23. Chapter 23

Chapter twenty-three

S am stared down at her cell phone where it sat on the small wooden table of the hotel room, adjusting beneath the smooth material of the button down and blazer she’d chosen to wear to the wedding that evening.

The screen ticked off the seconds of the conference call.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, clearing her throat as she glanced back at her notepad. “Can you repeat that last number?”

Howard recited each crucial detail of the formal offer he’d just given.

Sam blinked, staring down at the paper before adding one more zero at the end of the buyout price he’d just officially given them for the company.

“Thank you,” she muttered, working to maintain her professional composure.

“Now,” Howard said, his voice booming through the small phone speaker, “there is one other matter we need to discuss.”

Sam glanced back at the phone screen, forcing herself to focus on anything other than the number she’d just written.

“During the due diligence process, when we were looking into the employee structure of your company, we noticed a recent trend in the employment.”

Sam swallowed, a twinge of uneasiness bubbling in her stomach.

“You seem to have an uptick in employee turnover as of late.”

She loosed a breath as he paused. “Yes,” she said, working to keep her voice even. “There’s been some—discontent—around the prospect of the company being acquired.”

“Right,” Howard said nonchalantly. “That’s the way it usually goes with these things.”

Sam nodded slowly, eyes glued to the phone.

“But of course,” he continued, “that poses some additional risk for us, as I’m sure you understand. Our main priority is to have a smooth transition. And if some key members of your team decide to leave after the buyout goes through, then that could put us in a tough situation.”

Sam nodded again. “Right. Well, we—”

“So to mitigate that risk,” Howard cut in, “we’d want you and Caleb both to come to London. And to be here at the headquarters to work with us throughout the transition period.”

Sam stared down at the phone. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words failed as her brain struggled to understand.

“The—transition period,” she repeated slowly. “How long is that, typically?”

“I’d expect a year at least,” he answered. “Perhaps two.”

Something deep in her chest constricted at the words.

“Of course,” he continued, “we’ll include a salary that I think you’ll both find more than fair.”

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find the words to respond.

Any other time, she wouldn’t have even thought twice about it. The ‘yes’ would’ve sprung from her in an instant.But for some reason, this time, it refused to come out.

Howard cleared his throat, for the first time sounding as if he detected a problem in the conversation. “That is a non-negotiable part of the deal,” he added.

Sam stared at the phone, her brain firing off a thousand different thoughts at once. But none of them gave her a clear answer.

“Of course,” Caleb cut in abruptly. She’d almost entirely forgotten that he was also on the call. “That won’t be a problem at all, right Sam?” He let out a chuckle that sounded all too forced. “The travel is nothing new to us.”

She swallowed against her suddenly dry throat.

“Great,” Howard answered, although she could detect a certain hesitance in his voice. “Well, we’re eager to get things in motion, as I’m sure you are. Everything has already been cleared on our end, so I can have one of our lawyers in Seattle meet with you. I’ll speak with them and see when they can make it there.”

“That’s perfect,” Caleb replied, his words tumbling out in clear elation. “Just let us know when. We’ll be here and have everything ready to go.”

Sam cleared her throat, finally regaining enough sense to speak. “Yes, that sounds good.”

“Wonderful,” Howard said with a tone of finality. “I’ll send you the scheduling details, and then we'll connect again after everything has been signed.”

“Great,” Caleb said quickly. “Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you.”

Howard said something in response before the line went out, but Sam couldn’t comprehend it. Her brain was still stuck on what he’d said—the final term of the deal she’d worked toward relentlessly for the last year.

A few beats of silence passed, and she glanced down, seeing Caleb still on the call.

“Sam?” he asked. “You there?”

“Yeah,” she muttered.

He burst into an explosion of ecstatic laughter. “Oh my god, I can’t believe it!” He yelled something on the other end that came through as a muffled crackle of noise. “We did it!”

A timid smile ghosted across her lips. “Yeah. We did.”

He continued hollering and laughing on the other end for a few moments before dying down.“Holy shit,” he muttered with a deep breath. “It’s finally done.”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

It was done.

A door in her life finally coming to a close, once and for all.

***

Sam undid her seatbelt as the car rolled to a stop at the curb of the wedding venue, her chest tightening with a mix of nerves and anticipation.

The building loomed ahead, a rustic yet elegant estate wrapped in climbing ivy, with tall arched windows that glowed in the dim evening light.

She stepped out of the car, the cool evening air brushing against her face as she adjusted her blazer.

The path leading up to the entrance was lined with delicate flower arrangements in glass vases perched atop wrought iron stands. Twinkling string lights arched above, casting soft, golden hues on the cobblestones below. She slowed her pace, trying to take it all in, even as her mind tugged at her—pulling her back to what she knew she needed to do.

