
“You’re gonna love dessert.” Hailey beams. “I made it.” She dashes into
the kitchen, no doubt to get said dessert I’m going to love.
Silence closes over me, and I take a moment to arrange my seating area,
make it neater. I scan the room, taking in the view Dani has lived in for
many years. My gaze catches on a tiny framed photo on a rattan accent
table across the room. It’s Dani, as cute as a cherub, being swung around by
a man I’m assuming to be her dad. Mr. Dixon. No doubt he must have been
a good father to her. She’d felt his loss so deeply.
I still remember that day when she’d skipped classes in the days after he’d
passed. Kyle was going out of his mind trying to find her, but in the end, it
was me who did. It was raining, and she was sitting out there on the
bleachers, drenched and cold and alone. Having lost both my parents at
once, I knew the feeling too well to let her be by herself. I wanted her to
know that I understood her, that she didn’t have to be alone. That she had
me too… if she wanted me.
Raised voices from the kitchen drag me from the memory. I make out a
few words and phrases, “cheesecake,” “but I thought you…” and “you
didn’t say anything about that…”
Dani returns to the dining table first, apologetic. “I swear, I had no hand in
this,” she whispers.
But before I can ask what she means, Hailey returns to the dining room
with slices of—oh no—banana bread on a serving plate. Mrs. Dixon
follows closely behind with a bowl of what looks like whipped cream.
Hailey looks at me like a sad puppy. “Dani says you can’t eat anything
with banana in it. I’m so sorry I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay, Hailey,” Dani says for me. “Next time, maybe we can all go
out together and have something. Or, Gabe, how about those delicious,
gooey cookies you brought?”
“Darling,” I say in the same tone she used when I ordered for her at
Bagels. “I’d love to try Hailey’s delicious banana bread.”
Hailey gasps, her eyes glassy with hope. “Really? So, if you eat it, you
won’t die or anything like that? I mean, you’re not allergic, are you?”
“There will be no anaphylactic shock on this side of the table.” I may hurl
a few times, though. Super unpopular fact about me, but the very scent of
bananas makes me gag. I’m praying the whipped cream will help counteract
some of the banana-ness.
Dani hesitates like she wants to say something, but for the first time, Mrs.
Dixon’s frosty expression—reserved especially for me—softens. I use the
opportunity to volunteer to help Hailey serve dessert, which brings back her
natural cheerfulness.
But when I take my seat with the thick slice of banana bread in front of
me, my stomach kicks and screams like a toddler locked in the throes of a
tantrum.
“You don’t have to do this,” Dani leans over to me and murmurs.
“I’ll be fine.”
She touches my arm and it’s like a brand. “Gabe…”
I dive in and somehow scarf down the tiny bit I smothered in whipped
cream. I’m sweating while I eat, and a few times I have to try not to dry-
heave at the table. Thankfully, Dani takes over the conversation as we
polish off our dessert. I give Hailey an honest opinion of her banana bread
—the texture was light and it went down easy—and a smile.
Aaaand now I want to puke my guts out.
As soon as Hailey and Mrs. Dixon disappear into the kitchen, Dani
presses a hand on my back.
“I told you not to eat it,” she says, but there’s no heat in her words. Is she
actually concerned about me?
“I’m fine,” I mumble, my head a little smarmy, but I slam my hand over
my mouth to hold back several burps.
“You’re as gray as a stone, and…” She rests the back of her hand against
my forehead. “And you’re freezing.”
“I have some fizzy water left in the car,” I mumble between a groan and a
suppressed burp. My stomach bubbles like a cauldron, and I clench my
body tight to keep everything down.
She nods and makes excuses, but Hailey returns to the dining room,
frowning. “I just have to grab something from the car and I’ll be right
back.”
“But you’re sweating,” she says, her eyes rounding with worry. “Are you
sure it’s not the spicy food?”
“Give us five minutes please, Sis.” Dani smiles and winks, implying
we’re going to do more than try to keep all the contents I just ate in my
stomach.
Hailey’s mouth rounds in an “o.” “Ohhhh, gotcha. I’ll tell Mom you’ll be
right back.”
While she skips off, I barely make it out the door before I start dry
heaving. Dani runs to my car and peers in the glove box and under the seat
for the fizzy water. Wordlessly, I open the trunk and grab the water we’re
both looking for. Inside, the trunk is hotter than the center of the earth, but
Dani turns on the air conditioner to help cool us down.
“I didn’t know,” she begins, her pretty brown eyes large in her face.
“Please believe me on that.”
I wave away her apology of sorts and squeeze my eyes shut. In a little
while, I’ll stop feeling as if my vision is tumbling around inside a dryer.
“I’m serious,” she insists, her voice right by my ear. When I open my
eyes, she’s right next to me, albeit from the backseat. She’s kneeling to face
the trunk area, her head resting on her folded arms, concern flooding her
features.
My mouth slackens as I focus on her lips. Leave it to Dani to distract me
from a moment of intestinal distress by being so close. But Dani (as
always!) misinterprets my attraction to her and slams a paper towel over my
mouth.
“Do you want to puke? You can go ahead. I don’t mind.” She rushes on.
I chuckle and slowly turn so I’m half-facing her. I’m still a little queasy,
but I fight the feeling. “It’s all right. I kinda feel better.” Sort of.
Dani blinks then rests back on her heels and I’m almost sad I said
anything. But then a boldness takes me. I tap the top of the flat headrest
separating the back seat from the trunk.
“Come back,” I whisper.
I catch her slight intake of breath, but then she returns to the headrest, her
face so close to mine I see tiny little lights in her eyes. Before I can stop
myself, I trace the fine hairs at her temple, trailing my fingers along the
sides of her heart-shaped face, down the delicate curve of her jaw. I end my
explorations just above her chin and my thumb brushes the underside of her
full bottom lip. Dani holds still, but she won’t look at me. A through line of
instinct tells me it’s not because she can’t stand me.
But then she finally meets my eyes, and something socks in my gut.
“Thank you for today,” she whispers. “Thanks for your thoughtful gifts
and Hailey and the... banana bread. Aren’t you allergic?”
I shake my head, and the tip of my thumb makes contact with her bottom
lip again. Her breath leaves in a shiver, but she’s still not pulling away. “Not
allergic. It just makes me gag. Think nothing of it.”
“I think she has a huge crush on you.”
“And what about her older sister?”
She shakes her head sorrowfully. “Gabe, so much has happened between
us.”
I don’t want to hear that. “Did I tell you how much I love it when you call
me Gabe?”
“Be serious.”
“I am,” I insist, no longer teasing. My breath seizes in my throat, sending
my heart drilling against my chest like a jackhammer. “I can’t stop thinking
about us that day in the library.”
“Gabe…”
“Or you hating me for so many years.” We’re so close I just have to tilt
my head to kiss her again, taste her. Her eyes flutter close as our lips lightly
touch.
She sighs, her fingers skimming across my shoulders to pull me closer.
“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t hate y—”
“Dani, you out here?” Hailey calls out suddenly, causing our heads to
bang against each other. But it’s hard to miss the warning in her voice. And
sure enough, we barely have time to separate when Mrs. Dixon appears by
the side of the trunk like a specter.
“Did you two find what you’re looking for?” Mrs. Dixon asks me with a
stiff politeness. Just when I thought I’d made some headway past her initial
frosty barrier...
Seriously, is there a reason she kinda doesn’t like me? Did Dani tell her
about our history?
Maybe she thinks you’re a distraction because Dani’s studying for the bar.
It’s a thought. But once Dani passes the bar, and hopefully, I have the you-
know-what to ask Dani out officially, then I can work on getting on Mrs.
Dixon’s good side.
And tell Dani about Terrence.
That too. Maybe.
I answer when Dani nudges my side. “We sure did, Mrs. Dixon.”
“Good.” She swivels her gaze to Dani and blinks rapidly, like she’s
sending Morse code messages with her eyes. “Danica, I need to speak with
you. Now.”

Dani

As soon as we enter the house, Mom grabs my arm and drags me into her
room. I don’t think either of us breathes until she shuts the door behind her.
 I whirl to face her as soon as she locks the door. “Mom, what’s with you?”
I have to whisper-scream because our walls are like two sheets of printing
paper glued together: equally thin and pointless.
“Why are you lying to us?” she retorts.
I half-sputter, half-laugh, which sounds like I’m trying to laugh while I’m
gargling mouthwash. I quiet down when Mom levels me with the “I-am-
your-mother-and-you-will-answer-me” stare.
“I’m not lying to you. I am dating Gabriel Kelley.” That’s the truth. We
are dating, but we have an agreement to break up by mid-August. I ignore
the hollow tinge at the thought and keep my face blank.
But Mom folds her arms and points to the edge of her bed. “Have a seat.”
“I’m too old for—”
“Sit down, young lady.” Her voice is calm and measured. Not good. Mom
yelling her face off I can negotiate with. But Mom issuing orders like a
vexed ice queen means she’s on the warpath.
Silently breathing in and out of my nose, I flop on the edge of her bed and
cross my legs at the knees. I straighten my spine, reminding myself that I
am a grown twenty-five-year-old woman. Broke enough to still be living
with her mom, but certainly not a kid.
Mom stares at me for a long time, then with a sigh, slumps next to me.
Hours seem to tick by before she speaks again.
“You never cried, not even when you were a baby. I’ve only seen you cry
three times. The first time was when you placed third at that egg-and-spoon
race.”
“Woooow, kindergarten, Mom? You had to dig deep into that memory
box, huh?”
 Her stern smile cracks a little, but then it turns wistful. “The second time
was when your father died—I shouldn’t count it, but I will. We knew he
would leave us, and yet when the day came, it broke us in our own unique
ways.”
I nod, emotion forming a lump that rises at the notch in my throat. Dad’s
gone eight years now. Some days I can hardly remember his belly laughs,
and on other days, I still hear the EKG machine crashing when he went into
cardiac arrest, his heart unable to fight the cancer anymore.
“The third time,” Mom clears her throat noisily, “was when you cried
night after night over what that boy did to you and Terrence.”
I duck my head. “I’ve moved past that, Mom.”
“Have you? He’s a lawyer—the very thing you wanted to be. Honey, he
even went to Yale, the school you wanted to attend…” Now I kinda regret
allowing Mom to dig into Gabriel so much during dinner.
She continues. “I’ve had to listen to you cry and mourn for so many
nights. I started making it a habit to check my watch every time I hear the
sheets ruffle and a sniffle.”
“Mom—”
“2:43 AM,” she says somberly. “That’s when you usually started.”
I sit there, trying to form thoughts, words, sentences, but I can’t. All I can
do is mumble, “You heard me?”
“I did.” Mom pulls me in for a hug, and I nestle my head in the crook of
her shoulder. Again, I’m not a kid, but I still need hugs from my momma.
“But even if I didn’t hear you, I felt your pain. All of it. And you’ve lived
with that pain for a long time. Forgive me if I can’t get over seeing you hurt
day in and day out so easily.”
 Mom’s words sink into me like a lead balloon. I never knew how much
my pain affected everyone else. I was so wrapped up in how I felt about
losing everything that I never thought about how it affected her, how
helpless she must have felt when I turned away when she wanted to talk
things out with me. I can’t lie to her. Not after everything we’ve been
through: losing Dad, the disappointment of not being able to get any college
scholarships because my grades tanked, everything that happened after…
I stare into her weary brown eyes, seeing the darkened half-moons etched
into her skin like a tattoo. I can’t keep this secret from her. Not after
everything our family has been through.
On a shaky breath, I murmur, “Mom… there’s something I have to tell
you.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Seventeen

