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Jumping at the chance to talk about someone else’s love life, I ask, “What’s the deal with you two anyway? There’s a vibe.”
She almost chokes on her drink. “There is no vibe. I hate him. That’s the only vibe.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I thought you said there was no vibe.”
“Well, well. Marcie Rosemont,” Lewis croons, sauntering closer. The way he says her name, though. Like it’s a delicious candy or something. His leather jacket is open to a white T-shirt, and he’s wearing dark jeans.
Marcie ignores him completely, turning away.
He cocks his head to the side. “What? Not even a hello? Oh, you’re breaking my heart,” he says, pretending to be hit in the chest. “Hey, I’m Lewis. Lewis Morgan,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
“Jane Myers.” His grip is firm, but not too strong, as if he carefully measured it not to break my fingers. I’m grateful, given the size of his muscles.
“So, big bro isn’t here tonight?” he asks as he returns his focus to Marcie.
“You know that already,” Marcie says, swinging to face him with a smirk. “It’s the only reason you even dare to talk to me.”
He rolls his forest-green eyes. “I couldn’t care less about Rosemont. And I’m free to talk to any girl I want.”
“Sure, sure,” she says, her smirk still plastered on her face. “It doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m free to talk to whomever I want. And I don’t want to talk to you.” She snaps her head back to me, grabbing me by the shoulder to whisk me away.
“Okay, there was definitely a vibe,” I hiss.
“Shut up.”
Attending a college party was on my bucket list, and in the end, I’m glad I came. It also reassures me on my decision to stay in LA. Even if they’re way younger than me, I have friends here.
“Oh,” Marcie says, her eyebrows drawn together as she stares at her phone. “Jules sent me something. I think you should see it.”
“What is it?”
“Colton did an interview.”
My heart stutters at the mere mention of him. “I don’t want to watch it,” I say, looking away.
She props her phone on the bookcase next to us and places both hands on my shoulders, as if she’s about to give me a dressing-down. “Jane, I know this is hard for you, but he’s trying. And you’re in love with him. It just feels silly not to give him a chance.”
My eyes turn into daggers, and she takes a step back, holding her hands out.
“I know what he did was wrong, and I’m not defending him. All I’m saying is that there are two miserable people in this equation, and it could be easily fixed. You have the power to fix it.”
I lean on the wall for support. “I’m not miserable. I’m here with you, at a party. Isn’t that enough?”
She casts me a stern look. “You’re here because I dragged you out of bed. You don’t want to hang out with college kids until the sun rises. You want to be home with your cat and your husband. Now please, just watch this interview. Jules said it was important.”
“Fine,” I say, grabbing her phone. I hate how reasonable she’s being.
I press play, and my heart swells when I see Colton. I haven’t seen his face for almost a week, and the sight alone is enough to crush and warm my heart at the same time. At first, I don’t understand why Jules said I should watch it. He’s talking about his app and his job, which just twists the knife in the wound.
But what he says next hits me right in the heart. Tears roll uncontrollably down my cheeks, and I can barely feel Marcie’s hand rubbing my back. Colton is giving up his deal for me. A deal he’s been working on for years. The one that started this entire thing. But what makes my heart shoot to the stratosphere are those last words. When he says he found that person worth giving it all up for.
“Okay, maybe this wasn’t the best place to watch this,” Marcie says, but I barely hear her.
My eyes stay focused on the frozen image of Colton. I’m unable to move, but my mind is reeling. He’s sincere, I know he is. I can see it in his eyes, just like I felt it at the hospital. Marcie’s right. For once in my life, I have the power. I can either let go of my past, forgive him, and fix this mess, or I can sign those papers and get a fresh start.
It’s time I make a decision.
34