Jess had been there since the early morning, tucked away with Scarlett in the bridal suite, doing all the traditional pre-wedding things Sam couldn’t even begin to imagine.

And now, she was glad for it.

She needed to tell Jess. She needed to tell her about the offer—and the one specific detail that came with it.

But it wasn’t the right time. It needed to wait until after the wedding.

And selfishly, maybe she wanted to wait as long as possible. Because the second she told her, everything would change. They’d no longer be able to avoid the hard conversations. It would all come to a head.

It would all come to—an end.

She reached the large wooden doors, surrounded by huge windows on all sides, looking into the main waiting area and dining hall.

The door opened with a creak, and the faint scent of roses and eucalyptus flowed out, mingling with the distant hum of music.

A server passed by, balancing a tray of champagne flutes, the delicate clinking of glass barely audible over the soft buzz of voices. Sam followed the sound of laughter and conversation, crossing through an archway into a wide cocktail room.

Small, round tables draped in white linen filled the space, while clusters of people leaned against the bar or gathered near the sprawling windows that overlooked the estate’s gardens.

She scanned the room, instantly finding a few familiar faces.

The hum of conversation swirled around her, an indistinct buzz of laughter and clinking glasses that only amplified the restlessness in her chest. Her eyes skimmed over clusters of people, scanning each face with a rising urgency. She didn’t even realize her fingers had started fidgeting with the edge of her blazer until she forced them still.

And then she saw her.

Jess stepped out from the far side of the room, moving toward one of the cocktail tables to set down an empty glass.

For a moment, all the surrounding noise seemed to fall away.

The soft glow of the chandelier lights caught the subtle shimmer of her dress as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She paused, straightening, and glanced across the room.

Then their eyes met.

The grin that broke across Jess’ face was nothing short of magnetic, and Sam felt her feet move without thought.

Whatever tension had been simmering beneath her skin since she’d arrived immediately melted away.

“Hey,” Jess said with a warm smile as she approached, her lightly curled blonde hair flowing down the front of her tight, dark blue dress.

“Hey,” Sam replied as Jess slipped her arms around her waist.

“Sorry,” Jess said softly, pulling back but keeping her hands resting on her hips. “I would’ve found you sooner, but it took longer than I thought it would to get ready.”

“All good,” Sam said, smiling back at her as her eyes instinctively trailed down, admiring the beautiful woman before her. She caught herself a split second later, pulling her eyes back up as she cleared her throat.

And she knew by the amused look in Jess’ eyes, she’d been caught.

Jess leaned in closer as she whispered, “Dress looks better than you remembered?”

Sam released a soft laugh, bowing her head slightly as a twinge of heat spread into her cheeks. “Sorry.”

Jess’ smirk instantly grew into a wider grin. “Don’t be,” she said in a low, coy whisper. “That’s the reaction I was hoping for.”

Sam smiled back at her as a pleasant warmth bloomed in her chest.

Then, one thought blew past it, obliterating it entirely.

London.

The smile on her lips fell, even as she tried to force it to stay.

Guilt replaced every other feeling, sinking into her gut.

She had to tell her. And it had to be as soon as possible. Because no matter how badly she wanted to savor one last night together, she couldn’t do it with Jess not knowing the truth.

She cleared her throat, frowning slightly as she lifted a hand to scratch the back of her neck.

Jess’ head tilted to the side as she watched her, and Sam knew right then that she could see something was wrong.

“Okay everyone,” an older woman called from the end of the room as soft music began to play. “Its time to move into the ceremony hall.”

Jess turned back to her, the previous look entirely gone and replaced with that easy smile once again.“I’ll come find you after,” she said, squeezing her hip lightly.

Sam nodded, forcing a smile. “Give Scar a hug for me.”

Jess leaned forward, pressing one soft kiss to her cheek before retreating toward the opposite side of the room.

Sam watched her walk away, savoring every bit of that interaction as if it was the last they’d ever have. Because maybe it would be. Or at least, maybe it would be the last time Jess looked at her that way.

***

Sam took a sip of her drink as she set her fork down beside the untouched plate of food in front of her.

She leaned her elbows against the table, half-listening to the conversations taking place at their circular table.

Then the music slowly faded out, replaced with the high squeal of a microphone.

“While you all finish eating, we’re going to start the speeches,” the DJ announced from a small table behind the dance floor. “First up,” he continued, making his way to one of the small tables near Scarlett and Terrence, “we’ll hear from the Maid of Honor.”

Sam instantly straightened in her seat, craning her neck to see where Jess stood from the table, thanking him as she took the microphone from his hand.

“Hi everyone,” Jess said softly, lifting the microphone to her lips. “For those of you that I haven’t gotten to meet yet, I’m Jess.”

Murmurs of ‘hi Jess’ floated through the crowd.