Gabe

M
y fingers tighten and flex on the steering wheel as I navigate the
Porsche out of Dani’s neighborhood. Instead of trapping us in a
vacuum of air conditioning, I roll down the windows, letting the summer
afternoon breeze filter run through. The fresh air is like a balm on my
worried thoughts about Dani’s quietness.
Dinner went well—for the most part. But whatever it is Dani and her
mother spoke about has her clamming up on me. A coil of worry springs up
in my gut.
“Soooo… I take it there won’t be a sequel to our version of ‘Guess Who’s
Coming to Dinner,’ huh?” I joke.
Dani rolls her eyes, but she smiles a little. “Your jokes are improving. It
took me half a second longer to cringe.”
I take her sassy retort on the chin, laughing. “I have to try something. My
girlfriend’s smearing her mopey energy all over my front seat.” I give
myself an internal high-five when she doesn’t protest my use of the GF
word.
 Instead of heading to my grandmother’s, I take the left on Main Street,
followed by another right that will take us directly to Sunset Beach.
“I thought we could talk for a bit on the beach,” I say to fill in the silence
that settles over us once again. We pass The Frozen Donut on the way, but I
don’t stop. I’m still a little queasy from the banana bread.
“Sure.”
Dani goes quiet again until I can’t take it anymore. “The bar is next week.
You ready for it?”
She answers in the affirmative. Another long stretch of silence rests
between us, and it isn’t comfy.
“Hailey’s made up her mind about Yale?”
“Yeah,” Dani answers absently, fixing her gaze on the sea-lined horizon.
“I hope she likes it there.”
When I slow down at the stoplight, I reach for her hand. “What’s the
matter?” You’re scaring me. “Did something happen? Did we mess up
somehow?”
Dani swings her gaze to me, her eyes so impossibly sad that it takes
everything in me not to pull over and gather her in my arms. “You said
we’d talk at the beach, so let’s just do it there, okay?”
There are only a handful of people at Sunset Beach, which I don’t mind.
Dani and I need the space to hash things out once and for all. We can’t keep
swinging from wanting to kiss each other silly to arguing in the next breath.
And I really want to know what she and her mom talked about.
After searching for a good, semi-private place to talk, we settle on a park
bench on the strip near Finn’s Burger Bar. Everyone else is further down the
beach, sitting on towels or walking their pets closer to the shore.
 “So I take it Mrs. Dixon doesn’t like me,” I begin. Not the most tactical
start, but hey.
Dani sighs. “It’s not that, it’s just…” She smooths a hand along the sides
of her temples. She gets up from the park bench, turning to me. “Gabe, I
had to tell her about us, about our… arrangement.”
My jaw drops, literally, and my breath shudders as if I had been plunged
into a frozen lake. “You what?”
“Mom already knew about how I felt about you because of what
happened in our senior year,” Dani explains. “She knew how much I… how
much we didn’t get along. And with Dad gone and what’s going on in my
family right now, I couldn’t keep this secret from her.”
I try not to feel betrayed, but I do. I’m trying to see things her way, but I
can’t. Why would she do this, and without giving me a heads up?
“Danica, we had a deal.”
“And we do,” she insists. “It’s just hard for me to lie to my mom.”
“And you think it’s like skipping down a rainbow road for me? I’m lying
to Nora and Knox, my family. What if your mom tells my grandmother—
for whatever reason? Nora would lose it. Didn’t you think about how that
could affect her health?”
Calm down, Kelley, something inside warns me. I know I need to. I know
I’m not thinking clearly, but I can’t stop seeing a repeat of our senior year
all over again.
Dani constantly pushes forward with what she thinks is right without
stopping to look at the facts. And she’ll go on believing it for a long time,
just like the whole sordid situation with Terrence.
I rise from the bench, needing to put some distance between us.
“Gabe, I did what I thought was best,” she says in measured tones.
 “Don’t you always?” I ask sarcastically. “You just barrel on right ahead
with whatever thought that comes into your head without gathering all the
facts.”
She frowns. “Are we still talking about me telling my mom about us, or
something else? Puh-leeze tell me because I don’t do cryptic.”
Fine. If that’s what she wants.
“It’s something else, obviously. Terrence, more specifically. We’re finally
going to drag that elephant out of the room and let him play in the surf.”
Dani rolls her eyes. “Again with the rehearsed metaphors. This isn’t a TV
series.”
“No, it’s not. This is my life here, my grandmother’s life and well-being,
if you recall. And she’s the only family I’ve got left who actually gives a
crap about me.”
Her eyes widen. “I may not be your family, but I gave a crap about you—
Kyle, too. And yet you did this underhanded thing—”
“I didn’t blackmail your boyfriend to mess with you. Why would you
even think that?”
“Oh, please. You always went toe-to-toe with me for the stupidest
reasons. Is it so far-fetched to believe you wouldn’t do something like
that?”
Her words leave invisible wounds on my chest. “I thought you knew me,”
I shoot back.
“I thought I did!” Tears swim in her sweet brown eyes, and a part of me
wants to gather her in my arms and make this whole stupid situation go
away. “Terrence said you threatened to end his basketball career. He gave in
because he was afraid of your Kelley name.”
That creep! “And you believed him?”
 “Of course, I did. He was my boyfriend!”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“It crushed me, Gabe.” She steps closer to me. “I’d lost my father, our
bills were swallowing my family whole, and I didn’t know how to help
Mom and Hailey who were spiraling in their grief. Getting into the college
of my dreams was the only thing I had left going for me.”
“You had me!”
“You set up yourself against me!” she yells, swiping at her tears. “At
every turn, you hounded me. If I wanted to be in the school play, you had to
audition for the top spot. If I wanted to be a school rep, there you were
again. Valedictorian? You couldn’t beat my grades, so you had to find
another way.”
My heart sinks. How did everything get so twisted up, so misunderstood?
“That was my mistake, but I swear I can explain all of that. I never meant to
hurt you or to ‘hound you,’ as you put it. I set myself up as your rival
because I wanted to be at your side. I wanted…”
I choke, and I’m trying to speak, but the words won’t come out.
“You wanted to break me. And congratulations, you did.”
“No.” I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat. “I only wanted to
protect you.”
“By blackmailing Terrence and making him break up with me? Okay, he
was a scumbag cheater, but he was innocent in your little game with me.”
“Innocent!” I can’t believe my ears. “If you truly believe he’s innocent,
then you’re definitely not as smart as I thought you were.”
A swash of hurt washes over her, but it quickly burns away under the
brunt of her anger. “And you’re not as ‘angelic’ as you let others think you
are. You act as if you’re so fragile and broken when you’re nothing but a
villain. I can’t believe I fell for your ‘Woe is Me’ act.” Her lips tremble, her
voice breaking. “Who are you really?”
A sick silence settles over, and for a long time, neither of us can even look
at each other. But the fact remains that I thought with Dani—Kyle even—
I’d finally found people outside of Nora and Knox, who knew me. But
maybe I was wrong. I’d overstepped, drifted into unwanted territory, and
missed the signs that told me to get lost. At least my parents were honest
whenever they never wanted me around.
Pushing past the sinking feeling in my chest and throat, I force myself to
say the words even as my heart breaks all over again.
“Good question, Dani. Who am I to you? Back then, I thought I made it
clear, but maybe I was just fooling myself because I had feelings for you.”
She gasps, the anger leeching out of her eyes, but I’m not done. “I guess I
was wrong about you, too. But don’t worry. I’ll continue to play my role
well. I’ll keep being the ‘worst thing that ever happened to you.’”
Those were her words from way back then, and Dani seems to remember
because she sputters. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
I ignore her. “You want the truth? Here it is. Terrence had a little
underground betting league on you and a bunch of other girls—mostly
freshmen, with three other members of the basketball team. I’m talking
scoreboards and everything. It was disgusting. When your dad passed, a
classmate overheard Terrence say he had you ‘in the bag’ for sure. That
you’d be running to him because you needed ‘some comfort.’”
Dani shakes her head, tears streaking her cheeks, And I hate that I’m
hurting her like this, but this secret has festered between us long enough.
I take her shoulders, steadying her. “I couldn’t tell Kyle. He was finally
gaining traction with all those commercials, and I didn’t want to put his
acting career in jeopardy. Besides that, there were things happening in his
life at the time, and I didn’t want to add to his misery. So I confronted
Terrence. Alone. And yeah, I almost punched the daylights out of him. I
should have, but I needed to keep it quiet. You were grieving, and I didn’t
want those rumors flying around school. So yeah, I did threaten Terrence. I
told him that if he ever so much as breathed in your direction, I’d destroy
his entire pathetic career.” My throat tightens. “If that makes me your
villain, I’ll die on that hill.”
Dani only stares at me but says nothing. Gives me nothing. Again, what
did I expect? A Thank You card?
I shake my head, done with all of this.
Dropping my hands from her shoulders, I ignore their trembling and stuff
them in my pockets. I need to be alone right now.
“Gabe,” she says, but then her words falter, uncertainty warring in her
gaze. Maybe she needs time to process all of what I just confessed.
Or maybe she doesn’t believe you.
Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.
“I’ll send over your essay results later today,” I say, digging out my car
keys. “Spoiler alert, your answers were sound. I think you’ll do really well
on the bar exam next week. Good luck.”

Dani
My eyes burn as I stare at the dark walls of my bedroom, the muffled,
vibrating buzzes from my study alarm piercing the quiet early morning.
Key phrase: my study alarm. Not Gabriel’s—I mean, Gabe’s.
He’s Gabe now.
Ever since that horrible day at the beach, I haven’t seen or heard from my
“boyfriend” outside of a text stating that he had to leave Somerset for a
client meeting.
No cute animal study texts.
No random phone calls.
Nothing but studio silence.
Even Kyle stopped by the house asking if I’d heard from him. After I told
him about dinner with Mom and what he said about Terrence at the beach,
Kyle backed up everything. Like Gabe said, he hadn’t said a word about
what happened to Kyle until long after. Why? We’re both still trying to
figure it out. But the point is, Gabe kept the burden of what Terrence did, or
tried to do, to himself, to protect me. Even Kyle. And I’d spent years
blaming him and “strongly disliking” him for it.
And he said he had feelings for you the whole time…
How could I forget that part? But now Gabe won’t talk to me, and he’s
even ignoring Kyle’s messages.
We haven’t broken up. But it feels like we have.
A lump forms in my throat as tears burn my eyes, but I swipe them away
at the quiet knock on my door.
“Come in,” I say, even though I already know it’s Hailey. Mom is
overnighting with her patient again.
“You awake?” she asks in a hushed voice. I can barely make out her
willowy silhouette in the dark.
 “Yeah,” I whisper back. “You all right?”
“Yeah.” The door creaks open some more and she steps further into the
room. “I heard your alarm, and I wanted to know if you needed a snack or
something.”
Right. Paper-thin walls. “Just some tea, thanks. I’ll get up in a minute.”
My heart swells at her kindness. She’ll make a great doctor.
Hailey pauses. “Are you all right?”
I try to swallow that darned lump in my throat. “Yeah, why?”
“Your voice sounds funny.” She gasps and rushes to my bedside. “Are
you crying? Please tell me you and Gabe didn’t break up.”
I don’t knooooow… “How about asking if I’m sick first, Doc?”
“Because you’re never sick. Scoot over.”
Releasing an exasperated breath, I debate whether to tell her anything at
all, but I do as she commands, creating as much space on my twin bed as I
can without falling off. Once we’re both under the covers, she pulls me into
a hug, patting my back.
“Now, now,” Hailey says in a motherly tone. “Tell Little Sis what
happened.”
I sniff. “It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not. Just start unraveling the chord from the beginning.”
I do, and it spills out of me unfiltered: meeting Gabriel in the hospital, our
“arrangement,” the dates and the wasabi, and my shifting feelings for him…
I skip the kissing parts, obviously. I also give her tiny summary notes on
Yale and Gabe’s dynamic with Terrence.
“So, that’s why Mom was acting so weird.” Hailey pulls me in for another
hug. “She already knew your back story with Gabe.”
 I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Yeah. Please don’t tell Gabe I told
you. He half blew a lung yelling at me for telling Mom.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone—not even Tay, before you ask. You
know he only did it to protect you, right? And Kyle. You were really cut up
when we lost Dad, and Kyle had finally gotten a break for that commercial.
If he’d found out, he would’ve been in prison to this day.”
I nod. Kyle was a bit of a grump. “You’re absolutely right.”
Hailey continues. “I’m sure Gabe thought he couldn’t risk Kyle getting
involved when he was finally getting more roles. And he didn’t want you to
hurt anymore.”
Her well-thought-out words wash over me. It’s been almost a week since
Gabe told me what happened, and I didn’t even think of that. I love that my
sister’s such a brain. Still…
“Yes, I understand he was trying to protect me, but he should have told
me. I wouldn’t have… I mean, sure, I would’ve been devastated. My so-
called boyfriend was only using me for a bet. But Gabe… I now realize that
what he did hurt me way more because I cared about him. I still do.”
Hailey is silent for a long time. “I don’t mean to make this about our
family, but aren’t you and Mom doing the same thing to me?”
I freeze, desperately patting the surface of the bed for my phone. I need to
power on the flashlight app because I’ve gotta see my sister’s face. I switch
it on and sure enough, Hailey’s eyebrows are fully quirked.
“Do you have to be so dramatic?” she asks.
I ignore her. “What did you mean by what you said?”
“You and Mom are trying to stop me from finding out that we’re
completely broke because we’re still paying off Dad’s medical bills. And
that even if I get a scholarship, we still can’t afford it.”
 Oh, no. She knows? How? But the better question is, how could I forget
that I’m talking to Hailey Dixon, who can process things faster than a
cheetah can sprint?
See? I’m doing these animal factoids because of Gabriel’s stupid animal
texts.
And because I miss them, and him, and he has feelings for me.
Well, he did.
I sit up, folding my legs underneath me. “Hailey, I’m sorry. Mom and I
never meant to keep you in the dark.” I wave my phone and the flashlight
dances on the walls. “No pun intended.”
“It’s okay.” Hailey copies my movements. “I’m not mad. That’s why I’m
studying so much this summer. I want a full ride, Dani. I want to go all the
way so that I’m not a burden to you and Mom.”
I can’t hold back the tears anymore, and they seep down my cheek. I pull
her into my arms. “You are not a burden. You’re the precious baby sis I
begged God and Mom and Dad for. I’m sorry if we made you feel that
way.”
“Now, you know how Gabe feels,” Hailey says, but her voice is muffled
since she’s smushed into my shoulder. We laugh as I let her go.
I do, and for the first time, I understand now what Kyle—and now Gabe
—was trying to tell me. Now, it’s my turn to make things right.
“Thanks, Hailey. I’ll fix things with Gabe.”
“You better. He drives a Porsche,” she kids.
While I grab my study things, Hailey grabs my flashlight and angles it
under her chin. With that sly grin on her face, she looks like some evil
panda from the netherworld thanks to the panda ears on her hoodie.
 She bats her eyes dramatically. “Soooo, you and Gabe got that I-hate-you-
but-love-you, fake dating trope thing going on, huh?”
I throw a pillow at her face, which shuts her right up.
But if I can fix things, maybe we’ll have something more than that.
Something real this time.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Eighteen

Dani

I
end the call with the agent at the front desk at The Roche Hotel and
stare at my phone before throwing it on the bed. The bar exam’s set in
Providence in two days, but instead of focusing on packing or going over
my flip cards, I’m scrambling to find somewhere to stay for the next two
days.
You could travel back and forth from Somerset to Providence, a thought
tries to assure me. But no can do. I grew up in a paranoid, Murphy’s Law-
type household. So, whether that means carrying five extra pencils for a test
or stuffing an extra tampon or underwear in my feminine emergency pouch,
I always try to get ahead of potential disasters.
But no amount of planning prepares me for the absolute disaster my entire
day has been. Serves me right for reserving a room at a hotel named Roche.
According to the staff at the front desk:

1. The reservation I made is not showing up in their system—and

yet they charged my credit card, and…
 2. Yes, the hotel will reverse the charges, but they’re fully booked
thanks to some trippy art festival they’re having in the
downtown Providence area—they didn’t say “trippy.” I’m just
assuming it is.

In other words, this is a disaster of epic proportions and I haven’t even

taken the bar yet! Even if I had no other choice but to rent a car and travel
from Somerset to Providence on both days of the exam, anything could
happen.
Traffic, a pothole puncturing my tire, anything!
This is my last chance to pass the bar. I can’t risk it.
Flopping on the bed, I scream into my pillow. Hailey and Mom aren’t
here, so no one can hear me. I wait for cathartic relief but find none.
A thousand times I thought about dialing Gabe and asking him for
suggestions, but each time I end the call before it dials.
He’s still not talking to me, and aside from the feedback he provided on
the essay question he (graciously) sent me three nights ago, along with a
(very sweet) message to “get some rest,” we haven’t exchanged a word.
Not knowing what else to do, I fire off a text to Kyle, begging for advice.

ME: The hotel can’t find my reservation, so I’ve got no

place to stay in Providence.

A half hour goes by before Kyle texts back.

 KYLE: That sucks [frowny face]. Gabe’s in Providence tho.
Tell him and maybe he’ll hook u up [winky face emoji].

ME: He’s not talking to me, remember? He doesn’t answer

any of my texts. Only sends feedback for sample test
questions.

KYLE: Isn’t that texting [monocle emoji]?

ME: Email, not text.

Kyle, the slowest, emoji-obsessed texter in the world, types:

KYLE: Heard from him 2day. Cracked his phone and just
got a new one. Prbbly still not talking 2 u tho…

“Thanks, Kyle. I feel so much better,” I murmur to the screen full of

messages. Before I send another text in response, I get another message
from Kyle.

KYLE: OK, maybe not mad. Just gun-shy. Send him

sumthng cute. Relatable. Gonna have 2 put in work 2 win
GK back [arm muscle emoji].
 I click the dial button, unable to read Kyle’s wonky texts anymore, but he
immediately rejects my call.

KYLE: Not answerin. Call GK or text him. Idc. Done

playing telephone for u 2. He misses u, and u want to tell
him sorry (do u miss him? He kinda asked me to ask u). But
for the love of all the non-pothole roads in Somerset TALK 2
HIM!!!!!

Groaning, I press the heels of my palms against my closed eyeballs and

massage them, rotating them in small circles. Text him? Send him
something cute? Well, if it breaks the icy barrier between us, then I’m
willing to try.
I spend a couple of minutes doing a quick Internet search about some
animal factoids. When I find the perfect one, I open my messages and type
in the text, my fingers shaking as I do. Squeezing one eye shut, I hit the
“Send” button.
Trust me. I don’t nerd out to animal stuff the way Gabriel does, but I’m
more than a little desperate.

ME: When octopuses don’t want to start a fight, they

display pale coloration, swim slowly or do that ink-release
thingie.

I wait for my peace offering to nestle inside Gabe’s inbox, and my phone
pings instantly.
 GABE: Already knew that one. What else you got?

Once I get over my initial shock that he actually answered me, my fingers
fly over the letters on the touchscreen.

ME: You’re supposed to be buried in paperwork, but you

have time to read animal texts?

GABE: What. Else?

