Chapter 13

13

T wo years later – Present Day

"A toast before tonight's festivities begin." Owen holds his crystal tumbler of bourbon up toward me, his blue eyes light yet intense. "To the new chief resident of the emergency department at Boston Children's Hospital. Congrats, brother. I'm so fucking proud of you."

"Cheers," everyone cries, holding their glasses up and we all clink them together before taking a sip. Tonight is my grandmother, Octavia Abbot-Fritz's, ninetieth birthday and she decided to celebrate it with a massive fairy-tale-themed ball. Since she is essentially the reigning queen of Boston, the entire city has turned out for it.

It's like a Disney royal ball threw up in here.

Candles and flowers everywhere. Crystal chandeliers. Blue, purple, gold, and pink up-lighting on every available hard surface. A six-piece orchestra is playing background music for the cocktail hour, and for dancing later, there will be a twelve-piece band. Tables in the main dining room are set as if the King of England were dining at them. There are waiters passing trays of delicate canapés as well as crystal martini glasses filled with different colored drinks.

It's great if balls are your thing. They're not exactly mine.

"Thanks, man," I reply. "I appreciate that. The formal announcement isn't until next week though."

Owen chuckles and half-heartedly rolls his eyes. "And yet everyone in the hospital already knows so I'd say it's been announced."

My supervisor let me know just this morning, but evidently news spreads fast in a hospital. I wasn't expecting it. I thought they'd let it go since we're already four months into our third and final year of residency and the person who was originally named had a family situation that pulled him out of the program. She even laughed at my floored expression and told me I'd earned it and that I'd really proven myself as both a doctor and a leader over the last two years.

It's what I've dedicated myself to becoming, but hearing it validated by someone I like and respect and not just from my family felt good. Like redemption.

"Do you think you'll stay in Boston once your residency is done?" Bennett, Katy's fiancé, asks me. I nearly laugh and the rest of us let out a low chuckle. Boston is our town. We may do medical school or sometimes even residencies—for those of us who are doctors—outside of Boston or even New England, but most of us always seem to find our way back home.

Forest is an exception, and his reasons for staying in LA are obvious, though he's never been like the rest of us. He never wanted to come back to Boston. He likes his space without his family always breathing down his neck the way they do to us.

"Without a doubt," I tell him.

"You saved a life this morning and were named chief resident. Now we just have to find you a woman, and your night will be complete," Mason throws out.

I laugh. No one else does.

My smile slips. "Don't start with that again. The last woman you set me up with I caught taking covert selfies and videos that had me in the background, and she tried so hard to get me in bed, she practically crawled under the table at the restaurant to suck me off. It was not a good look. I ended up paying for her Uber home and leaving before our appetizers came."

"If we don't say anything, it goes unchecked," he presses, sipping his pink cocktail before tilting the rest of it down his throat and setting the empty on a passing tray. "And I'm sorry about that woman. She was a bad call, but in my defense, she used to date one of my teammates, and he said she was fun in bed. Something you clearly need."

"It's not natural that you don't date," my brother agrees, finishing off his drink in a hearty gulp and grabbing another from a passing tray. "There has to be someone you can make it past dinner with."

"Doubtful," I tell him. "All the women in this city seem to only want me for my dick or my money. That's why I used to have rules. One night. No strings."

"And you abandoned that because…" Forest trails off, the inflection in his voice and his eyebrows raised in question making it clear he thinks I'm crazy because I did, and my gut sinks like lead. Forest and I are about as close as he lets any of us be with him, but that's not all that close, and I think part of that is my fault.

I take a sip of my drink and casually stare around the room, pretending that this conversation isn't rubbing my skin raw. "Because I'm no longer the asshole I was." It's my standard answer, and it's not a lie. "When I meet someone I can stand talking to for more than thirty seconds, then maybe things will change. "

"Maybe?" Mason sputters. "When was the last time you got any?"

"When was the last time I saw your mother?" I throw back at him because I'm getting salty.

Mason's green eyes narrow into tiny slits. "Really? You're going to be a dick like that? The woman is literally right over there." He points somewhere I don't bother looking.

It was a low blow. Even for me. I love his mother, and I respect her as both a woman and a doctor. But for real? I don't need this shit tonight. Or any other night. I get them poking and prodding at me, and I admit, it's not healthy and likely a little strange that I'm so picky and disinterested, but it can't be helped, and them pushing me about it isn't going to change that.

