Chapter 1

1

Sometime back in January…

JAXON

“It’s her loss. Somewhere down the road, Stephanie’s going to regret it. I know you’re hurting, but you don’t have to beat yourself up about it.”

Easy for him to say since he’s married to my sister Melody. The woman he’s been in love with forever.

“Fuck off, Zander. Stephanie and I have been together off and on since high school and I’ve never fucked around when we were together. Ever.” Taking a long pull from my bottle of Jack is the only thing I need. Not a long-winded speech.

“Dude, she didn’t break up with you because you cheated, she broke up because of your career. Apparently, she was hoping that once you got it all out of your system, you’d settle down and find a real job.”

“She didn’t have a problem with it in the beginning, because she had the drummer for the hottest fucking heavy metal band on her arm every night! She dumped my ass for a fucking suit! A suit. For fuck’s sake he’s her boss. How long do you think that’s going to last before she comes running back to me?”

Zander’s sadly mistaken if he thinks I can accept the fact that the engagement ring that’s burning a hole in my pocket is going to suddenly disappear!

“Too little too late” is on repeat in my brain.

With another pull of the now half-bottle of Jack, I’m at the point where I don’t care. “I’ll sell the damn ring. Or better yet, I’ll give it to the first woman who walks through that damn door!”

I nearly choke to death when Aria Mitchell, my ex’s sister, walks in with her friend Macy in tow. What are the odds? Macy’s not my type, and Aria, well, I’ve known her for as long as I’ve known Stephanie. If she’s out partying with her bestie, then I highly doubt she even has a clue that the two of us broke up.

Maybe it’s best if I nix the idea of getting engaged to the next female who walks through the door. What do ya think?

“Whatever you’re conjuring up in that pea brain of yours, forget about it. No way it would have a happy ending. Besides, it’s the Jack talking and not my best friend. Jax is still in there, but he’s hurting and pissed off. C’mon. Let’s go home so you can sleep it off.”

Going home is not on my list of things to do tonight. Getting drunk, yes, but going home to an empty house, not so much.

“Nah, I’m good. You can head out. I’ll call an Uber, or if I’m lucky, I’ll hitch a ride home with a gorgeous woman.”

I tap my fingers on the edge of the bar and take another look around. Imagine my surprise when I make eye contact with Aria, and she holds my stare. I tip my bottle and then take a long pull. I’m apathetic when she turns around and begins talking to Macy once again.

Driving here was a big mistake, and calling Zander to meet me here was downright stupid. I should have stayed home after Stephanie dumped me. It would have been so much easier to get piss drunk and then crash in my own bed. Now I have a babysitter who won’t let me out of his sight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful because there’s no way I would get behind the wheel in my state.

“Can you do me a favor, Zander?” Pushing the bottle out of reach, I grab the bottle of water that the bartender dropped off earlier.

“Anything, Jax. You know that.” Yeah, I do. Not only did I find my best friend in Zander, but also a career that surpassed all of my expectations.

“Cool. Don’t tell Melody that I got piss drunk after Stephanie dumped my ass. I wouldn’t want her worrying about her big brother.”

“Not my story to tell, bro. When you’re ready, you can fill her in on whatever you want her to know. As far as I’m concerned, you called just to have a few beers, is all.”

“Much appreciated. I’ll tell her and the family as soon as I let it all sink in. If I’m being honest, I still can’t believe it’s over.” The cold water tastes bland compared to the Jack as it slides down my throat. It’s a necessary evil so I take another gulp. Hoping the buzz of the alcohol fades away so I can drive home sometime tonight.

“It just happened a few hours ago so don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve been together for almost fifteen years so it’s going to take a long time to let it all sink in. You’ll know when it’s the right time to tell the family.”

“What if I’m never ready to tell them the truth?” It’s an awful thought, but so is rejection. My mom loved Stephanie and she’s going to be so disappointed she turned me down for another man.

“Hold that thought, I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.” Seriously? After all the Jack I drank, I should be the one making frequent trips.

Glancing up, I focus on the man staring back at me in the bar mirror. While the weight of the ring in my jacket pocket taunts me. One minute we were hot and heavy, and the next, she kicked me to the curb. Yeah, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years just like every other couple that I know, but in all honesty, I didn’t see this one coming.

ARIA

“You might think it’s funny, but I swear to god, Macy, my job’s on the line.” I hold up my hand to stop her from interrupting me now that I’m on a roll. “For once in your life, just listen to me.” She motions with her hands, giving me the floor.