He follows up this text with an entire paragraph of inspector emojis. Ugh,

Kyle’s rubbing off on him.
I return to the animal website and send him another one.

ME: If two lions are fighting, the losing one may avoid eye
contact and show its neck to stop further aggression.

I frame “further aggression” with two finger-peace signs to show that I’m
quoting.
I train my eyes on the screen. Dots appear next to Gabe’s message bubble,
then disappear over and over again like he can’t make up his mind about
what to send. When I can’t take the suspense anymore, I hit the call button.
“I know it’s not your lunchtime, but please pick up. I’m not a good
texter!” I mutter as the phone rings.
 “Who’s showing their neck this time?” Gabe asks as soon as he picks up.
His voice is thick and gravely, like oatmeal, like he hasn’t slept the night
before.
I sigh. “I am.” Are you okay?
“Why?” he asks in an almost bored tone.
“Because I was wrong, and a part of me still thinks there’s a lot that I
don’t know about what happened between you and Terrence. And…” I
swallow the freshly formed lump in my throat.
“And?” he asks gently, which only makes it harder to speak. I don’t
deserve his gentleness or his concern.
“And I can’t study because you’re mad at me. You didn’t send me my
animal study reminder texts for two nights in a row.”
“So, you decided to send me one?”
“Yes. Maintaining good study habits is important, and your texts are a part
of that.”
No answer, but I can hear some type of clicking noise in the background.
Cut me some slack, will ya’? I want to say as the silence stretches on.
“Gabe, I’m trying to say that I’m sorry, and that I was wrong. I am sorry.
Kyle tried to tell me about Terrence and how you helped us both a long time
ago, but I wouldn’t listen.” My voice breaks. “A part of me feels that
you’ve been trying to tell me how much of a jerk he was this whole time,
but I was so in love with him, and he was there when Dad died, so I
couldn’t… It was hard for me to see who he really was.”
Again, Gabe takes a long time to answer. “And are you still in love with
him?”
“Who, Terrence? Of course not. The very thought makes me want to
puke.”
 “I couldn’t let him get away with what he tried to do… what he almost
did,” Gabe says, his voice like the warm strum of an acoustic guitar in my
ear.
“But it’s not… like you. You’re not the confrontational type.”
“I wasn’t. But then I met a girl named Danica who was in love with an
evil prince, and I discovered sides of myself I never knew I had before.
Deep wells of emotions—all not good.”
My fingers tighten over the base of my phone. “Like?”
“Anger, jealousy, annoyance… all no-nos. Seeing you with Terrence, and
knowing what he did… It took everything in me to control myself… until I
couldn’t anymore. I won’t pretend like the way I went about Terrence was
my proudest moment, but I’m glad I did. I swear, it was never to hurt you.
If you don’t believe me, then ask Kyle. You’ll believe him.”
I believe you too, Gabe. But I can’t force the words past my lips.
We both sit in silence, allowing our feelings to settle between us. There’s
so much history, so much to be said and some still left unspoken. I want to
see him, in person, so we can just get it all out. Gabe, me, Terrence, school,
losing the scholarship, him sitting on the bleachers with me in the rain…
“What time do you leave for Providence?” he asks before I can tell him
just that.
“Not sure. The room I ordered fell through last minute, so I might just
travel on exam day.”
There’s a pause on his end of the line. “Why don’t you stay at a friend of
mine’s place?”
I perk up, naturally. “A friend?”
“Yep. She always lets me crash there when I have business in
Providence.”
 She... I try to ignore his nicely placed breadcrumb. “So, I won’t see you at
all before the exam?”
He chuckles. “You want a last-minute cramming session? You’ll have to
listen to all my animal trivia in person. It just might drive you crazy.”
“No, I’m not talking about that, or studying, I just want…”
“What?” he asks again in that gentle voice.
I squeeze my eyes shut and just let the words flow out. “I just want to see
you.”
This time, the pause on the other end of the line is deafening. Heat scalds
my cheeks. Stupid, why did you say that? “But if you’re busy—”
“I’ll be there, but let me text my friend first.” He’s stressing the word
“friend” again, so this time I willingly accept the bait.
“Fine. Who’s the friend?”
He chuckles. “A Ms. Sophia Rose Montgomery.”
“What? No, Gabe. I’m a stranger. Stranger Danger!”
“It’ll be fine. She likes you.”
“But it’s her place…”
“Exactly. And she’s not here. She’s hardly ever in Rhode Island to begin
with. I’ll talk to her about putting you up, but I’m telling you, she’ll say yes.
She has four bedrooms you can choose from.”
I groan, flopping on my back, and stare at the ceiling.
“Just accept the help, Dani, and stop trying to solve all your problems on
your own.”
Well, when you put it like that… Releasing a low breath, I can’t help the
grin that forms on my face. “All right, I’ll be there.”
“Good. When?”
 Gabe and I make arrangements for my journey into Providence. After he
speaks to Sophia, he’ll give me her number so she can give me the
rundown.
“Are you okay with everything now?”
Thanks to you. “Yeah. Thanks for everything.”
“You’re showing me your neck, aren’t you?” I can hear the smirk in his
voice.
“Don’t push it, Kelley.”
He laughs, and I can’t tell you how much I missed that sound.
“I’m hanging up now before you change your mind about coming over.
I’ll make sure a room’s ready for you. See you soon.”
“Thanks. See you—wait, what?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’ll be staying at the apartment too. In fact, I’m already
here.”

I roll my suitcase to a stop on a cobbled, tree-lined street on a damp

Monday afternoon. Relief floods me as I crane my neck back to look at the
red brick building blended in with the other historical buildings across the
street. I don’t come to Providence often, but when I have to, I always
appreciate why our town slogan is “There’s no place like Somerset.”
Don’t get me wrong, Providence is the most beautiful “big” city I’ve ever
visited. I love the historical architectural style and the tree-lined
cobblestone and brick streets, but I miss the sounds of the ocean and the
random shrills of seagulls.
 Hitching my purse higher on my shoulder, I slip my phone out of my
pocket and find the messages I’ve been exchanging with Sophia and Gabe
all morning since getting lost after leaving the Amtrak station. How? Don’t
ask. Someone could give me a map with the lines drawn in crayon and I’d
still get lost. But thanks to a kind cashier at one of the most gorgeous
bookstores I’ve ever seen, Paperbound, I’m finally here.

ME: Found the apartment. Thanks so much, Sophia!

After texting Gabe that I made it (and that he doesn’t have to leave his
super important meeting to save me), I switch to Sophia’s message page and
scroll until I find the keycode to her apartment she’d texted me. I punch in
the numbers, nerves buzzing around my insides like fruit flies in the
summer.
Get it together, girl. It’s just Gabe.
At least that’s what he said. Whatever it is he’s working on is frankly
kicking his butt. How does he do it? Wait, why do I want to be a lawyer
again?
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step inside. Just like I thought.
No one’s home, but Gabe’s things are here, and the cologne he uses still
lingers in the air. In the kitchen, I spy the coffee pot filled with fresh coffee,
along with a note from Gabe to help myself to the fully stocked fridge. In
the living room, scribbled paper and manila folders are spread out on the
coffee table next to thick hardcover books on sea photography, interior
décor, and…
World War II in Photographs?
 “Interesting,” I mutter to the empty room. I’m trying to picture the
demure, feminine Sophia Montgomery flicking through the pages,
engrossed in graphic, raw imagery of war and struggle, and I can’t. Kyle’s
currently filming a World War II series. Maybe he can draw some
inspiration from a book like this.
I choose a bedroom at the end of the hall by the arched windows showing
a view of the river snaking through downtown. After I unpack my things
and wash up, I trust-fall on the bed. In a matter of hours, Gabe will be home
—I mean, will be back at Sophia’s apartment—and it’ll just be the two of
us. Cramming the softest pillow in the world against my face, I scream. Not
because I hate what’s happening, but because I no longer know how to act
around Gabe. We’ve never been alone, alone like this before. And my
feelings for him have taken such a turn I’m not sure what to do with myself.
For the life of me, I can’t stop thinking about how those blue eyes warm
when they look at me. Or how much I look forward to the animal texts he
sends when he discovers something new. Or how adorable he looks when
he blushes and scratches the back of his head when he gets a compliment
from his grandmother.
It’s like I have to relearn new feelings when I’m around Gabe, and the
process is achingly sweet.
In the kitchen, I switch the coffee machine on with the full pot of coffee
Gabe left for me. Sophia wasn’t kidding about her kitchen being fully
stocked, and it’s not hard to find the ingredients to make a quick quesadilla
with avocado for an early lunch. After I’m done eating, I take a quick
shower and return to my studies. Soon, the late morning blends into an early
afternoon as I pore over my textbook and the notes Gabe left on the marked
essays.
 In the afternoon, I look up through the open doorway of my bedroom at
the sound of the digital keycode being unlocked.
“Hey,” I say as Gabe appears at my door and leans against the frame,
trying to ignore my pounding pulse points. It’s been forever since I’ve seen
his cheeky, angelic face, since that disastrous day at the beach.
“See?” I gesture to my undamaged bod. “I made it in one piece.”
Gabe shoots me a tired smile, his hair flopping all over about the place.
His tie is twisted and the first buttons on his shirt are undone.
I quirk an eyebrow. “Play fighting at work?”
“Sumo wrestling, actually. The match started at around…” He glances at
his watch. “4:00 AM, I think?”
“Sounds rough.”
He blows out a tired breath, and his shoulders sink with the movement.
“You better believe it. The whole team’s practically comatose.” He nods at
my desk, covered in study notes and essays. “How’s it going?”
“As good as studying the day before the bar exam gets. I could use a five-
minute break, though.”
He thumbs the space over his shoulder. “Come on, then. Not that I’ll be
much entertainment.”
I follow Gabe out to the living room, where he tosses his laptop bag and
briefcase on one of the living room chairs, kicks off his shoes and flops
onto the couch, squeezing his eyes closed as if he could shut out the day.
What happened to neat-freak Gabe?
“You must be driving yourself insane with studying,” he says with his
mouth half-buried in the couch cushions.
I drift over to him. “A little bit.”
“Did you text Soph?”
 “Yeah. She sent me the code, and I let her know when I got here.”
Gabe nods, more asleep than awake. “Good.”
He doesn’t say much after that, and I think he’s fallen asleep when he
turns his head to face me. The shadows etched on his skin are more
pronounced now, but his eyes are bright blue, like a crystal clear lake. My
heart does that thumping thing again, so I blurt out the first thing that comes
into my brain.
“You hungry?”
“A bit. Didn’t have time for lunch.”
I rose to my feet. “I’ll make you something.” But before I can move away,
he reaches out and snatches my hand.
“Nothing too filling. I want to take you out tonight.”
Thumpity-thump-thump. “Gabe, you’re too tired.”
“I’m not. I promise.”
A laugh flutters out of me. “I’m surprised you’re not encouraging me to
have an all-night cram session.”
He shoots me a sleepy smile that’s so adorable it zaps me right through
the heart. “You were never a good crammer, anyway.” His gaze caresses
me, my hair, cheeks, lips, our joined hands...
“I’m trying to come up with something witty to say like you would,”
Gabe murmurs.
“Don’t force yourself. Your brain’s fried.”
“But we’re still going out, right?”
I laugh because he’s like the cutest husky in the world. “Yes. Where are
we going?”
“Somewhere not too far. There’s this restaurant called Blu on 53rd, and I
hear they have the best spicy calamari in all of New England.”
 “Do they serve it with wasabi?” I ask, and we laugh, remembering our
first date at The Abbey. It’s so much easier to laugh about that night now.
“Let me get you something,” I say.
I pat his hand, and his touch glides over my fingers and palms until he
reluctantly releases me.
“Promise you’ll come back.” Gabe’s voice, husky with sleep, tugs on my
heart like a ship caught on a wave.
“You know I will,” I whisper, but his eyes are closed.
I retreat to the kitchen, but my emotions are going haywire. Gabe and I
are in such a weird place. I’m in such a weird place, but I’m too much of a
chicken to delve any deeper.
By the time I finish making a simple bacon and cheese sandwich, Gabe is
snoring softly. He’s so out of it, he’d fallen asleep with one shoe still on and
hanging off the side of the couch.
Before I talk myself out of it, I set the tray on the coffee table and crouch
near him. Even asleep, he looks exhausted. I wish he didn’t have to work so
hard all the time.
Using gentle movements, I loosen his tie, causing him to exhale, but apart
from that, makes no movement, not even when I slip the other shoe off his
foot and reposition his feet on the couch so he won’t wake up with searing
lower back pain.
“Rest up, Gabe,” I whisper. I brush a few golden locks away from his
face, which is boyish in sleep, and return to my room. I sit at the desk and
once again stare at my notes, but the words swim helplessly in a whirlpool.
After Carol’s garden party next week, Gabe and I are supposed to “break
up”.
 I know this, anticipate it even. Then why does the very thought of not
being with Gabe feel like heartbreak all over again?

