1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

S am barely moved a muscle as she stared down at the speakerphone in the middle of the wide wooden conference room table.

“Well Sam,” the man’s voice buzzed through, “I have to hand it to you. Everything looks great so far. The software you’ve developed seems very promising, and I think there’s a good chance your company could make a great addition to our portfolio.”

Somehow, her body both tensed and relaxed as she shot a glance at Caleb across the table. His eyes widened slightly, a sharp contrast to the calm expression he usually wore. The loose waves of his ink-black hair fell into his eyes as he ran a hand through it—a nervous habit she’d seen countless times over the years.

“We’ll need to really dive in and test things out, though, of course,” Howard added, his deep voice booming through the speaker.

“Yes. Absolutely,” she replied immediately, leaning forward in the office chair, as if being a few inches closer would somehow speed things along.

“So,” he continued, “that could take a while.”

Caleb shifted again, adjusting the cuff of his shirt beneath his jacket. His tall, thin frame practically folded itself into the chair as he leaned forward, one hand fidgeting with the pen he always kept nearby.

Sam glanced away, refusing to read the look on his face. It was pointless, anyway. She knew he had the same thoughts running through his head that she did.

Caleb had been with her from the start. They’d met fresh out of college after being hired by the same company. Sam worked as a software engineer, while Caleb was in finance and administration.And despite their different areas of expertise, the connection had been immediate—Caleb’s sharp analytical mind balancing her own relentless drive for innovation.

They each only made it through two months of grueling sixty-hour weeks, bonding over their tyrannical managers during rushed coffee breaks. And one day, they’d both had it. They decided that if they were going to be working that hard for anyone, it would be for themselves and not some huge corporation that cared even less about them than they did about it.

Sam had already been working on the first version of the financial reporting software in her spare time, which would later turn into a company more successful than either of them could’ve ever imagined.

And after they officially quit, those sixty-hour weeks instantly turned into hundred hour weeks. Although neither of them minded much. Working on something for themselves was a different level of satisfaction. One they both desperately craved.

But then, reality hit.

They needed money. Badly.

No matter how much she wanted to code all day, they also had to get clients to pay for and use the software.

Luckily, that’s where Caleb excelled. And the more clients he signed, the more work it brought.

At the beginning, the constant work had felt more like excitement. But after four years, that excitement had dwindled into something far less enjoyable.

No matter how hard they tried, it seemed like they could just never quite keep up. If they weren’t dealing with development issues, then they were moving to new cities to integrate clients onto the platform. And if they weren’t doing that, they were courting new potential clients.

And although they’d built it into a substantial company, every day still felt like a never-ending struggle.

So when the large corporation reached out to them with an interest in acquiring the company and software, it felt like they’d finally found an answer.

She’d known a handful of classmates from MIT who had gone that exact route. Creating a startup, then selling a few years later. And every single time, it launched them onto bigger and better things.

They could get funding for new ventures with a single email to the right person. They could do anything they wanted. Overnight, they’d proven themselves. They’d proven their worth. A worth that no one could question.

“What would the next steps be?” Sam asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Well, I’ll reach out to a few of our investment firms,” he replied. “We’ll need to find one that would be a good fit for doing a trial run with integrating the software.”

Sam nodded to herself, mentally calculating how long that might take. The due diligence that typically went along with a buyout definitely wasn’t a quick process. Adding on weeks or potentially months of trial and integration just for testing would delay things even further. Not to mention they’d most likely need to pause work with existing clients in order to free up their workload to make it happen.

“You said you’re open to travel, correct? And no limitations on the length of the travel?”

“Yes,” Sam answered. “That’s right. We just arrived in Seattle last week for a new client, and we’ll be here for another couple of months at least. But after that, we’re flexible.”

They’d moved cities constantly, packing up every few months to move to the next location of their new clients and help their teams get started with using the software. And although it never bothered them much, this time felt different.

Never once in the four years since starting the company had they ever landed somewhere so close to her old home.

Being in Seattle meant they were still a couple hours away,but even then, it felt odd being back. Or at least, close to being back.