"Fine. Apologies." I hold up my hand in surrender. "But let it go and I won't have to be a dick to get you to stop."

"We'll let it go when you let her go," Vander follows up, and I inwardly cringe, making a concerted effort not to glance over at Forest.

Two years ago, when I finally got back home, I was in rough shape. The guys knew I had been with a woman, but that's all I've ever told them. At the time, Forest was in LA, so he didn't know anything about what was going on with me because I never told him. He still thinks I met my mystery woman after I came home from my trip and had a wild weekend with her before she left with no way for me to contact her.

But since I haven't returned to my pre-Tinsley bachelor ways, they've been on my ass to either find my mystery girl or get me laid to end my long self-induced suffering.

I brush it off with a super mature middle finger since that seems to be the mode I'm operating in at the moment, which immediately earns me a hiss from Katy, who shouts, "I saw that, but worse baby Willow saw it!" from halfway across the ballroom .

I sigh and throw up yet another hand in apology. That makes two in less than five minutes. I'm on a roll. And to think, I was actually in a good mood when this night started. Katy is also a little nutty when it comes to swearing or vulgar gestures in front of her four-month-old. Still…

"I'm sorry! To you and baby Willow." I turn to Bennett. "She needs to cool it with the baby Willow sees and hears us stuff. The baby is four months old."

Bennett simply shrugs because he's too in love with Katy and their daughter to ever try to pick that fight. Even if he knows it's as nutty as we do. "Katy is Katy " is his only reply. "But nice attempt to dodge this."

Christ. This night has hardly started and it's already like this.

"How many women did you sleep with after your ex-wife put you through the wringer?" I ask him.

He rubs at his jaw. "Only Katy."

I lean against an empty cocktail table, rolling my glass around in my hand. "Well, I haven't found my Katy yet."

"You could try to meet someone," Owen suggests mildly, unfortunately keeping the conversation alive. He used to be my safety net as he always kept his mouth shut about it after what he went through with his ex. Now he's with Estlin, happy and in love, so I guess that makes it open season on me for him now too.

"Christ, just stop already," I grit out. "I've tried to meet women."

And that's not a lie either. I've gone on dates. I've met women. But none have made it past that first date into anything else. The truth is, my life has changed in the last two years. I've changed. That was the goddamn purpose of that trip. To no longer be the selfish asshole I was.

I dove headfirst into all things pediatric emergency medicine. I started a charity for kids with chronic medical conditions to make sure they get everything they need and help their parents financially when insurance—if they have that—isn't always enough, and I've stopped sleeping around because I've decided I want real and more, but so far, the only person who has been able to tempt me to that is a no-go.

"There are lots of single women here tonight who you're not related to. Let's set you up. I'll be your wingman. Between the two of us, we'll find you the hottest woman in the room. Maybe just get laid. Start with that. It doesn't have to be love. Lust can do for an icebreaker, and sometimes that turns into more. You just have to be open to it and give it a chance." Mason picks up another pretty drink, this one gold, along with a few passing appetizers. He pops a small beef Wellington in his mouth and chews as he stares meaningfully at me.

I hate it when Mason is serious. It's not his standard MO, and it always throws me.

I take a hearty gulp of my bourbon and stare around the room, mulling Mason's offer over. "I'm not trying to be a monk. I'm busy with work and the charity, and most women I've met bore me. Looking around this room, I'm not seeing anything that changes that."

Only just as the words slip past my lips, the sea of gowns and tuxedos part, and there she is. Her dark hair is twisted into something elaborate at the back of her head, showing off her long, graceful neck. The strapless white, beaded gown hugs her perfect tits and then flares out into a sparkling bell shape starting at her waist. Bloodred lips and shimmery violet eyes with a long fan of black lashes make her face stand out among the rest.

Fuck .

Two things immediately stop my heart other than how fucking stunning she looks. One, that she's here when I didn't think she'd be—though I didn't exactly ask. I simply assumed since she makes a point to avoid all the places she knows I'll be. And two, she brought her movie star boyfriend with her. Tall, blond, and douchey, Loomis Powell dutifully stands by her side. They starred in a movie together last year that was a huge success, and since then, have been photographed together. A lot.