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Nineteen

Gabe

I
wake up to the sound of rain pattering against the ceiling-to-floor
arched windows of Sophia’s apartment. It’s dark, save for a lamp clear
across the vast open living space.
Groaning, I rub my face, feeling the ridges of the pillow tattooed on my
cheek. I try to blink, but my eyes are like rusty window blinds, not yet
willing to open without a little grease. I roll up to a sitting position and pat
the couch for my phone but only meet fabric.
What time is it? I need to check my email. Lydia might have sent those
files—
Mercy me! Dani!
I jolt from the couch, my knee slamming into Sophia’s coffee table, the
one with the tree branch holding up the glass, oval disk laden with several
unread hardcovers, save for the war one. Limping to the kitchen, I splash
water on my face, and that’s when I see the time glowing in the dark on top
of the fridge like a green-eyed ghoul.
9:16 PM.
 I slept for six hours? On a Friday? My team—the other associates—must
be wondering where I am or where I went. My inbox would be flooded, my
phone inundated with messages. But no matter how long I wait for panic to
set in, none comes to snatch my breath. Honestly, I don’t care. The only
thing I want to do is fulfill my promise to the woman sharing this penthouse
with me.
She made me a sandwich for goodness’s sake!
With no further hesitation, I make my way down the hall toward the guest
bedroom where Dani had been unpacking earlier. I raise my hand to knock
on the door, but press my knuckles silently against it instead.
Leave her alone for tonight, a soft voice drifts into my consciousness. Her
first exam is tomorrow, and she probably needs time to study. Besides, just
because we’re on better speaking terms now doesn’t mean that we still
don’t have things to work on between us. And who knows? If she’d avoided
me for a week—crisis at work, or no crisis—I’d be miffed, too.
I take one step back, then two, but stop. I should say goodnight at least.
More thoughts flood my mind as my knuckles descend.
Leave her alone! She doesn’t have time for you right now. She’s busy.
Strange, how the thoughts sound like my mother’s voice, only instead of
shooing me away from my father’s study, she’s standing over my shoulder
talking about Dani. Gritting my teeth, I shove them aside. I’m not a kid
anymore and Dani isn’t anything like my parents. With renewed
determination, I raise my hand to knock again when the door bursts open
from the other side. Light floods the darkened hallway, making me wince.
But my eyes clear and Dani’s standing in the doorway, her lips slightly
parted in surprise.
“Gabe?”
 “Dani,” I say simultaneously.
Clearing my throat, the first thing I blurt out is, “I woke up.”
A sweet chuckle fills the short distance between us. “Yeah, you’re
standing right here.”
“Yeah. Uh, I was about to knock and um… check up on you.” My cheeks
warm as Dani’s sweet dark eyes study me unwaveringly.
Her voice sounds like the hushed rain falling on the windows outside. “I
was going to do the same thing. You slept for so long that I thought you
were sick or something.”
Raising her palm, she presses her cool fingers against my forehead to
check my temperature. I’m on fire. “You were completely knocked out.”
“I’m fine. Just catching up on weeks of little sleep.” I raise my hand too,
covering hers with mine before sliding it to my cheeks where I can
experience her touch all over again.
She bites the inside of her lip, which makes me think of all the times
we’ve kissed. If I close my eyes, I can still feel the sensation of her lips on
mine. Her aching whispered pleas, her soft fingertips at my nape right
before she funnels them through my hair, her full lips kissing me until my
heart’s about to burst out of my chest and take up residence with hers.
Dani stares at me like she’s remembering us, too.
“I missed you,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry I stayed away.” Still holding her hand, I slip my free arm
around her waist. “I wanted to take you out tonight to help make up for my
absence.”
She ducks her head, her voice warbles like she’s on the verge of tears.
“You don’t have to. It’s more than what I deserve.”
 I tilt her head until she looks at me again. “What you deserve is all the
happiness in the world. Besides, I’m looking forward to that sandwich you
made me.”
“Um…” Dani gives a half-shrug. “I ate it.” She rushes on. “I’m sorry I
was suuuper hungry today, and you were asleep, and it was right there…”
Laughter bubbles up inside me, and I pull her into a hug. “I really missed
you.” I think I audibly sigh when she squeezes me back.
“I’ll make us another. Sophia’s got us covered.”
In the kitchen, I help Dani take out the ingredients to make a classic club
sandwich. She makes a sweet and savory version by adding a touch of
strawberry jam on the top and bottom of the pieces of toasted bread. To add
to our impromptu dinner, I grab a bag of avocado chips and two bottles of
non-alco apricot spritzers and set them up by the windows overlooking
downtown Providence. I turn the lights down low enough for us to see the
rainy evening view outside.
Dani stares out toward one of the three rivers flowing through the city.
“I wanted to take you down there,” I say, referring to the torches still
burning despite the sudden onslaught of rain.
“Was that supposed to be our Date No. 3?”
“Kinda.” I take my seat in front of her on the floating seating. “I was
hoping you’d wear those combat boots again.”
Dani laughs, and the sound trips through my chest. She takes an avocado
chip and aims it at my mouth. I catch it effortlessly.
“You’ve no idea how hard it was to keep my hands off you.”
Dani presses the backs of her fingers against her lips. “No wonder you
didn’t seem to mind.”
“You wore them because you were ticked at me, huh?”
 “Of course I was. I was conscripted.”
“Hence, the combat boots.”
“Hence, the combat boots,” she repeats before taking her last bite of club
sandwich.
I lean forward to swipe a smudge of jam from the corner of her lips.
“How about I make it up to you then?”
“You don’t have to do that. You’ve done so much for me already,” she
murmurs, turning her gaze to the window. She’s probably remembering
what I said about Terrence and the bet he had on her.
“And what about all you’ve done for me? You saved me in more ways
than one.”
She looks at me now, and when I reach for her hand and she squeezes it.
“After your exams—and before Carol’s garden shindig—I’d like to show
you around Martha’s Vineyard, since it’ll be your first time.” Heat creeps
up my neck, but I push down even a hint of nervousness. I’ve waited years
for this very moment. “So, Dani… would you like to spend one day with
me, as our first date?”
Whatever hopes and dreams I have left hang in the balance as I wait for
her answer, and just when I think she’s about to say no, she stares down at
our joined hands, then looks back up at me.
Her smile is like the sunlight chasing away the darkness after a storm.
“I’d love to.”
Dani

My legs grow heavier with each step as I climb the steps to the bar
examination center—which was incredibly hard to find, by the way. My
knees can’t stop shaking. After months of studying and praying, my two-
day judgment has arrived.
Gabe gives my hand a gentle squeeze, no doubt feeling them trembling as
hard as my knees. Still, I’m so glad he’s here with me, supporting me.
From the very beginning, my thoughts remind me.
At the entrance, fluorescent lights greet us, just like the ones at Walter
Memorial Hospital where we’d first met each other again after so many
years. That was almost two months ago now.
Gabe pulls us to a stop. “This is as far as I go,” he says, stuffing his hands
in his dark rinsed jeans. His navy blue sweatshirt pleasantly offsets his
blond hair, making him appear like a more hipster college student than a
successful junior lawyer.
I point to the chrome elevator across the tiny hallway. This entire place
looks like a motel set in a horror movie. How do they expect us to pass the
exams in this environment?
“Can’t you at least come up to the fourth floor with me?”
But Gabe shakes his head. “I’d only be a distraction.”
I roll my eyes. Really, Gabe? “Darling, you’re cute, but not cute enough
to distract me from the most important exam of my life,” I deadpan.
Gabe laughs. “I didn’t mean it like that, silly. I meant I don’t want me
being there to make you extra nervous.”
 But it’s the opposite for me, I whine on the inside. Gabe accompanies me
as far as the elevator doors, and we wave a couple of the other exam takers
inside to go up first. When we’re alone, I wrap my arms around his waist,
tipping on my toes so our lips almost meet. His wry smile tells me he
knows exactly what I’m doing.
“Are you sure you want to let me go all the way up there by myself?”
He presses his forehead against mine, grinning. “Sorry, babe. I’m all for
being seduced, but no kisses until after the exam.”
“Not even a tiny goodbye-for-now one?” I pucker my lips, and his belly
laugh echoes throughout the entire room.
“Fine, just one.” He mimics me, dramatically puckering his lips and
giving me a peck so short, I barely feel it.
The elevator door pings behind me, then slides open. I go inside, but I
don’t click the button for the fourth floor, or to close the door. Gabe stands
there waiting, and I’m filled with so much emotion I choke. I need to say
something, but I can’t get the words out. So instead of words, I settle for
action. Dashing back out of the boxy elevator, I fling myself in his arms.
Gabe grunts as our bodies collide, but he catches me, just like he’s done
several times in the past. Without me even knowing…
“Thank you for everything,” I whisper, unsurprised by the tears hovering
just below the surface. We’re standing so close, our breaths mingle from our
parted lips.
“I’ll be waiting right here when you’re done,” he promises me. “I believe
in you, like always.”
I dig my nails in my palm, so I don’t burst into tears.
Despite his wishes not to distract me, Gabe gathers me in his arms and
gives me a lingering kiss.
 Distracted? Yes, I am. But at least I don’t feel so anxious and burdened
anymore. With a final wave to Gabe, I enter the elevator and hold his
hopeful gaze as the doors slide shut.
Here goes everything.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twenty

Gabe

“F
erry’s here,” Dani announces as the Sea Mist pulls up to the barge.
We wait patiently with the crowd for the ship to dock, but as soon
as we’re on board, Dani and I make a dash for the upper deck.
Kids in adult bodies, sure, but I don’t care. I’m so keyed up to spend one
entire day with Dani—on our second, real date (and yes, despite what I told
her, I’m counting our sandwich and avocado chip dinner as our first official
date)—that I’m like a giddy kid at Christmas. Heck, I barely slept the night
before.
As we get settled, I take Dani’s bag and hitch it on my shoulder.
“Want to snag a seat?” I ask her.
Dani looks around the bow of the ferry. “That depends. How long will it
take us to get to Oak Bluffs?”
“Forty-plus minutes.” I spy some empty seats near the front, which would
give us an unhindered view of the sights leading into Oak Bluffs. The top
deck’s not crowded yet, but we’re still boarding. “We could sit over there.”
 She shrugs. “I don’t mind standing. I want to catch all the sights and
smells.”
“You sure? We’ll be doing a lot of walking today.”
“I spent nights stuck in the house with my face in a book, or behind a
counter serving ice cream donuts. Trust me, I’m standing.”
Point taken. “All right. Let’s go find a spot at the railing and get comfy.”
Reaching for her hand, Dani takes it, interlocking her fingers with mine. I
pray she can’t feel them trembling.
But whatever nerves are coursing through me, I shake it off as the boat
makes its way to Oak Bluffs.
“Look, Daddy!” A child’s voice rings out next to us. I turn my head in
time to see a man around my age scoop up a young boy of around four.
Secure in his father’s arms, the boy points to the sailboats gliding through
the surface of the water alongside us.
I want that.
“What did you say? You mean the boat?” Dani asks, her head slightly
tilted.
Oof. Did I say that out loud? I nudge my head to the father and son. “I
want that.”
“You want someone to lift you up so you can point at sailboats?”
I groan at her toothless smile. “Dani, I’m being serious here. I…”
Sighing, I let the words flow out. “Before the summer’s out, I’m going to
quit my job.”
Dani’s mouth drops. “Seriously?”
“I am. Being back in Somerset with Nora and Knox and Linda…” And
you. “It just reminded me how much of a soul-sucking existence I’ve led
until now.”
 Dani scoots closer to me and leans her head on my arm. She doesn’t
interrupt, just listens.
“I want a family someday, Dani,” I confess. “I want my kid to ask me to
pick him up so he can see the sailboats. I want to walk on the beach with
the woman of my dreams, feel the sand between my toes, and just listen to
life happening all around me. I can’t see myself achieving that if I stay in
New York.”
“When did you realize that was what you wanted?” she asks softly. No
doubt, my confession rocks her world like it does mine. She doesn’t ask if
the woman of my dreams is her. Does she have to ask?
“Just now. But my mind has been dropping hints.”
She laughs softly, scooting closer to me. Her scent mingles with the
ocean, making me yearn for the dream to become real. “So, you’re moving
back to Somerset, then?”
“More than likely. I could do a bit more studying, maybe specialize in
estate law… open up my own practice.”
Dani’s teeth tease her lower bottom lip, tempting me beyond measure. “I
see.”
“You can sign on as an associate once you pass the bar. I promise a low
stress environment.”
“You mean if I pass the bar.”
Grinning, a stiff breeze skirts along the briny ocean, filling my nostrils.
“Oh, I have no doubt you will.”
I drape my arm around her slim shoulders, and we talk about where I can
set up my supposed office until the Sea Mist docks at the Oak Bluffs
marina.
 Despite the brunch hour, people in their swimsuits and beach umbrellas
dot the shoreline of the white sandy beach. I regret not bringing swimming
trunks, but I didn’t think that far ahead. Come on, a date with Danica
Dixon! Teenage Me would flip.
As we disembark, Dani and I stroll on brick-lined sidewalks past New
England-style houses, craft shops, and smoothie bars. I trail Dani at times as
she flits from one tourist trap to the next like a butterfly, oohing at the little
trinkets and smelling candles. I had my nose shoved in a couple of jars—
not my favorite pastime in the world—but seeing her smile is reward
enough.
After we chow down on lobster rolls and herbal fries at The Black Bear,
we wordlessly stroll along the sand-dusted pier, hand in hand, under a pastel
blue sky filled with puffy clouds. Gentle waves lap the sandy shore and the
salt-scented breeze stirs the hem of Dani’s dress against my bare legs.
“Is that the ferry we came on?” Dani asks, pointing at the docked Sea Mist
in the distance.
“That it is. It’s like we made a whole U-turn.”
She looks wistfully at the beach. “I don’t want to leave yet.”
“We won’t. Not if you don’t want to.”
Dani smiles shyly, before scooting closer to me and resting her head on
my chest as we drift past clutches of people. I hold her close, scarcely able
to believe we’re together like this.
Can we stay like this forever?
“Want to go down to the shoreline?” I ask.
She agrees and rests a hand on my shoulder as I kneel to tie the long hem
of her dress in a loose knot. She laughs, ticklish, when I skim the sides of
her shapely ankles with my fingertips.
 Taking off our shoes, we take the path that leads off the pier and onto the
beach itself. Lazily, we walk on the sand, talking, and at other times,
allowing the waves and the playing children’s high-pitched shrieks of joy to
fill the gap between us.
As we stroll along the beach, an impulsive thought takes hold of me. It’s
so bad, but why not make a fun date more fun?
“You should have worn a swimsuit,” I tell her, hoping my teasing tone
will be enough of a warning.
“Why—?” Dani gasps as I advance toward her. Backing away, she warns,
“Gabe, whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t you dare—”
I make a lunge for her, but she dashes out of reach, laughing as she sprints
away from me. I give her a good head start before taking off after her. She
makes good distance, but even holding our bulky bags, I soon catch up with
her. Dropping the bag and praying the contents don’t spill out, I grab her
from behind and lift her off her feet.
Her happy laughs—just like the kids from earlier—fill my ears. She
shrieks again when I flip her in midair, this time scooting my arms under
legs and cradling her against my chest.
“Danica Dixon, let’s go swimming.”
She laughs so hard she hiccups. “Where’s our stuff?”
“On the beach.”
“They’re gonna snatch it. Our money and keys and phones will be gone
—”:
“—and shoes,” I add, as I take us further into the sea. Water sloshes my
feet, but hers are dry. For now.
“Gabriel!” she gasps, clinging to my shoulders as I dip her closer to the
water.
 “My name is Gabe.”
She groans. “Gabe, please…”
“Please, what? Please kiss you?”
She tilts her head in defiance, but that only brings our lips closer.
“I refuse to kiss you for the rest of our trip if you throw me into this
ocean,” she decrees.
“Oh, noooo.” I groan as if I’m in pain, staggering in the water. “Oh, the
pain. Losing… strength…”
Dani screams again as I bring her closer to the water, but then I whirl her
away, laughing. Only the knotted hem of her dress touches seawater.
“You. Are. The. Worst,” she says, but there’s such unabashed joy on her
face, I can’t release her just yet.
Using my nose, I nuzzle her cheek and jaw. “But I’m your worst, right?”
She shakes her head, her dewy skin glistening in the afternoon sun. “The
opposite, actually.”
I walk us back to the shoreline and set her down. She slips her arms
around my waist. “I’ve had the most beautiful day.”
My heart thumps painfully in my chest as I draw her into me. “Me too.”
Our kiss is sweet and intimate. Something fills up inside of me, a feeling
words are inadequate to describe. It’s like that empty cavern inside of me,
that dry hull that had fused itself to my being—my soul—is slowly being
filled up. And it’s all Dani. Me being here, enjoying her quiet company, has
such an effect on me, I’ll break into infinite pieces if I lose this.
If I lose Dani.
Her breath shudders, and she leans into me. “I never thanked you for what
you did back then.”
 I twirl my finger around one of her loose coils. “What did I do?” Had I
asked that question months earlier, the tone would’ve sounded a lot
different.
She looks up at me, and I only have to incline my head to kiss her again—
I want to, but I can she’s serious.
“You sat with me in the rain… on the bleachers. You didn’t say a word,
but you didn’t have to. Being there was enough. You let me cry on your
shoulder, and I never said thank you for that.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to.”
“No, I do.” She kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Gabe, for allowing me to
grieve but not letting me feel alone.”
I rest my forehead against hers, inhaling her scent and the ocean behind
me. The heavy feeling in my chest moves to my throat, begging me to give
it breath and voice to speak.
I never want you to be alone. I’ll always be here for you, because I love
you, Dani. I love you, I love you, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ve
always—
No, not yet. Not when I haven’t told her everything about Terrence. The
whole truth. But I don’t want to do that now, not after the day we’ve had
together.
Still, I can’t stop myself from touching her. “Dani,” I whisper, my voice
trembling and tormented. “Please tell me I’m not the only one feeling like
this. Please tell me this isn’t all in my head.”
She shakes her head slowly, surprised no doubt about where we are now
versus where we were almost two months ago.
“You’re not.”
 I lower my head to kiss her again when I feel a tap on my right shoulder
blade.
“Excuse me,” a frail voice interjects, interrupting my almost-kiss with
Dani.
I whirl around, desperate to tamp down my frustration and face the elderly
couple who’d decided to say “hello” at the wrong time.
“Hi, there,” Dani greets them cheerfully. I see why Linda Strudwick loves
having her at The Frozen Donut.
“Is that your bag?” the wife (I’m assuming) asks, pointing to our beach
bag that’s halfway in the sea. With all our electronics! “If there’s anything
important in there, it’ll be sleeping with the fishes in a couple of minutes.”
With a wink, the man ambles away with his wife’s arm looped through
his.
“Thank you!” I yell after them. They turn to give me a quick wave. As
they stroll away, I catch snippets of their conversation about Dani and me
being young and “in love.”
Darn it, I am in love with Dani. I could yell it from the mountaintops! But
how does she feel about me?
Dani entwines her fingers around mine after we retrieve our (thankfully)
undamaged stuff. It’s the most natural thing in the world to slip my arms
around her shoulder and pull her close.
“Ready to go?”
“Kinda. Not really. What do we do now?”
“Head back to Nora’s place. If we leave now, we’ll make it back in time
to help out with dinner. Knox should be here early tomorrow morning.”
She nods, staring out at the ocean. “I can’t believe the party’s tomorrow
already.” There’s a questioning note in her voice, like she can’t believe
time’s gone so fast, or that our fake dating arrangement technically ends
tomorrow.
But I don’t want this to end. I don’t want us to end. I swallow the knot of
despair in my throat.
Tell her how you feel. But the old me can’t help but run to the false safety
bubble of fear, and I let it seal my lips shut.
Yes, I’ve told Dani the truth of what happened—well, the less gritty
details—it’s going to take some time for her to fully trust me again, and
even longer for her to maybe… love me a little.
But who am I to skip all the way to the “L” word? She could decide that
it’s better for us to remain friends, which would be just as devastating as her
not speaking to me. Because then I’d have to pretend I don’t feel anything
more than friendship, pretend for the millionth time that I’m not completely
in love with her.
I stare out at the ocean, allowing the painful truth to surge through me.
For now, I’ll have to be content with just holding her hand and treasuring
these snippets of time we have together until we’re forced to go back to our
separate lives.
But darn it, I don’t want to!
Still feeling the heavy sensation in my chest, I wrap my fingers around
Dani’s, determined to treasure what could be the last time I ever get to hold
her like this. “Ready to go?” I ask her. “Tomorrow’s gonna be the last time
we’re on stage.”
A sad, confused look crosses Dani’s face, but then she smiles, and I swear
that’s how the sun was created. “I’m ready, but only if you’ll be with me.”
Giving her hand a little squeeze, I brush my lips gently over her knuckles.
“I’ll be right there with you. For as long as you’ll have me.”
OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twenty-One