“Oh,” Howard muttered, as if having some new realization. “That actually might be perfect. We own part of a financial firm in Seattle, and they’ve had a lot of issues this year with their analytics and reporting. That might be a good way to test things out and make sure everything would integrate well and be productive for our teams.”

“That’s great,” Sam beamed, not bothering to hide the eager excitement this time. “Yes. We can do that.”

It was perfect. Better than she could’ve hoped. If they managed to finish up with their current client over the next month, then they could begin the process right away and cut out potential months of delay.

“Can you go meet with them today?”

Sam blinked once, staring down at the small black speaker. “Today?”

“Yes. I can call them now to confirm, so they’ll have a team member available to meet with you.”

She shot a look at Caleb and could practically see the problems spinning in his head.

If they started that day, before they finished up work with the new client, they’d have double the workload for a few weeks at least. And doubling an already stretched schedule sounded nearly impossible.

But the alternative of possibly missing out on their one opportunity to sell the company and solve their problems also seemed impossible.

They couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Yes,” she answered. “Of course. Send me the address and I’ll head over right away.”

***

Sam approached the tall modern building, shielding her eyes against the sun that reflected off the glass exterior. She pulled open the heavy door, squinting as a swoosh of cold air blew out against her face.

She glanced around the wide, empty lobby, adorned with black leather chairs and couches that led up to a milky white desk that formed a crescent moon around half the room.

“Can I help you?” A young brunette woman greeted her from behind the desk with a soft smile.

Sam gave the woman her name and a brief explanation of why she was there before being directed to wait in the lobby.

She settled into a large leather sofa as she pulled out her phone to shoot Scarlett a quick text, letting her know she wouldn’t be able to meet for dinner.

Scarlett had been in Seattle for a few years, having moved there after finishing college. They’d kept in close touch since high school, talking every week. And now Scarlett was one of her closest friends. In fact, she was really the only thing Sam had looked forward to after finding out they needed to move to Seattle for the most recent client.

She finished typing out the text, then hit send before scrolling through the endless stream of new work emails.In the middle of replying to one particularly urgent message, she spotted someone approaching.

“Hi,” the woman said. “You must be from the—”

Sam glanced up as she stood, tucking her phone into her back pocket.

The woman paused, cocking her head. “Sam?”

Sam stared at her for a moment, blinking as a sudden stream of memories she hadn’t recalled in years began trickling in.

“Lizzie?”

An amused smile crossed the woman’s face, her eyes lighting up with recognition. “Wow, it’s been a minute since anyone called me that,” she said with a laugh that made her straight red hair skim the tops of her shoulders. “I go by Liz now.”

Sam nodded, her mind slowly working to merge the image of her long-forgotten childhood best friend with the composed woman standing before her. Even now, the faint smattering of freckles dusting her cheeks and nose gave her a youthful air despite her polished appearance.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been,” Liz said with a wide grin as she casually tucked her hands into the pockets of her light gray suit pants.

“Yeah,” Sam said, forcing a smile onto her lips as she thought of the last time she’d seen her, in the few days after her mother had passed. The days she’d stayed with Lizzie’s family before going into foster care.

“So, you work for that software company?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah—well—” She cleared her throat, pushing away those old memories. “Sort of. I mean—I own it.”

“Oh,” Liz exclaimed, a look of surprise filling her features. “Wow, look at you! I never would’ve expected that.”

Sam gave her a tight smile as she nodded, scratching the back of her neck. Somehow, even as an adult, she still reminded her exactly of the young girl she’d spent endless days and nights with. Hell, she’d probably spent more nights at Lizzie’s house than her own.

“Well, I’m relieved,” Liz said with a chuckle. “When they called on such short notice, I thought they might rush over some intern or something.”

“Oh, so you run the—”

“I manage the reporting department here,” Liz cut in quickly with a broad grin.

“Great,” Sam said, hoping her feigned enthusiasm sounded more convincing to other ears. It wasn’t an entirely unwelcome surprise. But still, being forced to be around a constant reminder of the days after her mother had died wasn’t exactly what she would’ve chosen.

Especially with how things had ended. Liz’s face alone, no matter how much it had grown and changed, was still enough to transport her back to the day.

“Well, come on back,” Liz said with a wave as she turned around. “Lets get right to it since it’s already a little late. But maybe we could catch up afterwards?”