“I overheard Rex and Maggie talking about me last week. Wondering how the hell I can write an advice column about love and relationships when I’ve clearly never been in a serious relationship in my life. So now I’m paranoid that someone’s going to undermine me so they can slide right into my position and steal my column.” I pause long enough to take a sip of my drink, and wouldn’t you know, she jumps right in.

“Need I remind you how the workplace is riddled with drama? Ignore them. Just move on. You’re gorgeous, smart, and have the editor-in-chief wrapped around your little finger. Believe me, losing your job is the last thing you should be worrying about.”

Maybe she’s right. I can always find a new job, but I only have one sister. And God knows Stephanie’s on a slippery slope since breaking up with Jaxon tonight. Hooking up with Trent, her billionaire boss, is a big mistake. We surely didn’t see it coming, and I’m sure Jaxon didn’t either. He’s a great guy, and I’m sure somewhere down the road she’ll regret mixing business with pleasure.

It’s in that exact moment I glance up to see Jaxon staring back at me. When it gets too intense, I take the coward’s way out and focus my attention back on Macy. Too late since she also noticed who was sitting at the bar.

“Aria, let it go. This is between Stephanie and Jaxon. It doesn’t affect you one little iota. They need to work it out themselves or just move on.”

I know she’s right, but damn, he looks like a sad little puppy. My empathetic side wants to reach out to him. He doesn’t deserve Stephanie’s wrath because she’s smitten with her rich boss. That in itself is a disaster waiting to happen.

“I agree it’s between the both of them, but he’s been a part of my family for so long, I can’t ignore him. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Maybe we were meant to be here tonight. Be right back.” She swears under her breath as I slide out of the booth.

When Zander stands up and walks towards the restrooms, I suddenly question whether this was a brilliant idea, or my dumbest to date. There’s safety in numbers, and with him gone it’s going to be just me and Jax. What can I possibly say to this man without sounding trite? “You’re better off without her” is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m sure that’s the last thing he wants to hear right now. So I just speak from my heart as I sit on the stool that Zander recently vacated.

“Hey, Jax. I heard about you and Stephanie. I’m so sorry.” Our eyes catch in the mirror for a beat before he turns to look at me.

“Yeah, me too. I’ve been a part of your family for so long now that it’s going to be really hard not seeing all of you again.” He’s breaking my heart, and it takes everything within me not to burst into tears.

Reaching for his arm to anchor myself, I say, “The door is always open, Jax. My family loves you like their own, and I know for a fact they’re just as devastated as you are with this sudden break up.”

Okay so maybe I just went a bit too far. I’d be happy to keep in touch with him, but it might be a bit awkward for my family. Especially if Stephanie brings her new boyfriend over for Sunday dinner. Just the thought makes me nauseous because I know it’s going to throw off the family dynamic until they get to know him. I on the other hand can make up a lame excuse for not going to dinner, but that will last for only so long.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but nothing will ever be the same again,” he says. “It might be best if I cut my losses and hold onto the good memories we all shared. While you’re here can I ask you something?”

“Anything. Ask away.” Yeah, I could be in deep trouble depending on the question, but I’ll answer him as honestly as I can.

“Is she happy with this new guy?” God, I wish I knew.

“We were all led to believe that he was only her boss, until tonight. When she stopped by without you is when she dropped the bomb on all of us. For what it’s worth, Jax, we’re all in shock.”

“I’ve no idea what she told all of you or what kind of villain she made me out to be, but I never cheated on her. Ever. It’s important that you know. That all of you know.” Is it wrong for me to want to bitch slap my sister and hug the crap out of him?

“Stephanie didn’t blame you or throw you under the bus. She takes full responsibility for the breakup. This might be hard for you to hear, but she claims she wants someone with more stability.” Maybe I should learn to keep my big mouth shut.

“Stability? What a joke. I’ve had the same job for fifteen years! I’m not a billionaire like her new boy toy, but she’ll soon find out that it’s not about how many cars and homes she owns. Money can’t buy happiness.”

“Hey, Aria. Fancy meeting you here.” We both glance up as Zander approaches. It’s my cue to go back and sit my ass down at my table with Macy. I really need to mind my own damn business.

“Hi, Zander. Macy and I stopped by for a few drinks… I should get back to her.” Turning all of my attention to Jax, I add, “I meant when I said we’re all here for you, Jax. Please keep in touch.”

I’m ready to walk away when he slides off the stool and captures me in a warm embrace. I swear I hug him so tight he can barely breathe. He smells of Jack, his citrus and sandalwood cologne, and heartache.

I’m thrown off kilter by the flash of heat that consumes me while being held tightly in his arms.

What the hell is that?