Dani

I
swivel my head to the sound of two gentle raps on the door of my guest
bedroom. “Knock, knock,” Eleanora calls from outside in the hallway.
“Come in,” I chirp.
Eleanora’s coiffed head appears first before she enters. Seeing her makes
me feel a little less nervous about Carol’s party, which starts in less than an
hour. Honestly, my clothes are on and my “face” is on, but I’m not ready. I
don’t want to leave my comfy room with its pastel green floral wallpaper
and cushioned sleigh bed. It’s been my sanctuary for the past couple of
hours. Even Gabe didn’t dare intrude this morning, giving me the space I
need to process our day yesterday and the idea of us “going real.”
When Gabe and I left Oak Bluffs yesterday, we came home to Eleanora’s
craftsman cottage tucked away in a secluded forest area with an incredible
waterfront view. My bedroom sits at the opposite end of the house, on the
east wing, on the second floor, overlooking the garden.
Eleanora arrived a little late from Somerset, but she hosted a wonderful
(early) dinner on the stone patio by the outdoor fireplace. After that, Gabe
and I sat on the white Adirondack chairs and watched the sunset under the
tall shady trees to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean lapping the shores behind
us.
I’d expected Nora’s home to mirror the opulence of the Kelly Château,
but the cottage is filled with memories of hot summer days lazing in the
gardens and footsteps tracking sand and surf from the beach, mere footsteps
away.
Eleanora hovers by the double-hung windows flanked by sheer white
curtains, her dislocated shoulder free from her sling. She looks stunning
actually in her fuchsia cocktail wrap dress and matching silk kitten heels.
Way to go, Nora.
She also assesses me and nods approvingly. “You look lovely, Danica.
And the dress…”
Heat peppers my cheeks. “Thank you. It’s my mom’s.” I smooth a palm
over my buttercup yellow hem. It’s a sweetheart, Victorian-inspired dress
with sheer sleeves embroidered in lace and tulle hemming. It’s easily the
most romantic dress I’ve ever had the privilege to wear. Mom hardly wore
it though because the neckline was low cut and she has boobs and I don’t.
Mom also has taste.
I nod to the tiny box in Eleanora’s hands. “What’s that?”
“A little present for you to thank you for all you’ve done for me and my
grandson.”
Oh, Nora… “I haven’t done a thing.” Except lie about dating your
grandson. But technically Gabe and I went on an official date recently,
soooo did that count?
“Oh yes, you did. You’re the answer to a prayer of mine.” Eleanora
pauses. “I want nothing more than to see my grandson happy, at peace,
allowed to be himself. And you’ve been the one to help him do that from
the very beginning.”
Yikes! Guilt is my middle name. I hereby dub myself Danica Tori Guilty
Dixon.
“I’m hoping you’ll wear these this afternoon,” Nora continues. “Add them
to your jewelry collection.” She pops open the tiny velvet box and inside
are the most exquisite turquoise drop earrings I’ve ever seen. And I can tell
they’re genuine, not the ones you can pick up at a kiosk at a local mall. The
oval-shaped stones dangle in tiers, and they’re linked by gold and tiny
diamonds.
My hands shake as I take the box. “I’m scared to wear them.” And I don’t
deserve them!
“Why?”
“Because I’ll never forgive myself if I lose them.”
She waves my concerns away, and it’s then that I notice the matching
turquoise ring she has on her finger.
I literally have goosebumps now. “Nora, your ring…”
“That’s right. They’re a set, but I’m keeping this for now until you and
my grandson figure out if what he has with you is real or not.” She pauses.
“Unless that’s why you two stayed out so late after dinner last night.”
No way…
“Um…” My mouth is open, ready to speak, but the words, the voice to
voice the words aren’t exactly synching. In all seriousness, I’m praying
Eleanora Kelley didn’t say what I think she said. “I’m… sorry?” I echo
stupidly.
Eleanora exhales softly, peeling back the curtains and staring out into the
distance. The longer she stays silent, the more I pray my armpit sweat
doesn’t stain Mom’s dress.
“I know about the arrangement you have with my grandson, Danica
Dixon. While I’m not sure of the exact reason. I can only guess it has
something to do with my hospitalization.” She raises an eyebrow at me.
This Nora is a little scary. Thankfully, she moves on. “Although brief,
seeing me ill must have been quite a shock to Gabriel.”
“Nora…” Don’t panic. Stop panicking, Dani, girl. Seriously, stop! “Uh,
really? I don’t… How did…?”
She smiles now, her expression free of anger and judgment. “Knox isn’t
just there to refill my teacup or handout scones. He, his father, and his
grandfather before him have been with my family for a long time. And he’s
exceptionally skilled at ferreting out information when necessary, especially
where my only grandchild is concerned.”
She releases the curtains and moves to sit on the edge of my bed, her eyes
darkening with intensity as she trains them on me. “I knew all about your
history before the strokes started. Every sordid detail.”
“Gabe’s worried about you.” That’s the truth.
Her flinty gaze softens and she nods. “He worries too much. As for this
‘situationship’ you two have, I’m sure Gabriel anticipated me in some
areas, but he underestimated how protective I am of him and what I’m
capable of doing to make him happy.”
Deny, deny, deny, my brain screams at me, but I can’t stand lying to
Eleanora anymore, or to myself. The sweet moments Gabe and I had
yesterday—and back in Providence—were real.
I shrug, almost helplessly. “Nora, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—we—shouldn’t
have lied to you.”
 Nora takes my hand and squeezes it gently. “There’s no need to apologize.
In fact, I owe you a huge debt. The day he met you was the happiest I’d
seen him in months.”
She smiles like she’s replaying a memory in her head. “You don’t
understand how lonely he was living in that big old house with his parents
scarcely ever home and hardly any children his age to talk to except for
Sophia. After my son and his wife died, Gabriel came to live with me, but
he’d become even more withdrawn.”
She covers her trembling lips with the fingers on her good hand. “My
grandson was in pain and so alone, and I didn’t know how to help him. He
wouldn’t talk to me or the therapists I’d hired to help him manage his grief.
I felt like I was losing him.” Her voice broke.
“Oh, Nora…” I reach over to take her hand and she grasped mine
gratefully.
“But then one day he comes running home, babbling on and on about his
day at school, and how he had fun playing with a new friend named
‘Danny’—forgive me. At first, I thought you were a boy.”
I nod, understanding. “That’s when you started looking into me?”
“Naturally.” Eleanora shrugs. “Forgive an old lady her curiosity. I’ve
watched you and Kyle help Gabriel burst out of his self-imposed isolation.
Sure, he’s naturally quiet, but he’s different around you. I won’t excuse his
tactics for trying to gain your attention and affection, but Knox said
something I never forgot. He said that Gabriel was a boy trying to
understand who he is as a man in love.”
Air slams in my chest, and it aches fiercely until the sensation passes. I’m
surprised by the tears burning my eyes, and I’m so thrown, I barely notice
when Eleanora takes my shoulders and pulls me into a hug.
 Gabriel loves me? Has loved me? Why would she think that? Why would
I? He’s never said the words.
“Is it that surprising?” Nora asks, her brows furrowing. “No, ignore the
question. How could I forget about two falling out. Senior year, was it?”
My fingers curl and flex at my sides. “Knox must have been thorough in
his search into me,” I say, choosing to ignore the Gabe-is-in-love-with-me
revelation.
Nora eases away from me. “Oh. Knox is good, but he’s not omniscient.
There are still some holes in the story. But I do know that your father’s
passing hurt you deeply—my sincere condolences. But I’m curious about
what caused your friendship with Gabriel to end so abruptly.”
“Gabe was trying to protect me from a bad situation with my ex. He’d
tried to explain it back then, but I wouldn’t let him. I blamed him for
ruining my life and he let me.” I glance up at her blue eyes, which are so
much like Gabe’s. “Sometimes, I feel like he hides things from me.”
“It’s his idea of protecting those he loves…”
I shake my head, finding it hard to believe her words, but after he’d
confessed to having feelings for me back in Somerset after Fourth Sunday
dinner, and Providence and yesterday, I’d be completely obtuse if I didn’t
think Gabe liked me a little. But even if he did, that doesn’t mean he loves
me.
Gabe hides his feelings very well.
But then what about my own feelings? What about the foundation of any
long-lasting relationship? Were those things in place for the two of us?
And is he still hiding things from you?
Nora and I turn our heads at another knock on the door. “Daaaaahhh-ni,
you ready?” Gabe calls out from outside my door. Again, he refuses to
come in unless I tell him.
“Come on in, Gabe.”
He steps in. “Are you sure? I don’t want to see anything I shouldn’t…”
The cheeky smile on his face drops instantly the second his eyes land on his
grandmother. “N-Nora, what are you…?”
I can’t help but chuckle at Gabe’s reddening, guilty cheeks.
Eleanora sighs dramatically. “Take a look at your beautiful girlfriend.”
She gestures to me. “Show him, Danica.”
I swivel my head to the left and then to the right, making sure he has a full
view of my earrings. “Nora let me borrow them for the party.”
“Not borrow, dear. Gave.” She gives me a pointed look—I guess to
remember what we had discussed earlier. She considers me as part of the
family now.
Gabe’s eyes caress me, and he speaks to me in that voice that makes my
knees go weak, the one from our first night in Providence and the beach,
and that day he kissed the animosity out of me in his grandfather’s library.
“You’re absolutely beautiful, Dani,” he says warmly.
“Thanks.”
We stare at each other for so long we hardly notice when Eleanora slips
out of the room.
“These are your grandmother’s.” I say, my voice soft and trembly.
Duh, of course, he knows.
He smiles, his eyes so impossibly blue I sink into them. “I’ve seen them
one or two times…”
“Oh, now you’ve got jokes?” I gesture to his steel blue linen blazer and
the crisp white shirt underneath. “You look amazing… as... always.” But
before I make a complete fool out of myself, Gabe storms over to me,
automatically curling an arm around my waist and hauling me up against
him. A sigh escapes my lips and my fingers automatically curl in his blazer.
I don’t know how long he kisses me, but as soon as we break for air, I
blurt out, “You smell so good. I’ve always wanted to tell you that. Whatever
concoction it is, keep wearing it.”
Gabe chuckles against my skin. “As you wish.”
He spreads soft kisses against my temples and cheeks. I almost growl in
frustration because those are not the kisses I want. To make matters worse,
he eases away from me, his cerulean eyes dark and intense like black holes
swallowing my whole heart, never to return it.
“I don’t want to mess up your makeup,” he whispers heatedly.
“You won’t.”
Tell him Nora knows, my conscience interrupts. I ignore it.
“Do we have to go to this thing?” I ask, skimming my palms up and down
his back, before slipping my fingers up his nape and into his hair. A muted
sound vibrates in his chest, somewhere between a groan and a plea. Gabe
grabs my free hand and kisses the base of my palm where my veins are.
“Not if you don’t want to. Looks like it’s gonna rain, anyway.”
I lean into him. “Then we should stay.”
Stop stalling and tell him, Conscience screams again.
Shut up and let me have this moment!
Regret clouds his features, and he sighs. “I want to, but we can’t ditch
Sophie. I still haven’t told her Kyle might be there, or Kyle either, for that
matter.”
Before I can ask him why the secrecy, Gabe gives me a final peck on the
cheek and releases me. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.” He turns to go, but
then swivels. “What were you and Nora talking about? It’s nice that she
gave you the earrings, but she looked so serious?”
If I lie, the lawyer in him will pick my answer apart. “She said she’s
happy you and I are dating.” That much was the truth, but my head hurts
from all the hidden conversations and secrets.
He inclines his head. “And are we dating? Like for real?”
“I… Well, we kissed a few times and Oak Bluffs was fun...”
Really, Dani?
He doesn’t like that answer. Heck, I don’t like that answer.
“Yeah, but anyone can kiss without dating, right?” Gabe asks, his voice
hollow.
“That’s not… Look, even you have to admit that we haven’t fully worked
out where we go from there.”
“No, I guess we haven’t.” He shrugs like it means nothing to him, but he
can’t hide his dejection.
Oh, Gabe, it’s real, my heart screams. It’s been real, and I don’t know how
to feel about it. I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone, and a part of my
brain is confused about how I feel about you because I spent years
“strongly disliking” you. But in the space of a few weeks, I just don’t know
anymore. It’s confusing, and it scares the crap out of me, so please just
understand—
“Meet you downstairs?” Gabe asks, his back already to me.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah. Give me five.”
With a backward wave, Gabe exits my room, and I slump on my bed,
feeling like we’ve taken two steps back from the finish line.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twenty-Two