She smiled, looking down at the paper in her free hand.

Then she cleared her throat, her voice steady as she began. “Scarlett and I have known each other for as long as I can remember. It feels like every major moment in my life has had her in it.” She glanced down, a fond smile tugging at her lips. “We’ve played on the same team, won championships together—while Scarlett probably earned the record for most yellow cards in a single season.” The crowd chuckled, and Scarlett nodded with a wide, proud grin from her seat beside Terrence, one hand wrapped tightly around his.

The corner of Sam’s lip quirked up as she recalled the endless days she sat in those bleachers watching the games of their last season.

“We’ve fought together, celebrated together. We’ve seen each other at our best—and our worst. And somehow, even at my worst, Scarlett was always there, reminding me of who I was.” Jess’ voice wavered for just a second, and Sam felt the room grow quieter, more focused.

Scarlett smiled up at Jess, her eyes glassy with tears. Sam watched the way Jess’ expression softened as their eyes met, a silent conversation passing between them that no one else would ever understand.

Jess cleared her throat again. “What I admire most about Scarlett—and I’ve always admired this—is her ability to love fearlessly. She never holds back. When she chooses someone, she chooses them with her whole heart. She dives in, no matter how uncertain the waters might be.” Jess smiled, her eyes flickering toward Terrence, whose grin widened as he looked at his wife.

“Terrence,” Jess continued, turning to him with a smile. “You’re one of the lucky ones. You’ve earned her love, her trust, her devotion—and I know you’ll never take that for granted.” Her voice faltered, just barely.

“There’s a kind of love,” Jess said softly, her voice lowering, “that endures everything. Distance, time, doubt. It just stays through it all.”

Jess’ gaze drifted over the crowd, and for a brief second, their eyes met. Sam’s heart lurched, and in that instant, it felt like Jess was speaking directly to her.

“That’s the love Scarlett and Terrence have. They’re proof that when two people are meant to be together, nothing can come between them.”

A dull ache entered Sam’s chest. She was talking about Scarlett. But there was something else in her tone. She spoke about the one thing neither of them had ever seemed to be willing to do at the same time. When one of them was ready, the other wasn’t.

Every word Jess spoke felt like a reminder—of what they’d never had the courage to say, of the moments they’d both let slip away.

“There’s a statistic that says the one person you choose to spend your life with will determine up to eighty percent of the happiness you feel in your lifetime.” She tilted her head, smiling back at Scarlett and Terrence. “And if that’s true, then I think you both are about to live extraordinarily happy lives.” She reached down, taking the champagne glass from the table and holding it in the air. “Here’s to you. May we all be lucky enough to hold on to our one person in this life.”

***

The reception was winding down, and with it, the dance floor had thinned, leaving only a few couples swaying to the soft, lilting melody that poured from the speakers.

Sam stood at the edge of the floor, watching Jess laugh at something an older relative had said. Then she excused herself, making her way across the room toward her.

Sam watched every movement. She watched Jess carry the same effortless grace she always did, but this time, it seemed amplified.

Like the world was giving her one final look at what she was about to lose.

Jess’ gaze met hers, and she gave her a warm smile as she held one hand out toward her. Sam hesitated for only a second before taking it.

She led her onto the dance floor, slipping her arms up around Sam’s neck as the music shifted to a slower song. Sam’s hands found Jess’s waist, settling lightly as they began to sway.

For a while, they didn’t speak. But Sam could feel it building inside her, that gnawing truth she’d been carrying all day. Like the moment she let her guard down, it would come spilling out, changing everything. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud, not yet. Not with Jess looking at her like that, with warmth and tenderness so palpable it felt like a physical weight pressing against her.

“You know,” Jess said softly, “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this lucky. Being here, seeing Scarlett so happy, and—” Her fingers grazed lightly along the back of Sam’s neck. “Having you here with me.”

Sam’s throat tightened. She managed a faint smile, but it felt fragile, like it might shatter under the weight of Jess’ words. Her grip on Jess’s waist faltered slightly, and she forced herself to steady it.

Jess leaned closer, her forehead brushing lightly against Sam’s. “Everything feels better when I know you’re there.”

Sam’s chest felt like it was caving in. The lump in her throat grew unbearable, and she fought to keep her expression neutral. It was both everything she wanted to hear, and everything she didn’t.

The music faded into a quiet instrumental bridge, and Sam swallowed hard. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Jess’ brow furrowed slightly, but her smile didn’t fade. “Yeah?”

Before Sam could say another word, a vibration buzzed against her hip.

Then another. And another.

She hesitated, releasing one hand to glance at her phone. Caleb’s name flashed on the screen, followed by a string of frantic texts.