Completely avoiding all things Tinsley as I had planned has been all but impossible given the heights of her movie and musical career. She's all over every magazine cover and social media feed. She's on freaking network news, on the radio, and on every streaming station. She. Is. Everywhere. And if that's not bad enough, I've had to listen to Forest gripe about Loomis.

Case in point…

"I can't believe she fucking brought him. Is she intentionally trying to hurt me?"

I turn my back to her, gulp down the rest of my drink, and flag a waiter for another. If it weren't my grandmother's ball, I'd leave now. Instead, I have to stay through the cutting of the cake and dancing since I promised her one. I've managed for two solid years not to see Tinsley in person, but it seems tonight my luck has run out.

I sigh.

Maybe the guys are right. Maybe she doesn't have to be perfect, just someone to get the ball rolling again. It was ten days, two years ago. At this point, I'm bordering on pathetic. Not quite as bad as Forest but getting there. She walked into my life when I was at a crossroads, and so much of what I walked away with from that time revolved around her.

Yes, she's beautiful. Yes, she's special. She wouldn't be who she is or have gotten as far as she has if she weren't. But she's not mine, she never was, and it's time I get the fuck over it.

Maybe it's good that I'm seeing her tonight with that guy. It'll force me to finally face this. My problem is that every woman I've gone on a date with knows who I am. They know I'm Stone Fritz. They know what I'm financially worth. They know my family name and the connections they hold. They titter and try to overplease. They have no opinions for themselves that they're willing to share and default to what I want or what they think I want.

It's a bore.

Reluctantly, when the pull becomes more than I can bear, I twist back around. Tinsley is laughing and smiling with her friends and my cousins, but her gaze is also drifting. Unsettled. And when she turns just so and catches my eyes, it's as if time slows and the room around us fades.

It's just us. No one else.

Her full, red lips part, and her lavender eyes widen. She visibly swallows as our gazes lock, unable to be dragged apart. I do a sweep of her just as she does a sweep of me. My chest tightens, making taking a deep breath a challenge. I raise a were you looking for me, eyebrow, and find myself smirking despite myself.

She's a princess and I'm the villain.

Her in sparkling white and me in all black. If that's not fitting for us, I'm not sure what is.

Her eyes round and her features tighten as she offers a timid smile and a small wave. The worst thing about this? I want to go to her, even after all this time. Looking at her now, it's as if no time has passed at all. It's two years ago, and I'm right back on that boat. I want to touch the soft skin on her back, smell her perfume, see her eyes up close, and feel her smile against my lips.

Until I realize my brother is standing directly beside me and she could be staring at him in resonating shock just as clearly as I believe she could be staring at me.

"Fucking bitch," he snarls, chugging down most of his vodka in one go.

"Don't call her that," I clip out, my tone harsh, my head whipping in his direction .

"What?" he barks incredulously, panning a hand in her direction. "Dude, she brought her boyfriend to my grandmother's birthday ball knowing I'd be here. If that's not a bitch move, I don't know what is."

I shake my head. "I don't care."

He's fuming, his cheeks are ruddy, and his eyes are wild. He's already had a few drinks and it's starting to show on him. "Since when do you give a shit what I call my ex-girlfriend?"

My gaze casts over to his, hard and unrelenting. "I care what you call any woman, and Tinsley doesn't deserve that from you or anyone else. Don't call her that."

He slams down the rest of his vodka neat and practically chucks the empty glass on a nearby table. It just barely hangs on, but thankfully doesn't smash to the floor. "I can call her whatever the fuck I want."

"You two broke up more than three years ago. She's allowed to bring a date."

"Fuck this," he grumbles under his breath and storms away, carving a path straight for her. She smiles when she sees him coming, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She taps her boyfriend's arm, and he looks, noting the direction of her gaze, and follows it to find Forest headed straight for them.

I turn away. I don't want to watch it. Not any of it.

"What is he doing yelling at her like that?" Vander shoots out, annoyance and dismay coloring his voice and pinching his face.

"He's drunk and he needs to get that hothead temper under control," Owen agrees.

"If he doesn't, I'll make him," Mason asserts.

"What?" I turn back to find Forest visibly enraged as he confronts her, only it looks like her boyfriend is all over it, and so are the other women who seem to be defusing the situation. She doesn't need me to come and fight her battles.