Dani

A
hyper-jazzed rendition of Singin’ in the Rain greets us as Gabe and I
enter Carol Price’s palatial summer house. It’s a tongue-in-cheek jest
at the weather forecast that promises afternoon showers. Not that the guests
seem to care in the slightest.
The setting is just like the movies. Guests mill about, sipping rose-colored
bubbly from champagne glasses so delicate they’d crack if you so much as
slurped. Flowery animal topiaries dot the expansive lawns, and I recognize
a few characters from Alice in Wonderland. Servers sift in and around them,
seen yet unseen, carrying trays laden with salmon and roe sliders and some
kind of blue cheese served with olives. Gabe later tells me it’s Jersey blue
cheese, one of the most expensive in the world.
I scoot closer to Gabe, gripping his arm a little tighter because my heels
are sinking in the grass, and I’m so out of my element it’s not even funny.
Gabe lowers his head and whispers pleasantly in my ear, “You’re cutting
off my circulation.”
 “Sorry,” I say, loosening my grip. “If I were the type to break out in hives,
I’d be covered in them by now.”
Gabe chuckles, then kisses my temple. “You’ll be fine. Carol treats her
guests like family.”
“I believe you. It’s them that I don’t.” I (subtly) nudge my head toward a
group of young women around my age, openly staring at Gabe and me and
whispering. “Hot gossip, anyone?”
He tightens his grip around my waist, his natural body heat like a
comforting fire. “As we should be. I’m with the most beautiful woman at
this party.”
“That is correct,” Eleanora interjects, glancing back at us. I almost forgot
she was still here. “If you don’t like the crowd, at least stay for the food.”
After we snag a few refreshments, Eleanora separates from us to chat with
her friends. Gabe and I return to the main level of the house by the entrance
since Kyle begged us to meet him as soon as he arrived. The poor thing’s
ferry was delayed, and according to him (up-and-coming celebrity that he
is), “all rich folk except Gabe and Nora” made him too nervous to function
in “decent society.”
While we wait, we run into a few friends and acquaintances of Eleanora
and Gabe’s parents. One grandmotherly woman pinches his right cheek,
marveling at how much he looks like his father. I don’t think he took that
too well.
Finally, we escape near the staircase where at least some air washes us
from the overpowering battle of perfume from all the flowers and the
guests.
“Kyle’s sure taking his time,” Gabe grumbles, still rubbing his cheek.
 “It’s not so bad,” I say now that my initial nerves have died down. “I
didn’t expect so many people to be here.”
“Almost everyone on the MV looks forward to Carol’s parties. I don’t
mean to be one of those, but the invite list is pretty much exclusive.”
“Is that so?” I say in an exaggerated, posh British accent. “Must be nice
being a part of the one percent.”
Gabe flicks an eyebrow. “I gave you a rundown on my parents, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” But Gabe pulls me in for a quick kiss before plucking a
white gardenia from a nearby vase and handing it to me.
“You’ve nothing to be sorry for.” He says, barely above a whisper. I can’t
look away as Gabe stares down at me, his eyes warm and alive. Eleanora’s
words from earlier about Gabe being in love with me, kicks my heart into
gear.
Say it, I silently beg him.
Why don’t YOU say it? My brain chides me. The grouch.
Gabe’s tall figure shadows mine as he pulls me further into his embrace.
“This isn’t exactly what I had planned, but…” Whatever he’s about to say
falls away as something over the top of my head catches his eyes, freezing
him in place. “Uh oh.”
“What?” I swivel around. It’s none other than Sophia Montgomery, who’s
standing by the grand piano with a group of other young women, pinching
the stem of a champagne glass, also filled with rosy, bubbly liquid.
She’s absolutely gorgeous in her elegant, one-shoulder jumpsuit with a
billowing ivory train that resembles the folds of a tulip. She looks a
thousand times more relaxed without her scary grandmother hovering
around.
She’s not too far away that I can’t call out to her. “Sophi—”
 But Gabe tugs me from our spot and doesn’t stop until we’re standing in
front of a curved flower wall cascading with real roses. Their natural
perfume is so strong my nose itches.
“What the heck are you doing?” he panic-whispers.
“I should be the one asking you. I wasn’t going to yell if that’s what
you’re thinking.”
“No, that’s not…” Gabe releases a heavy sigh. “Look, you’ll literally save
my life if you do this for me.”
I frown. “What’s going on?”
“Soph can’t see Kyle—no, Kyle can’t see Sophie, not until I talk to him
first. Can you please just… distract her? Keep her occupied until I give
Kyle the 4-1-1?”
“Sure, but why?” And why hide from someone with lamb-like innocence
like Sophia Montgomery?
Gabe sighs heavily. “It’s just… They have history, all right? But I can’t
explain it now, so you’re going to have to trust me. Can you?”
I can. I do. I’m learning to.
“Please, babe?” Gabe pleads.
With a heavy sigh, I nod. “Fine, I will. But you owe me.”
He kisses my cheek. “That and so much more.”
My heart resumes its normal rhythm as Gabe disappears to meet Kyle out
front, and I nod and smile my way over to Sophia. She thanks the server
who hands her a plate with some fancy appetizer when she spots me and
waves.
I wave back, and I’m just a few footsteps from her when a deep, velvety
voice behind me causes all the heat in my body to seep through my toes into
the floor, rooting me in place.
 “Now this is the last girl I expected to see in a place like this.”
You’ve GOT to be kidding me.
Pinpricks form behind my eyes, and my heartbeats are so loud in my ears,
I want to believe that person isn’t here. Gabe said this was an EXCLUSIVE
party!
Slowly, I turn, still not willing to look.
This is a prank. It has to be. But I know it isn’t.
Even if I had the most powerful imagination in the world, there’s no way
my brain can make up this older, more obnoxious version of my high school
ex-boyfriend…
Terrence Jackson.

Gabe

Calm down, Kelley. Maybe he didn’t find her yet, I try to reassure myself as
I scan the room filled with chattering, glittering guests for Dani. A weight
sinks in my chest, but now’s not the time to panic.
Terrence is here.
How he snagged an invite to such an exclusive party, I’ve no clue. But I
need to find Dani before he does any more damage to her than he already
has. I don’t dare think about what his showing up again might mean for our
relationship.
 Kyle jogs up to me. “She’s not upstairs or in the den.” He scrapes his
fingers through his hair, which there isn’t much of since he’d cut most of it
off for his movie. “Darn it, why did that creep have to show up here today
of all days?”
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left her alone. Something tells me he’s
already got to her.”
Not long after I’d met up with Kyle by the entrance, some tall, overly-buff
oaf, and a painfully thin woman in a slinky gold dress, almost ran into a
couple standing in front of us. He’d preened around the room, oblivious to
the situation he’d sauntered into. It was Kyle who recognized the bird-brain.
And if he’s skulking around, I have to find Dani. Now.
After searching the main level of the house, I stand out on the decking at
the back of the house where a few guests slow-dance to the live band. I
can’t join in on the cheerful atmosphere. The angry storm clouds
congregating above are more my jam.
A server floats by carrying several glasses of champagne and I grab a
flute and chuck the contents in one gulp.
“Easy,” Kyle murmurs, but I can tell he’s freaking out, too. “Even if
Terrence manages to get a word in, it’s not like she’s going to fall for his
tricks again. And have you seen him? He doesn’t look half as good as he
did in high school.”
A snort flies out of me before I can stop it. Terrence looking good or not
has nothing to do with what I’m feeling right now. He’d hurt Dani to the
core and caused years of estrangement between us. I can’t have him doing
that to her again. Not when she’s rebuilding the foundation of the life she
wanted. Or us finally growing our relationship the way I’d always dreamed
of—not as rivals, not merely friends, but more than that...
 Kyle rests a hand on my shoulder and gives me a little shake. “Seriously,
Gabe. Relax. There’s no way she—”
Whatever Kyle is about to say cuts off at his sharp inhale. He stares at
something—or someone—over my shoulder, eyes wide. The color drains
out of his face like fading sunlight. The answer hits me before I get the
chance to question him.
Sophia. In my panic searching for Dani, I forgot to tell my best friend that
the woman who destroyed his belief in happily-ever-afters would be at this
event. Man, between Dani, Kyle, and Sophia, I’m right on track to being the
worst friend ever.
Kyle’s hand slips from my shoulder, his pained expression now locked
behind a shield wall. But there’s no mistaking the icy anger in his eyes.
“Thanks for the heads up, friend.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you, but I… I got caught up with things and
I truly forgot.”
“Forgot?” Kyle’s seconds away from exploding on me. “Did she put you
up to this, plan some little reunion because, apparently, I’m ‘her equal’
now?” Kyle thumbs behind him to a young server, probably in his late
teens, carrying a tray of dirty plates back to the kitchens. “Nah, I’m getting
ahead of myself. Maybe she still sees me like one of them.”
“Kyle, you know she doesn’t think that—”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Sophia says demurely over my
shoulder. Her face is placid, congenial, but there’s a nervous tint in her
voice, like she’d heard Kyle’s big mouth. She confirms my theory seconds
later. “I didn’t mean to overhear, but are you still looking for Dani? I saw
her talking to someone in the hallway before they headed for the topiary
maze garden.”
 Sophia’s gaze locks on Kyle, whose posture is as rigid as a block of
granite. “Hello, Kyle. It’s been a while.”
Kyle’s smile is cold. “Ms. Montgomery, always a pleasure.”
Sophia’s tan skin pales, and her milk chocolate eyes are round as a doe’s.
“Likewise. I-it’s nice to see you after… so long.”
“And you.” Kyle says stiffly, but he’s at the limits of his politeness,
because he steps back, half-turning away. Ready to bolt. Sophia’s brave
smile dips and the pain and longing in her gaze are palpable, but intense
etiquette classes from her youth keep her emotions in check. I would know.
We’d spent countless hours in cotillion classes together.
I have to get Sophia out of here, or Kyle, before they wound each other
even more. “Soph, can you show me where they went? I think you
mentioned a fountain?” No, she didn’t. “There are so many of them I’m
bound to get lost.”
Not waiting for her answer, I turn to Kyle, hoping he’ll forgive me later.
“I’ll be right back.”
“And I’ll go find one of those servers. From personal experience, the best
stuff’s always stashed in the back.” He inclines his head at Sophia, giving
her a mocking bow. “Good day, Ms. Montgomery.”
Without saying another word, Kyle storms off toward the kitchens, and
Sophia follows his movement before ducking her head and blinking rapidly.
“You all right, Soph?” I ask, taking her hand. Her skin is soft but freezing.
She nods but doesn’t speak again until she composes herself. When she
does, her feelings are sealed behind that mask. Hers was always better than
mine.
“Soph?”
 “I’m fine, thanks Gabe,” she says bravely. “Come on. I’ll take you to
where I last saw Dani.”
Sophia wordlessly leads me out of the main level of the house and onto
the back patio facing a large fountain with all kinds of flower installations
surrounding it. Her heels click on the stone pathway leading to the topiary
section of the garden.
We walk in silence, my heart torn between the two people I care about in
the entire world. But I can’t dwell on them right now, not when Dani needs
me. Besides, Sophia and Kyle would have to write their own endings,
together or separately.
“There,” Sophie says quietly, pointing in the distance to where she’d said
they were.
I hurriedly kiss her cheek. “Thanks, Soph. Look, about Kyle—”
“It’s fine,” she says hurriedly. She tucks a curly strand of dark hair behind
her ear. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, anyway. A-and now that I
have…” She looks at me now, and even though she’s wearing that society
smile, the pain in her eyes is so familiar my heart aches. “Hopefully, I can
move on like he obviously has.” Her naked vulnerability shakes me, and I
already see her regret saying more than she wanted to.
But he hasn’t, I want to tell her. Instead, I say, “He doesn’t hate you.”
“You really should go find Dani. I wanted to follow her, but I thought it
best to find you first. I’m worried about her.”
“Me too.” But I’m worried about you, too. But I take one step back, then
two. “I’ll help fix things with Kyle. I promise, Soph.”
My childhood companion and friend reaches for me, and I pull her into a
tight hug, kissing both her cheeks.
 “Go to her, Gabe. Now. If you lose her, the only thing you’ll have is
regret,” she whispers, pressing on my back to go.
I take a second and mourn my two friends before I turn back and case the
area. There are hardly any of the guests here, except for a few couples. But
then I see them.
Dani and Terrence.
They’re standing so close. Like a reunion between friends-to-lovers in
some made-for-TV romance movie.
I should go over there and break it up.
Break up what I think is about to happen.
Does she still have feelings for him?
No, no way. We may not have said the “L” word, but I’ve never hidden
how I felt about her, and she’s not averse to me either, and…
I love her.
I’ve loved her since she pulled me into her circle of friends back in
elementary school, when my whole world had crumbled beneath my feet.
I can’t stand back and watch Terrence destroy our fledgling relationship—
not when the two of us are finally starting to become real.