Her heart sank as she glanced back at Jess, whose expression had shifted to one of concern. “I’m sorry,” Sam said, stepping back reluctantly. “I just—I need one minute to handle this. Then I’ll be right back. I promise.”

Jess gave her a smile that was so understanding it almost pained her to see. “It’s okay. I want to check on Scarlett, anyway. Make sure she doesn’t need anything.”

Sam nodded, guilt clawing at her chest as she slipped away toward the quiet edge of the room. Jess gave her one last glance over her shoulder before making her way through the crowd of people.

Sam took one deep breath, then forced herself to turn away and walk back out to the entry area.

A few people lingered, laughing as they said their goodbyes and flowed out through the front doors into the darkened night.

Sam pulled her phone out, scrolling through the string of texts from Caleb. She began typing out a quick message when the main door creaked open once again.

She glanced up, expecting to see more wedding guests filtering in and out.

But instead, a much more familiar face looked back.

Liz stood there in an outfit similar to her own, except the blazer she wore was a creamy white.

“Oh,” Liz said, surprise adorning her features.

Sam blinked, staring at her as her mind went completely blank.

A beat of uneasy silence passed between them as Liz stepped fully through the doorway, looking just as uncomfortable as Sam felt.

“Uh—what..” Sam trailed off, not entirely sure that she should be the one questioning why she was there.

Liz smiled in a painfully awkward way that told her that question would’ve been expected. “Um,” she started, glancing cautiously around the empty area. “Is Jess here?”

Sam stared at her, dumbfounded. “Yeah,” she said slowly, drawing the word out into a question.

Liz nodded as she glanced down at the ground, her throat bobbing as she swallowed.

“She’s with Scarlett,” Sam continued, not caring to dull the edge in her words.

Liz nodded, sucking in a deep breath. “Right. Yeah, of course.”

Sam watched her closely, examining the way she uncharacteristically fiddled with her hands.

“Did she ask you to come, or..” Sam left the rest of the question hanging in the air, already halfway knowing the answer. Because she knew that if she did, Jess would’ve told her.

Liz frowned, her eyes lingering on the floor for an extra second before looking back up at her. “No,” she said quietly.

Sam cocked her head, waiting for an explanation.

Liz released a deep breath. “She—she hasn’t called me back. And I—I just—I need to talk to her. So we can figure things out. We need to—”

“And you thought this was the best time to do that?” Sam cut in, her jaw clenching involuntarily.

Liz’s eyes tightened a fraction, as if ready to shoot back with some biting words of her own.

But then she looked away. And that challenging look in her eyes morphed into one that resembled embarrassment—or maybe even shame.

A look she’d never seen on her before.

And selfishly, that gave her a small hint of satisfaction.

“I know,” Liz whispered, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. “I know it’s stupid. I just—” she paused, mouth open as she shook her head, then tilted it back as if trying to keep tears from falling. “I messed up.”

When she lowered her head again, the tears Sam had suspected were clear in her eyes.

“I didn’t think—” she stopped, shaking her head again as she blew out a frustrated breath. “We’ve been off and on again so many times before, I just assumed this time wouldn’t be any different. I thought we’d just, I don’t know, take time apart for a few weeks and then get back together, just like before.”

“So you thought it would be a better idea to show up unannounced at her best friend’s wedding?” Sam asked, utterly failing to keep the cutting tone out of her words.

Liz shot her a dangerous glare. “You wouldn’t get it,” she huffed. “You’re— you .”

The corners of Sam’s eyes tightened, her head tilting slightly. “What does that mean?”

Liz let barked out a laugh that seemed to hold more irritation than humor. “You’re Sam Hayes ,” she said, waving a hand in the air as she looked her up and down. “Everyone’s favorite. The one who never screws up.” She shook her head, letting out a disgusted puff of air.

Sam pulled her head back a fraction.

“My friends always loved you. My parents loved you. And now even my damn girlfriend—” she paused, shaking her head as she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You get everything handed to you. While I work my ass off, and still I have to show up here just to get—” she stopped again, clamping her mouth shut as her jaw flickered—anger rolling off of her in waves.

There were so many things she could’ve said. So many things she wanted to say. So many pent up words of anger.

But they didn’t matter. They could’ve seen and experienced the exact same things, and still, they would’ve looked at it differently.

Like two people staring at a freshly painted wall, one seeing red, and the other seeing blue.

Sam let her eyes fall to the ground as she let out a deep breath. One that felt like it’d been held in since the first moment they’d seen each other again.

“I guess we both wanted things the other one had,” she said quietly.

Liz’s gaze softened slightly, as if she’d been expecting a different response. She looked away, clenching her jaw. “Yeah,” she said, the word clipped. “I guess so.”

Then Liz stopped, her eyes suddenly widening as they flicked past Sam to somewhere behind her.

Sam turned, following her gaze to where Jess stood in the doorway.