“Mhm,” Sam hummed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

Liz led her through a long hallway, past a string of offices and cubicles as people left for the day.

“I don’t know how much you want to go over today,” Liz said over her shoulder as they turned into one of the mid-sized offices. “Hopefully not too much, though. I was trying to make it out of here in time for my cycling class.”

Sam sat in the chair on the other side of her desk, pulling her laptop out of the backpack. “That’s fine. We can just start with an overview of how you’re doing your reporting now and what kind of issues you’re running into. Then we can pick things up again tomorrow.”

They spent the next several minutes going over things, with Sam occasionally prodding for more details or asking additional questions. She wanted to keep all conversations entirely work related, and luckily, Liz seemed content to do the same.

Maybe Liz wanted to avoid those memories just as much as she did.

Sam typed notes on her laptop as Liz checked her phone for the third time that minute.

“Sorry,” Liz muttered. “Keep going. I’m listening. Just need to text my girlfriend real quick.”

Sam nodded as she continued typing.

“She’s gonna stop by and drop off some food,” Liz mumbled as she typed something into her phone before finally dropping it back on the desk. “I’m lucky,” she said with a chuckle. “She’s actually here at the office most days. She's with the PR agency that works with us.”

Sam hummed, only halfway paying attention as she tried to ignore the string of new urgent emails popping up on the screen as she typed.

“Working with someone you date can be—interesting,” she said with a snort. “But also has its perks.”

“What tool do you use right now to funnel all your data over?” Sam asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the screen.

“Oh—uh,” Liz squinted, tilting her head back in thought. “I can’t really remember the name. Starts with a ‘P’ I think. I can show it to you tomorrow.”

Sam glanced back down, highlighting that portion of her notes to come back to the next day.

Faint footsteps echoed in the hall outside the door, and a moment later, Liz stood from her chair with a smile.

“Hey babe,” she said, stepping around the desk.

Sam continued typing out a quick note as a bag crinkled behind her.

“Babe, this is Sam.”

Sam set her laptop on the desk, standing to turn and quickly introduce herself so she could finish up and get out of there as soon as possible.

“Sam, this is my girlfriend, Jess.”

Every word and sound instantly evaporated as Sam stared into the doorway.

Jess stood there, eyes wide and lips slightly parted as she stared back.

“Funny story,” Liz continued with a chuckle as she peered down into the bag, “we actually knew each other when we were kids.”

Tension instantly thickened the air. Sam’s pulse quickened, but she kept her expression neutral—or tried to.

“Hi,” Sam said, her voice low and even, a faint edge of disbelief slipping through despite her best effort.

Jess’ lips pressed together into a thin line, her eyes narrowing slightly, like she was bracing herself. “Hi,” she replied, her tone flat and clipped.

Liz arched one brow, looking between them both. “Do you guys already know each other?”

Sam looked back at Jess, who seemed to finally be emerging from the daze she’d entered.

“Yeah,” Jess replied, blinking as she shook her head slightly, long wavy blonde hair drifting across the top of her tight white blouse. “Yeah, we—“ Jess trailed off, her eyes flitting back to Sam, as if asking a silent question.

Sam cleared her throat, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of her neck. “Highschool,” she said, forcing a smile as she looked back at Liz. “We’re friends from high school.”

She glanced back at Jess just in time to see an unreadable look pass over her face.

“Oh,” Liz said with a surprised grin. “Wow! What a small world.”

Sam gave a slight nod, unable to muster a response.

“So how long has it been, then?” Liz asked, looking at Jess. “High school was what—eight years ago, right?” She looked back at Sam then. “So it’s been eight years since you’ve seen each other?”

Sam’s eyes skipped back to Jess, who met her gaze for only a split-second before returning to Liz.

Jess offered a smile that somehow wasn’t a smile at all as she said, “Four years since we last saw each other.”

Sam watched her carefully for another moment before tucking her hands into her pockets to keep them from fidgeting.

Liz nodded, and Sam wondered if she was picking up on the way Jess’ smile seemed to stay miles away from her eyes.