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twenty-Three

Dani

I
wish I had a glass I could pretend to swivel as Terrence prattles on
about himself and his career (or lack thereof) now that he’s retired from
playing basketball in Eastern Europe. I wish Sophia was still around, but
she’d disappeared as soon as Terrence appeared at my side like some evil
apparition.
As Terrence drones on, I focus on the darkening skies above that seem to
reflect my mood. In no time, the mid-summer squall will swallow up
Carol’s garden gala. Okay, maybe nothing so dramatic, but close enough.
After releasing a silent breath, I refocus on whatever it is Terrence is
harping on about. Despite his heavy-handed aftershave, I can see why High
School Me fell for Terrence Jackson. Washed-up career aside, his gym-
honed physique fills out his marine-blue linen suit—he skipped a couple leg
days, though. His starched pastel pink shirt is unbuttoned at the top, teasing
his hairless, golden-bronze skin underneath. Besides all of that, he still has
that quirky grin that’s part-sensual, part-boy-next-door. He trains that
dimpled smile on me now, but unlike before, it has zero effect.
 “You look good, girl,” Terrence murmurs, dragging his eyes sloooowly
over my frame. He flicks his head at my earrings. “Are those real?”
“Don’t know. Just got them.”
That smarmy grin turns upside down. “Boyfriend?”
I smile. “Boyfriend’s grandmother. She’s a real one.”
He scoffs. “Nice to see you doing well for yourself, mingling with all
these rich folks. Must be nice.” It takes everything in me not to cringe as he
steps closer to me, then gestures to the orchard located a little away from
the gathering. “How about we take a walk and… catch up on old times?”
Barf. Not even a meteor the size of Ohio threatening to destroy the earth
would tempt me to go anywhere with him. “No thanks, Terr. I can’t say it
was nice seeing you, but for formality’s sake, I’ll wish you a happy, glitzy
life as far away from me as possible.”
I turn to walk away, but Terrence grabs my arm and whips me around, his
grip like a vice on my skin.
His voice is smooth, but anger burns in his eyes. “Look, Dani. Okay, I
was a jerk to you in high school, but you should hear me out, especially
since I heard that guy’s here.”
I tug at my arm, but it won’t budge. My body cautions me.
All right, take deep breaths. Remember, this is Terrence, and he’s as tough
as wet toilet paper. It’s not like he can drag you off somewhere with no one
seeing him.
So, instead of making a fuss, I opt for reasoning. It goes as well as
reasoning with a monster goes.
“I guess this is the part where I ask who that guy supposedly is?” I say,
praying he doesn’t hear the shakiness in my voice.
 “You don’t know?” Terrence asks, genuinely surprised. “I’m talking about
that Kelley kid. He’s here. Can you believe that? Who the heck invited him
to this thing?”
I bat my eyelashes at him. “How did you get an invite again?”
His scowl deepens and so do his fingers on my arm. “This chick I’m
seeing has a connect with the people who live here. She’s a fun-for-now
type of girl, if you catch my drift.” His eyes drift over my frame again. “But
if you’re wondering—”
“I’m not. But I am curious. Did you make a bet on her too with your little
friends?”
Oh, he doesn’t like that, but I don’t care. Terrence might have had a hold
on me all throughout my junior and senior years of high school, but I’m
way more mature and emotionally stable now than I was before. And I
believe Gabe told me the truth about what Terrence did.
I believe Gabe, period.
I bite down on a yelp as Terrence tugs me close, surprise and a tinge of
fear tap at the base of my spine. He’s never grabbed me like this before, and
I can’t help but notice other changes in my ex. The harshness in his dark
eyes transforms them into bottomless pools of darkness.
“You’re honestly going to take that psycho’s word over mine,” Terrence
snarls in my ear.
I want to back away, but I need answers. Just a moment longer, then I’ll
kick him where it’ll really hurt.
“Did you or did you not make a bet on me, and a couple of other girls,
with your friends?”
Terrence grounds out an explosive word, shaking his head, but then
laughing low under his breath. “Kelley.” He shakes his head. “That kid is
relentless… I should have punched him when I had the chance.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “I heard it was more like the other way
around.”
“How—” He narrows his eyes at me. “Wait a minute. Are you seeing
him? Kelley?”
His raised voice draws attention from some of the other guests.
“That’s right I am. And we’re very much in love.” Well, I think we are. I
hope. We may have started this fake-dating charade out of necessity, but
what we have now it’s… it’s real.
I want it to be real.
“You’re kidding,” Terrence mutters, scowling.
“Nope,” I say, smiling the deeper he frowns. “Now get your hands off me,
before I give you something to hold on to.”
But before I can make good on my threat, Gabe appears at my side and
clamps down on Terrence’s wrist. He squeezes the vulnerable bones until
Terrence lets me go with a few blistering comments.
“You heard the lady,” Gabe says suavely, his eyes as cold as a tundra. His
fists curl by his side, ready. Ready for anything.
Terrence takes a step back, but only one. Grinning, he scoffs. “Well, isn’t
it the golden boy here to save the day?”
“Just wondering what you’re doing with my girlfriend,” Gabe responds
calmly. “The last time I wasted my breath on you, you had a one-way ticket
to Europe.”
Terrence sizes Gabe up. “Thanks to you. A one-way, first-class ticket.
And what can I say?” He stretches his hands out by his sides as if
everything his shadow falls on is his. “I had a good stint, made some
money, and now I’m living the high life. But I’m not against another
payout.”
Payout? “What are you on about?” I mutter, but it’s Gabe who growls,
“Watch it.” His fists tighten, his body rigid with tension. I curl my arms
around Gabe’s arm because as sexy as two men sparring looks on TV, I
don’t want Gabe getting hurt.
“Kelley,” Terrence drags out his name, laughing. “You told her about the
bet, but you’re still keeping secrets?”
Gabe steps forward. “If you ever…”
Terrence squares up to him. “I think I will ‘ever’.”
“Guys, please,” I say, willing to squeeze myself between the two of them
if I must, and I do. I turn to Gabe. “Seriously, what payout? All this talk
about Europe and first-class tickets is confusing the heck out of me.”
A flicker of apprehension filters over him before he presses his lips into a
firm line. “It’s nothing to worry—”
“I’ll tell you,” Terrence cuts him off. “You’re right, baby. I had a bet
going with a couple of the other guys, but it was harmless, Dani, I swear.
You know I lost my scholarship when I got injured, and you know my folks
didn’t have it like that, so the guys and I had a thing going. But Kelley here
made it worth my while.”
I don’t believe him. I won’t, but Terrence isn’t smiling, and he’s not
wearing that smug look on his face.
“Gabe… paid you?”
“Handsomely.” He nods toward Gabe, who refuses to say anything in his
defense. “Your boyfriend over there? He cut me a nice check. And I mean
really nice check.”
 I roll my eyes because even for Terrence, this sounds ridiculous. “You’re
such a liar. I don’t even want to hear anymore.”
Terrence swivels his gaze to Gabe, his expression a poor mask of
innocence. “Kelley?”
I wait for Gabe to speak, but the longer he takes, the harder it is to
breathe. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I blurt out, “Just tell me he’s lying
so we can end this convo.”
Gabe releases a slow breath. “He’s not.”
And? I want to scream. “Okaaay, so the check was for the bet or… for
something else?”
He looks at me sharply. “You honestly believe I would do that?”
“Careful, Kelley.” Terrence chimes in, practically gleeful. “Dani has quite
a temper.”
“I don’t know what to believe,” I say honestly, but I’m not having this
conversation with Gabe in front of the worst human in being on the planet.
Looping my arm in Gabe’s, I haul him over to a topiary of a miniature
giraffe.
“You told me about the bet, but not that you paid him.” I start the second
we’re alone.
Gabe’s eyes are sorrowful, and his words about being protective of me “I
didn’t think it was a good idea at the time.”
“Why not?”
“I thought you’d misunderstand me.”
“So, you prefer to leave all the explanations to Terrence? Because that
makes tooootal sense.”
Dial it back, Ms. Sarcastic.
 He shakes his head. “I don’t want to argue with you again, Danica. I’m
done with this constant back and forth between us.”
“I don’t want to argue either. But don’t you see I have to learn to trust
you? You’re constantly hiding things from me. What else am I supposed to
believe?”
“Believe me, Dani. For once!”
Silence rests between us as we stare at each other. In that moment, I think
we both realize that this—us—isn’t going to work out, at least not the way
we are now. Yes, my feelings for Gabe are real and stronger than ever, but
I’m still learning to trust him.
Gabe takes my silence for something else. “You won’t, won’t you?” he
murmurs, resigned. He’s so unbelievably sad, I tear up instantly. “Even now
you’re debating whether to believe me or Terrence. To you, I’ll always be
the bad guy.”
“Now, who’s the one jumping to conclusions?”
“I saw the way you looked at me, and–”
“Ey, Dani!” Terrence yells for the entire population of Martha’s Vineyard
to hear.
Biting the inside of my lip to hold back a growl. I whip my head around,
but I realize too late my mistake.
I turn back to Gabe, but he lowers his head, shaking it in disbelief. “You
should go.”
“I don’t want to.”
He scoffs, looking at me now, his eyes vacant. “No, it’s fine. Perfectly
fine. I mean, it’s not like you’ll believe me, anyway.”
I reach for him, but steps back. He’s leaving.
 “Gabriel, don’t walk away. At least let me try to…” But before I can
explain that I was too quick to react, that I was stupid for allowing Terrence
and my emotions to sweep me off on the wrong tangent, he slides my hand
off his arm and storms away.
“Wait!” I call out after Gabe, but he’s disappeared in the crowd, and I
don’t think he can hear me. Choking back a sob, I take off after him, but
then Terrence grabs my arm again, yanking me back.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he growls harshly in my ear. “Your little
boyfriend ruined my life and someone’s going to pay for that!”
“You’re right. Here’s my check!” Angling my foot, I land Terrence a solid
one on his shin and he lets out a pained bellow, releasing me instantly. “If
you ever touch me again, I’ll aim a little higher. Get my drift?”
Without waiting for a response, I whirl around, almost running into Kyle,
who must have witnessed everything. He must have run all the way over
here as soon as he saw Terrence grab my arm.
“You all right? Did he hurt you?” he asks, his darkened eyes trained on
Terrence who’s still rubbing his leg. “Just give me an excuse and I’ll handle
it.”
“I’m fine. He’s not worth it. But Gabe…” My voice breaks. “He just took
off. I have to find him.”
Kyle shakes his head, looking more than a little weary. “What is it with
you two? Fine, I’ll help, but if you two don’t kiss and make up by the time
this is all over, I’m ending things with both of you.”
I don’t think he’s joking.
We decide to split up to cover more ground, and I’m surprised at a few
glasses raised my way from a handful of couples who must’ve seen how I’d
dealt with Terrence manhandling me. Sophia rushes to my side as I reach
the back patio deck.
“I tried to slow him down,” she says breathlessly. “But I think he left.”
Something inside me crumples. “He’s gone?”
But to my shock, Sophia grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “For the sake
of your futures, get it together! He probably just left to clear his head, but
we both know Gabe is the type of person who retreats. He’s learned early to
accept the bad for what it is. He hasn’t learned to fight for what he wants or
what he needs, so you’re going to have to help him.”
I stare into Sophia’s hazel eyes, surprised to see the urgency and lingering
pain there. Had she had to face something similar in the past? There’s so
much I want to ask her, but I hold back for now. I need to find Gabe.
As I power-walk-jog to the entrance, I run into a solid figure, the air
whooshing out of my lungs. My mouth forms an apology when my nose
twitches. I know this scent, the only person in the world who smells this
good.
“Gabe!” His name rushes out, and embarrassingly, so do my tears. “I
thought you’d left—”
A sob slips from my lips as Gabe wraps me in his arms, momentarily
taking my breath.
“I must have lost my mind leaving you alone with that creep,” he says
with a thickened voice. “Dani, I’m sorry. I let Terrence get the better of me.
Again.”
My heart swells, and it’s hard to get the question out past the lump in my
throat. “You came back for me?” It seems like an eternity passes before
Gabe answers.
“Always.”
 I wrap my arms around his waist as he pulls me close. “Want to get out of
here for a bit?”
Over his shoulders, I see the dark clouds are seconds from bursting, but
the sun still shines in open rebellion. “Sure, unless you have an umbrella we
can use.”
Gabe glances over his shoulder, then back at me. He gives me a slow
smile that warms the chill fear had flooded me with earlier. “The rain’s
never stopped us before?”
Right. High school.
The bleachers.
The boy in the rain.
I slip my hand in his, and I follow his lead as we leave the party. “No, it
hasn’t, and it certainly won’t now.”