Still …

"I've got him." I march over there, quickly cutting the distance with long strides, and grab my brother forcefully by the arm, pulling him back and away from her. I can feel Tinsley's eyes on my back, but I focus on my brother. "Let's go, Forest."

"Fuck you," he slurs as he tries to push me off, and I get right up in his face.

"You're drunk, you're making a scene at Grandma's party, you're scaring not only Tinsley, but everyone else here, and Katy has baby Willow in her arms. Get your shit together and do it now."

He holds my gaze for a moment and then starts to simmer. He licks his lips, glances around at everyone around us, likely noting that he's created a bit of a scene, and then says to Tinsley, "This conversation isn't over," before he turns and walks away.

Instantly, I catch eyes with my mother and father across the room, and they give me a look that indicates they've got him and follow after him to make sure he's okay. I breathe out a sigh of relief and turn back to everyone, skirting Tinsley. It's not because I don't want to look at her. It's because I do.

"You all okay?"

"We're fine." My cousin Keegan rolls her eyes. "He needs to get over this crap already."

"Yes, well, that was likely all my doing. He's not my biggest fan." Loomis extends his hand to me. "Loomis Powell."

I shake his hand even if I'm not his biggest fan either. "Stone Fritz."

"Nice to finally meet you. Sorry if my being here caused a show. Your grandmother was gracious enough to invite me."

I tilt my head, and my gaze briefly tracks to Tinsley before returning to him. Finally ? Has she spoken to him about me?

"Don't sweat it. As Keegan said, he needs to get over his crap already. "

"Thank you for stepping in with him," Tinsley says to me, her voice soft and hesitant.

"No worries," I tell her and give baby Willow a kiss on the top of her little head since she's cute and small and distracts me. "You all good now?"

I get a round of yeses and thank yous.

"Great. I'm going to go find my drink. Anyone want anything?" I'm trying for unaffected and nonchalant, but I have no clue if I'm selling it. I walk away and no one follows me, perhaps sensing I need a minute after that incident with Forest, or perhaps they have no need. Either way, I find myself alone at the bar, sipping a freshly filled glass and staring out at the room.

Forest has gone off, who knows where, and Tinsley is talking with her parents while her boyfriend chats with Keegan. And touches her hair. And her cheek. What the?—

"It's a special night, isn't it?" my grandmother's voice startles me, and I turn to see her, dressed like a queen in red with matching lipstick, her signature blonde bob perfectly coiffed.

"As always, Grandma, everything you do is perfection. You look stunning. Ninety agrees with you." I lean in and place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Charming me, are you?"

"Tonight, of all nights, you deserve to be charmed. Are you enjoying yourself?"

She pats my hand and leans her weight against me. For ninety, she's in incredibly good shape, but she's still ninety. "It's heaven except your grandfather has gotten into a debate over some kind of cardiothoracic surgical technique with your father, and I had to bow out."

I make a sardonic scoff. "Surgeons."

She laughs lightly, looping her arm through mine and watching the end of the cocktail hour. "I heard you received chief resident. I'm so proud of you and the man you've become."

That earns her another kiss. "Thank you. That means everything to me coming from you."

"I'm so thrilled Tinsley was able to make it."

Christ. Not her too.

"I was not, however, thrilled to see Forest speak that way to her and her guest."

"I'm sorry you saw that, but it's handled, and no feathers are ruffled other than Forest's." I take a sip of my newly refilled drink.

"I invited her specially."

My head whips in her direction. "You did? Why?"

She purses her lips. "Because she's very dear to me, and I didn't want her to feel as though she had to stay away and not attend when I knew she wanted to. All of her friends and family are here. She asked if she could sing a song tonight for me, which is so lovely of her to do."

"Forest isn't happy about it."

"I love Forest with all my heart, but it's time he finally understands that she doesn't belong to him."

"I think he's more upset that she brought her boyfriend."

She draws back, her green eyes sparkling with something in them that I can't quite figure out. "Whoever said he was her boyfriend?"

"The world," I deadpan.

"Well, things aren't always how they appear to be, are they? I wonder if that'll make a difference for you." She gives me a wink and then glides back into the crowd, and I'm left here a little befuddled, trying to discern exactly what she meant.