The brief silence that settled between the three of them would’ve been the perfect chance to excuse herself. She could have easily lied and said she’d gotten everything she needed for the day and left.

But something else deep down inside wanted her to stay.

“I didn’t know you were living here now,” Sam said, trying to keep the words light, as if she was talking to any friend she hadn’t seen in years.

Jess looked back at her, and by the look on her face, she could tell she was attempting to do the same.

“It hasn’t been long. Less than a year.” Jess gave a small shrug that made the ends of her blonde hair sway. “Scar always talked about how much she loved it here, and I needed a change.” Her eyes flicked away for a moment before locking with Sam again. “I got a job offer here and decided to take it.”

Sam gave a small nod, suddenly wishing she’d returned the missed calls from Scarlett that week sooner. If she had, Scarlett definitely would’ve given her some type of heads up.

“I’m sure Scar’s happy to have you here,” Sam said.

“We’re all happy to have her here,” Liz said with a smile as she wrapped one arm loosely around Jess’ waist.

And with that, whatever was keeping her there suddenly reversed. Now instead, it wanted to get away— begged to get away.

“Well, I think we covered enough for today,” Sam said as she managed to force her professional persona back into place.

“Oh, good,” Liz replied with a sigh of relief. “I really didn’t want to miss cycling tonight.”

Jess turned toward her with a quizzical look. “Cycling?” she asked, her voice lowering a few notches. “I thought we were going to see that movie after you finished work?”

Sam could hear Liz let out a deep groan as she stuffed her laptop into her backpack.

“Shit, sorry, babe. I forgot. Can we do it another night?”

Sam swung the bag over her shoulder, looking around awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Jess answered with a small nod. “No big deal.”

When Liz looked back down at her phone, Sam saw her opportunity.

“Want to pick things up again tomorrow?” she asked.

Liz hummed, not looking up as she typed something into her phone. “Email me a time, and I’ll make sure I’m free.”

Sam nodded as she slipped her hands back into her pockets, turning to Jess, fully prepared to give a polite goodbye. But as their eyes met, the intensity of Jess’ stare dissolved the words about to roll out.

She swallowed, desperately grasping for that last thread of composure to stay for just a few moments longer.

But in those deep blue eyes, she could see unspoken words, and she wondered if Jess would’ve said something else if they’d met again under different circumstances.

“Sam,” Liz continued, finally peering up at her. “I meant it about wanting to catch up. Maybe we could all meet up for dinner or something sometime soon?”

She knew she should look away from Jess then. That she needed to listen to what Liz was saying.

But Jess was still holding her gaze, and something in her eyes kept her from looking anywhere else.

“I know you’re probably busy with all this stuff going on now,” Liz continued, “but maybe we could plan something next week?”

Sam blinked, shaking her head slightly as she finally looked at Liz. “Uh—sorry—what?”

Liz held a slightly amused look. “I know. My brain is fried too, after all that,” she said with a laugh. “Do you want to get dinner or something next week? To catch up?”

“Oh. Yeah, uh—sure,” Sam replied, still not fully understanding what she was agreeing to. Her brain seemed to be moving at half speed, still barely processing the last few minutes.

“Great!” Liz said with a wide grin. “Maybe we could all do something together. A big reunion!”

“Yeah,” Sam muttered as Liz took the paper bag of food back around to her desk.

Sam took a step toward the door where Jess still stood, unmoving, as she watched her.

Sam gave her a small smile as she stepped past, keeping her hands firmly in her pockets. “It was good seeing you again.”

Jess’ eyes flitted to the floor before looking back at her. She opened her mouth to say something, then paused, closing it again. “You, too.”

***

Sam barely made it through the front door of her apartment before pulling out her phone.

She stepped over the half-unpacked cardboard boxes littering almost every inch of the floor as she scrolled to Scarlett’s phone number.

She tossed her navy blue blazer onto the marble countertop and clicked the call button before putting it on speaker.

The phone rang three times, then Scarlett’s voice came through.

“Seriously,” Scarlett muttered. “You cancel on me at the last minute, then decide to call when I’m trying to sleep?”

Sam leaned her elbows against the countertop, letting her head droop above the phone.

“Sorry,” she muttered, running a hand down her face. “I had a long day.”