OceanofPDF.com
 Chapter Twenty-Four

Dani

“S
itting in the rain sounded way more romantic in my head,” Gabe
mutters as the rain pelts us, and we laugh. The rain is like golden
teardrops as they catch rays of sunlight before hitting us and the ground. I
scoot closer to Gabe on the park bench.
Eleanora’s place is two houses away. We’d walked all the way back,
mostly silent.
We’re both soaked through and through and if it weren’t for Gabe’s
blazer, I’d be completely exposed. I smother a chuckle as I remember
Gabe’s reddening cheeks as he hands me his blazer. I would have kissed his
adorable face if he hadn’t stopped me and insisted we talk first. His
reasoning? We’ve already established that we like kissing each other, but
can we be incredible friends? Incredible together?
“Seriously, this is the last time I want to talk about this guy,” he grumbles.
His hair is plastered to his skin, but he looks adorable still.
“Well, you’re going to have to give me the full story. No half-measures.”
Gabe nods, swiping the rain out of his eyes. “No half-measures.”
 “Then I won’t either.”
At the end of a shuddering breath, Gabe picks up where he left off when
he first told me about Terrence at the beach. Although Terrence lost his
scholarship because of an almost career-ending injury, some random
university in Eastern Europe had offered him a full-ride scholarship to play
college basketball for their school. All Terrence had to do was find his own
way there. Naturally, Gabe wanted him out of the country as quickly as
possible, so he paid all his expenses to get there.
Of course, the real devil in disguise insisted Gabe buy first-class tickets
for him and his parents, which Gabe did. Gabe had even set enough funds
aside for Terrence to visit his family at least once a year for four years,
granted that he stayed the heck away from me. Naturally, the imbecile blew
the whole thing on who-knows-what in one semester.
Terrence’s conduct doesn’t surprise me in the least. But Gabe? He did all
of that for me when we were staunch rivals. And I’d treated him so poorly,
too…
“I see why you didn’t want to tell me back then,” I say, barely able to hold
back my tears. “Terrence would’ve spun it like you were in on the bet, and
I… I’m ashamed to say I would’ve believed him.”
Gabe nods slowly. “I couldn’t take the chance, even if I thought I’d lose
you. It was better to soften the blow.”
“But then, why didn’t you tell me that day on the beach?”
“I honestly didn’t think it would’ve made a difference, back then or now.
You’d made up your mind about me, and there was nothing I could do or
say to change how you felt about me.”
A sob escapes my lips, and I hate what I did so much that I can’t even
look at him. “Was I that horrible?”
 “No.” He cradles my cheek. “You were grieving, and then everything with
me and Terrence came at you all at once.”
“I hurt you, and I said the most terrible things.”
“I hurt you, too—unknowingly, which I never meant to, I swear.” Gabe’s
fingers clasp mine, surprisingly warm despite the chilled air. “I never
wanted to ‘be better’ than you. I only wanted to be someone you saw as
your equal.” He lowers his face to mine, his nose caressing mine, and it’s as
intimate as a kiss. “I wanted you to still see me, just like you did back in
elementary school, when everyone was happy and having fun, and I was
standing around a scarecrow all by myself.”
“I do see you. I’m sorry I didn’t before.”
“Don’t apologize.” His lips hover over mine, and my lips part
automatically. But before he closes the distance, he whispers, “I have
another confession.”
“You promised to tell me everything.”
“I am.” Gabe grins. “I still don’t like you.”
I kiss the corner of his lips, and I revel in the rush of his sharp inhale, the
steady pulse beneath my fingertips. “Why not?” I ask, feeling drowsy from
all the heady feelings rushing through me.
“Because I love you too much.”
“You are so chee—” My breathing crests and falls, and I stare at Gabe,
my mouth growing slack. “Say that again?”
Gabe looks me square in the eyes, so I’d have no chance of mistaking
him. “You heard me.”
“Tell me again, anyway.”
“I love you, Danica Dixon. I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to tell
you back in our freshman year in high school. After what happened with
Terrence, I thought I’d never get another chance, and that I’d have to live
with that. But my feelings for you never changed, Dani. Not for a second.”
“Oh, Gabe. I…”
But his confession still pours out of him, letting it all out like he’d
promised me earlier.
“When I realized you had no intention of attending Yale, I buried myself
in my studies. Then I graduated, moved to New York, got a job, and buried
myself again. For a while, I thought all of that would help me move on and
forget you, but I was wrong. So wrong, Dani. I thought about asking Kyle to
help bridge the gap between us, but then he had to leave Somerset for that
acting role. But believe me when I say this, Dani. Never. Not once did I
stop thinking about you. When I saw you again at the hospital, it was like a
thousand unspoken prayers were answered all at once.”
Tears streak my cheeks, but I don’t care that I’m sobbing.
I playfully punch his shoulder. “You smirked at me. I hate when you do
that.”
His lips descend into that signature smirk, but I don’t hate. Heck, he’s
downright smexy. “How about now?”
“You’re terrible. I’m still convinced you only wanted to date me to
torment me.” The rain eases and although there are still clouds hovering in
the air, the sun shines brilliantly, warming us with heat and hope.
Gabe laughs. “Honestly? Nora’s nurse-slash-spy saw the two of us
talking, and...”
“And then your little mercenary brain started taking over.”
“Got the idea from Nora, believe it or not. She was so adamant you were
my girlfriend who came to visit her at the hospital.” He ducks his head, his
eyes growing wistful. “It made her so happy, and I was desperate to see
you. It made sense in my head at the time.”
I rest my head on his shoulder. “Well, I’m glad I saw you that day.”
“I’m glad you said yes.”
Tired of waiting for him to kiss me. I turn his face to mine and close the
gap between us. A groan slips out of me as his lips meld over mine, but
Gabe ends it too quickly. He’s not going to make me beg, is he? Because I
will. His kisses are seriously addictive.
“Why’d you stop?”
“I need to know,” he says breathlessly, a thread of fear and worry still
present in his eyes. “You haven’t told me how you feel… about me. Put a
starving man out of his misery, will ya?” He draws back as if he shouldn’t
have teased me, rushing on. “But I can wait, for as long as you need me to.
Just say the word and I’ll back—”
Placing my hands on both his cheeks, I pull him down for a kiss. “I love
you, too, Gabe. I love you. Thank you for always loving me, even when you
thought I hated you.”
“You mean ‘strongly dislike’.”
A tearful laugh bubbles out of me. “Yeah, that.”
Gabe goes silent, his cheeks a swath of dusky red. He takes my hand and
places it over his heart. The steady thumps underneath his damp shirt are
warm and alive. “I love you, Dani,” he murmurs. “As long as you’re here
with me, this little thing is all yours.”
I take his hand and place it over my heart, and my voice breaks. “Ditto.
Oh, Gabe. Thanks for being my friend, and for having my back, and… for
gifting me your heart.”
 I barely finish my sentence when Gabe swoops me in his arms and kisses
me. There’s nothing else outside our world, not this lovely park bench in
front of these multi-million dollar houses. Not even the rain. Just us.
Instead of heading back to the party, Gabe and I walk home, hand-in-
hand, drenched and drunk off our confessions of love for each other. It’s our
day at the beach again where we’re content in our bubble.
“What happened to you two?” Nora exclaims as soon as we enter the
foyer back at Eleanora’s house. Knox is here as well, sniffing
disapprovingly as we drip over the polished hardwood floors. But there’s a
warmth in his gray eyes I’ve never seen before. And is that another smile?
“I hope Carol isn’t too mad at us for leaving the party early,” Gabe says
with a cheeky grin, still holding my hand. His other hand holds my heeled
sandals. I had no choice but to kick them off, since my soggy feet kept
slipping down to the front. Did I mention how much of a gentleman Gabe is
—a true guardian angel? And this angel loves me, really loves me. And I
love him, too.
“I doubt you two would care either way,” Eleanora says.
“Aw, cut us some slack, Nora.” Gabe releases me to hug his grandmother,
lifting her clear off her feet, but he’s careful not to re-injure her shoulder.
He laughs merrily at her shrieks and “Put me down, child!” utterances.
When he finally does, Eleanora cradles his cheeks with tears in her eyes.
“My sweet boy.” She sniffs. “Have you found your happiness?”
Gabe looks back at me, and the love illuminating those baby blues makes
my insides swirl.
“I have,” he whispers, almost reverential.
“Then I thank God for that. I’ve lived long enough to see my prayers
answered.” She stretches her hand out to me too and pulls us both into her
embrace. She doesn’t seem to mind that Gabe and I are ruining her dress.
Now I’m the one fighting to hold back tears.
But I should’ve known Eleanora wasn’t done. “So, you’ve decided to start
dating Danica officially.”
Gabe freezes, but I give his hand a gentle squeeze to reassure him. “That’s
what I wanted to tell you at the party, but we got… interrupted.”
Knox, sensing a change in the air, wordlessly appears with warm towels
for Gabe and I to dry ourselves, and a small handkerchief for Eleanora’s
tears. Seriously, I need a Knox in my life. The whole world does.
Still, Gabe asks, “How did you find out?”
“How do you think?” Eleanora inclines her head at Knox, who bows with
a wide smile. Okay, maybe the whole world didn’t need a butler-slash-
super-spy sicced on them.
Eleanora turns to me. “Kyle told me about that Jackson fellow, and his
conduct toward you at the party. I had Carol remove him immediately, but
by then you two were already gone.”
“It’s all right, Nora. As you can see, we worked things out,” Gabe says,
finding my hand once again. He faces his grandmother and I feel his body
tense. “By the way, I’m thinking of quitting my job and moving back to
Somerset.”
Eleanora claps her hands with glee, but then stops herself. “Are you sure?
A couple more years at Taylor & Associates would be very advantageous
for you.”
Gabe turns to look at me, smiling. “I have all my advantages here. And
that’s you, Knox, and Dani.”
Knox clears his throat, but he can’t hide the mist in those stoic gray eyes.
Eleanora sniffles. “Well then, what can I say except welcome home!”
 Later, as dusk colors fill the skies above us and magnolia warblers signal
to each other in the shady tree branches that it’s time to go home, Gabe
leads me out toward the garden.
“Happy to have me back, darling?” Gabe asks me cheekily when we’re
alone again and dry. We sit by the stone fireplace that someone
mysteriously lit. I get it. It’s supposed to be romantic, but it’s summer, and
Gabe and I are seriously burning up here. Even so, I can’t help but snuggle
up to him.
“Yes, dahling,” I tease, just like we did two months ago at Bagels.
“Now that we’ve explained everything to Nora, how about a Fourth
Sunday Part Deux with your mom and Hailey?”
Oof. That might be a little challenging. I’ve been so zoned out on my
studies, and not being home, I still don’t know how Mom feels about Gabe.
“Uh… you sure about that? Fourth Sunday dinner’s in about two weeks.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Best to get it over with, I think. So,
what’s the plan? How are we going to tell them we’re the real deal without
giving them mental whiplash?”
“Well, Hailey already thinks we’re destined.” I slip my arms around him.
“But Mom might need some more convincing.”
“Hmm… and how do we do that?” he asks, lowering his head.
Happier than I’ve ever felt in a long time, I tilt my head to meet the lips of
the man I love.
“We’ll use one word at a time.”

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 Epilogue

Dani

One month (and a half) later…

“T
his space is incredible.”
I set the box of office supplies on top of the stack of packing
boxes Kyle and Gabe had moved into the sparse room. Okay, not gonna lie,
it’s a disaster right now, but in less than a week, Gabe’s new office should
be fully operational.
Speaking of my angelic boyfriend…
Gabe grunts as he sets down his end of the table, then throws himself on
the deep leather couch he and Kyle struggled to carry in earlier.
“I’m pooped,” he announces to no one in particular. Kyle rolls his eyes,
even though he too is dripping in sweat, his chest heaving. But I don’t tease
him about it. He’s been a little moody since he saw Sophia at the party.
 “Poor baby,” I croon, pinching his cheek. Sweat glistens on his face, neck,
and arms, catching the low-hanging ceiling lights above us.
Ever since Gabe purchased this new office building for his law practice,
Kelley Law, LLP, he’s been working around the clock to get his place up
and running. I’m glad Gabriel went with the interior decorator who
suggested the office adopt a home-style feel instead of the rigid, boxy décor.
Kyle mumbles something about arranging for the next delivery of boxes
and office furniture, then heads out of the room, leaving me and Gabe
alone. Knox is somewhere around doing whatever it is British butlers living
in America do.
Gabe drapes his arm over his eyes. “Seriously. I. Am. Exhausted.”
“Heard you the first time, babe,” I murmur, drawing close to him on the
couch. Gabe scoots over, making room for me. I don’t care that his plain
white T-shirt is damp from sweat, or that his jeans and work boots leave
dust trails on the couch. Gabe is officially back home in Somerset. Finally!
I wrap my arm around his waist and rest my head on his chest. Just
listening to him breathe sends a thrill through me. “We have to finish up
soon if we’re going to make it to dinner by six.”
He groans. “Your mom and Hailey and my grandmother around the same
dinner table? We’re so gonna get it.”
I chuckle. “Well, we kinda deserve it, fooling them like we did.” Now that
our fake dating secret is, well, no longer that, our families are meeting each
other officially for a night of food and festivities.
“You ready for them?”
I nod. “If you’re with me, I will be.”
His slow smile causes tingles to flow down my spine. I love when he does
that. I love how every ripple of movement on his face, mouth, and eyes
makes me want to gobble him up. Tears prick the corner of my eyes, but I
don’t hide them from him. I want him to know this part of me. Never did I
expect to love someone outside of my family so completely. And never did
I think that person would be Gabriel Kelley.
“It’s impossible to say how much I love you,” he says, perfectly reading
my thoughts. He twirls a loose strand of my hair around his finger before
tucking it behind my ear.
“If you can’t find the words, then show me.”
Our lips meet in a lazy exploration as we lay on the couch. Soon, Gabe
flips us, covering me, and I reach up to tunnel my fingers through his hair
and Gabe groans appreciatively.
“I love it when you do that,” he murmurs against my lips. We kiss eagerly
again, neither of us wanting to stop when we hear footsteps thunder on the
hardwood floors across the room, causing us both to freeze.
“Ahem.” Knox roughly clears his throat from the doorway separating the
kitchenette from the main office area, a serving towel draped over his arm.
“Apologies Mr. Kelley and Ms. Dixon.”
We both straighten up to a seated position on the couch, looking
everywhere except at the man.
“Should I commence serving tea, Mr. Kelley?” Knox asks. He has a tray
laden with cups of tea and saucers brimming with those cookies… the
Danish ones… the ones in those tins!
Gabe scratches the back of his head, a reddish hue blossoming on his
cheeks. “Uh, sure, Knox. Go right ahead. Um, Dani and I will… freshen
up.”
Knox quirks an eyebrow. “That would be preferred, sir.” But then he
smiles. Another real one. See? I knew I’d crack the Knox puzzle.
 Giggling, I struggle to catch up with Gabe’s hurried movements as he
barrels past Knox and into the kitchenette. Inside, he braces me back
against the counter.
“Where were we?” Gabe lowers his head to kiss me again. But I press an
index finger to his lips.
“Wait. I’ve got something for you.”
He groans out a protest as he places feathery kisses on my neck. “Can’t it
wait? I’ve barely seen you all day.”
But I playfully smack his shoulder. “Gabriel Reid Kelley, settle down and
look at this!”
Gabe eases away (pouting), but he stops when sees the rectangular piece
of notepad paper I pull from my back pocket.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“Read it, silly.” I’m so stoked, I’m practically bouncing on my toes.
Gabriel takes my makeshift business card and reads:

DANICA DIXON
LAW ASSOCIATE
TAX ATTORNEY-TO-BE

“One day, I’m going to get it printed with a porcelain finish,” I vow, as
Gabe stares incredulously at the card. But then he lets out a big whoop,
swinging me up and pressing kisses all over my face.
“You passed!” He bellows from the top of his lungs.
I’m laughing so hard, tears bead my eyes. “I did!”
He sets me back down, his blue eyes brimming with happiness and pride.
Pride in me.
 “I’m so proud of you. And you want to specialize in taxes? Are you good
with that?”
I shrug. “I think so. Besides, there’s always death and taxes, right?”
“Morbid… but yeah.” He pauses, giving me a slow look. “I was planning
to use that corner office in the back as storage, but you’re welcome to it… if
you want.”
I blush, even though my heart is screaming yes! “I just passed the bar. You
need someone with experience.”
“Come work with me and I’ll mentor you.”
Is Gabe being serious right now? I decide he isn’t, so I choose to tease
him instead. “Sorry, can’t. Won’t work.”
Gabe frowns. “Why not?”
“Because I’m in love with my boss. I can’t help it though. He’s so kind
and thoughtful, and he’s an excellent teacher.” I adopt a sultry, femme fatale
voice. “How ever am I going to concentrate on my clients when you’re
walking around in those suits, and that scent you always wear…”
“Oh, you’re tempting.” Gabe grins, gripping my waist. “But I’ll be strong
enough for the both of us.”
I stand on my toes, nudging my nose against his. “Challenge accepted.
Dinner at The Abbey to celebrate?”
His lips hover over mine. “We’ll skip the wasabi this time.”
“We should invite Kyle as well. If we don’t, he’s going to think we’re
leaving him out again. Oh, and Sophia, too.
Gabe looks over my head as if he’s expecting Kyle to walk in at any
moment. “I… don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
 “I promise to tell you later.” He pauses at some rumbling in the next
room. “Much later.”
I ignore the temptation to chide him for keeping more secrets from me,
but there’s no need to quarrel now. We’ll have plenty of time to annoy each
other.
“So, when do I start?”
“Monday morning. About nine?”
I brush a soft kiss on his lips. “Sounds perfect,” I whisper.
“Good. Then I look forward to continuing our arrangement, Ms. Dixon.”
“Are you sure this isn’t a conflict of interest, Counselor?”
Gabe pulls me close, and it’s hard not to see the love in his eyes for me,
and the hope in a future for both of us.
“Conflict? Us? Nah.” Gabe closes the space between us. “After what
we’ve gone through together, something tells me we’re gonna be just fine.”

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed these Somerset Sweethearts:
Gabe and Dani
please consider leaving a review!

Oh, and if you’re meeting Tyler and Tasha for the first time, you don’t
want to miss their super sweet, super funny friends-to-lovers romance.
Grab your free copy here.
Full link: https://BookHip.com/CSAQPMF

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Thank you my wonderful readers for taking a chance on My
Sweet (Fallen) Angel. I’m just getting started on this series,
but just you wait. I have lots more stories to tell. In all
seriousness, I hope you could laugh, cry, and most
importantly, find similarities between your own life and
Gabe and Dani. I did, which is one of the reasons why I love
them so much!

To my alpha, beta and ARC readers! Oh my gosh, you are

incredible! Thank you for giving a keen and honest eye on
my book. Because of you, I didn’t take a whole year to
finish it. Just a couple looong months. ;) Reading your
comments made me laugh so hard.

To Jane L. thank you for allowing me to use your super-

delicious, super-scrumptious coffee drink! And the fact that
your hubby makes it for you every day (with several
variations), remains one of the most romantic things I’ve
ever heard.
To my author friend, Storm Schultz, thank you for taking the
time to read my book. Your comments were so encouraging,
and I’m more than grateful to you. I wish you nothing but
success and God’s richest blessings!

If I’ve left anyone out, please know that you have my

sincerest gratitude and I hope I’ll continue to write stories
you’ll love and enjoy!

Until next time…

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Somerset Sweethearts Book 2

(COMING SOON IN 2024)

A BWWM celebrity, second chance novel.

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 Jordanna Loft writes clean contemporary and interracial romance stories.
She graduated from the days of writing short stories in the backs of
notebooks to publishing contemporary, small-town novels. Her romances
feature faith-based individuals with redemptive arcs and scenes that make
readers laugh out loud or grab their tissues. When she’s not writing, she’s
charting her next travel adventure or chasing after her rambunctious dogs.

Keep up with her latest shenanigans here:

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jordannaloftauthor/

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Jordanna-Loft-
Author/100090517515630/

Website:
https://authorjordannaloft.com/

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