The sounds of the phone shifting around on the other end crackled through the speaker.

“It’s fine,” Scarlett murmured, her voice slowly awakening. “I couldn’t really sleep, anyway. The florist for the wedding backed out. I guess they overbooked our date or something. So now, on top of everything else, I have to find a new one.”

Sam hummed. “Having any luck?”

“No,” Scarlett groaned. “But I’m gonna look again tomorrow when I’m not half asleep.”

Sam nodded. “Let me know if I can help.”

Scarlett muttered something she couldn’t quite make out before falling quiet.

Sam swallowed. “Scar,” she said quietly, “when were you going to tell me she’d moved here?”

“What?”

Sam exhaled, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes. “Jess.” Even saying her name aloud felt weird after so long. “When were you going to tell me?”

A few beats of silence passed.

“Wait—how do you know that?”

Sam held back the groan that wanted to come out as the memories of the last few hours replayed in her mind. Her eyes flicked to the motorcycle helmet by the front door. With how exhausted she was, it probably wasn’t a good idea. But really, a late night ride to clear her head sounded like heaven.

“We ran into each other at the office her—“ She paused, the next word feeling uncomfortable in her mouth, “g irlfriend works at. Oh, and if that wasn’t bad enough, that girlfriend also happens to be an old friend of mine.”

The line went dead for a few seconds. Then Scarlett’s booming laughter broke through.

“Scar,” Sam warned.

But the laughter continued, and as it did, Sam found herself slowly smiling as well. The first real smile she’d felt all day.

If she really thought about it, the whole situation was at least a little funny.

Sam shook her head, laughing along with her.

“You can’t be serious.” Scarlett said, still choking back bursts of laughter.

“Oh, I am,” Sam replied, picking up the phone and ambling down the short hallway to the bedroom.

“Was it as bad as what I’m imagining?”

Sam snorted, tossing the phone onto her bed. “Worse, probably.”

Scarlett’s laugh vibrated through the speaker. “Fuck, I wish I could’ve been there to see that.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’ve ever been that awkward in my whole life,” Sam muttered, stripping her shirt off and dropping it into an empty cardboard box on the floor.

Scarlett’s laughter died off into a light chuckle. “I’m sorry.”

Sam pursed her lips, grabbing one of her looser t-shirts off the bed. “Its fine.”

“So really,” Scarlett started, her voice going somber, “how was it?”

“I don’t know,” Sam muttered. “It was weird, obviously. But it was also—good—I guess. To see her again, I mean.”

“I bet,” Scarlett said quietly.

“Why didn’t you tell me she’d moved here?”

Scarlett hesitated for a moment before releasing a deep exhale. “I didn’t think it mattered. I mean, once you told me you were moving here, then obviously I was going to tell you when the time came. But after the last time, when you guys—“ Scarlett paused, and Sam could tell she was searching for the right words. “When you guys stopped talking, it just seemed like you didn’t want to hear about her. So I figured it was better not to mention anything.”

Sam pursed her lips, leaning forward to rest her elbows against her thighs. “Yeah.”

***

Four Years Earlier.

Sam crossed the busy intersection, wiping a bead of sweat off her temple as the New York summer sun beat down against her forehead.

She narrowly avoided a crowd of people as she stepped onto the next sidewalk. The wet heat she could do without, but the swarms of people were actually sort of enjoyable. There was something surprisingly nice about the packed city feeling. She never ran out of new people to meet or talk to. And those random interactions were something she thrived on.

Her thigh vibrated, and she pulled her phone out as she weaved the horde of people.

When she finally glanced down at the buzzing screen, a wide smile broke out across her face.

“Hey,” she breathed, tucking the phone tightly against her ear.

“Are you done working yet?” Jess asked, excitement pouring through her words. Just the sound of the smile in her voice was enough to send warmth blooming within her chest.

“Just finished.”

“Finally,” Jess exhaled. “Can you meet up now?”

Sam chuckled. “Yeah. Where?”

“There’s a restaurant a couple blocks from my apartment. I’ll send you the address.”

A rustling noise crackled through the phone for a few seconds before Jess’ voice came through once again.

“Did you get it?”

“One sec,” Sam muttered, pulling the phone away from her ear as the new text popped up on the screen.

She copied the restaurant name into her maps app and waited as the directions slowly filled the screen.

It wasn’t close by any means, and paying for a cab was out of the question, given that she’d just sunk most of her remaining money into the new computer she needed.

She lifted the phone back up to her ear. “Okay. I got it.”

“Is that okay?” Jess asked. “Or do you want to meet somewhere else?”

“No,” Sam replied. “No, that’s perfect. Just—uh, give me like thirty minutes to get there.”

The walk took much longer than expected, even after she’d practically jogged the last few blocks. But when she gave the hostess her name, and she led her to a small table on the outside patio, every step was immediately worth it.

Jess sat at a small table, peering out into the busy street.

But when she glanced over and saw Sam, she instantly shot up.

Sam smiled, bracing herself as Jess rushed toward her, throwing both her arms around her neck.

And for the first time in a year, she felt a sense of home.

Jess let out a soft hum, curling her head into the side of her neck. “I missed this.”

“Me too,” Sam breathed.

After another moment, Sam finally pulled back. Jess slid her arms away, trailing one hand down until it wrapped around her own. Then she turned, leading her back to the table.

Jess sat down, and Sam pulled the other chair around the table to sit right beside her.

“The server will be right over,” the hostess said with a polite smile, leaving two menus.

“Thanks,” Sam replied, pulling her phone and wallet out of her back pocket to set on the table.

When she turned to look at Jess, she was already staring at her with a smile she couldn’t quite decipher.

“What?” Sam asked with a laugh, all too aware of the way their knees rested against each other.

Jess shook her head, glancing down at the table. “I just can’t believe you’re finally here,” she whispered. “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I last saw you.”

Sam laughed. “You see me on FaceTime like every day.”

Jess smiled, rolling her eyes. “You know what I mean. It’s not the same.”

Sam watched the way Jess leaned back in the chair, pushing her long hair over her shoulder.

“No,” she breathed. “It’s not the same.”

Jess looked back at her as she placed a hand on the edge of the chair, just inches away.

A voice cleared beside them, and Sam turned.

“Hi guys,” the young woman said with a smile. “I’ll be your server this evening. Can I get you started with something to drink?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sam muttered, looking down at the menu on the table in front of them.

Jess’ warm hand slipped onto her forearm. “They have the best margaritas here, if you’re in the mood for tequila.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam replied. “That sounds perfect.”

“I’ll have one of those, too,” Jess added.

“Two margaritas. Got it. I’ll put those in now for you.”

***

Sam laughed so hard her cheeks ached as she set the margarita glass down beside the other two empty ones.

“I can’t believe Scar would do that,” Jess said, laughing as she leaned her shoulder against Sam’s.

“Really?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because Scarlett would be the first one I would expect to take me to a beach party like that.”

Jess chuckled, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She sipped the last of her drink before setting it down on the table. “I’m really glad you guys got so close.”

Sam nodded, her lips tugging into a small smile. “Yeah. Me too.”

The server approached the side of the table, placing a black leather check holder down in front of them. “I’m just dropping this off now,” she said. “But there’s no rush. Take your time.”

Jess reached forward, grabbing it as the server walked away. “I got it.”

“What? No way, I—“

Jess shook her head. “You always pay for our dates, so—“ She paused, looking down as she tucked a card inside. “I mean, every time we hang out, you always try to pick up the check.” Jess cleared her throat, glancing back up at her. “So it’s only fair.”

Sam smirked, letting her eyes linger and watch the way Jess shifted in her chair as she glanced out at the people passing on the sidewalk.

After a moment, Jess turned back, finally meeting her gaze.

And Sam couldn’t help it when that smirk grew into a wide grin.

Jess shook her head like she was trying to keep the smile off her own lips. “Don’t,” she muttered in a half-hearted warning tone.

Sam beamed. “Don’t what?”

Jess rolled her eyes, but shifted so her arm brushed against hers. “You know what.”

Sam watched her for another moment, leaning into the warmth. “Can I at least walk you home, then?”

Jess’ eyes flicked up to hers, and Sam instantly detected a hint of familiar heat within them.

“Definitely.”