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Gina's presence always added a chaotic energy to game nights. She oozed seduction and held the room captive with her confident demeanor. As she sauntered towards our table, my eyes couldn't help but follow her every move. Memories of our intense interactions rushed through my mind. We may have pretended to just be friends, but there was an undeniableattraction that kept drawing me to her every time we gathered with our peers. Just like how each guy had their own chosen woman in the group, Gina was the one I couldn't resist.
"Ethan," she purred as she climbed onto my lap—as if this were completely normal for us. "Missed you 'round here."
I struggled to concentrate on the cards spread out in front of me, but Gina's touch was a persistent distraction. Her nails grazed teasingly over my shirt buttons, her voice a sultry whisper in my ear. "You've ditched us for a boring small town? You must be itching to get back to normal."
I could sense Liam's stare scorching my skin, along with the stares of a few others seated at the table. This was the type of scenario that I used to revel in, but now it simply felt...inappropriate. Gina's flirtatious actions, once thrilling and alluring, now seemed like an unwelcome intrusion into my transformed life.
“Gina,” I said, gently but firmly lifting her off my lap. “Not tonight.”
She looked up at me, surprised and a little hurt. “What’s wrong? You’re not in the mood for me anymore? I was hoping we could break our record of…”
I met her gaze, trying to find the right words. “It’s not that. I’m just...not in the mood for this anymore.”
Gina gave me a long look, trying to figure out what had changed. Eventually, she shrugged and stood up, clearly disappointed but not willing to push it. “Suit yourself, Ethan.”
She wandered off to join another group of guys, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared at my cards, barely seeing them, my mind already far away from the poker table. The noise, the laughter, the flirtation—all of it seemed so distant, so disconnected from the life I was starting to imagine with Natalie.
The rest of the game passed in a blur. I played the hands I was dealt and laughed at the jokes, but my heart wasn’t in it.All I could think about was how different things had become. This was my old life—one of privilege, excitement, and easy distractions—but it no longer felt like enough.
Finally, as the night wound down, I made my excuses and left. Liam gave me a curious look as I headed for the door, but he didn’t say anything. Maybe he could sense that something had shifted, or maybe he just figured I was tired from the trip. Either way, I didn’t have the energy to explain.
The drive home was quiet, the streetlights casting shadows across the opulent interior of the Lamborghini. I gripped the steering wheel, my thoughts a jumble of contradictions. On the surface, everything was the same—the same car, the same city, the same friends—but beneath it all, I could feel the change.
I hadn’t been back in Dallas long, but already I was seeing things differently. The distractions, the temptations, the ease with which I’d once navigated this world—it all seemed less important now. Natalie had changed that. She’d changed me.
As I pulled into the driveway of the mini ranch, I couldn’t help but think about the choices ahead. Balancing these two lives was going to be harder than I’d thought. But for the first time, I was starting to see what really mattered.
I turned off the car and sat there for a moment, staring out at the darkened house. The night had been a reminder of the life I’d left behind, but it had also shown me how much I’d grown. The distractions that once held my attention now seemed shallow, and the thought of Natalie waiting for me in Cedar Cove felt like the only thing that mattered.
But I needed to focus on the real reason I was back in Dallas—business. There were deals to close, clients to meet, and responsibilities I couldn’t ignore. This was the world I’d built for myself, the one I was so good at navigating. Yet, even with all that lay ahead, it was hard to shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough anymore.
With a sigh, I grabbed my keys and headed inside. The house was quiet, the night still, but my mind was anything but. I had a lot to think about and even more to figure out. But for now, I knew one thing for sure—my old life, the one I’d slipped back into so easily tonight, wasn’t where my heart was anymore.
And that, more than anything, was what scared me the most.
Thirteen
Natalie
The steady patter of rain against the windows set the tone for the day as I finished the last few stretches of my workout. The weather outside matched my mood—gray and unsettled. But even as the rain drummed down, I pushed myself to focus on the familiar motions, using physical exertion to keep my mind from wandering to places I didn’t want it to go. Ethan left only a day ago, and his absence was like a cloud hanging over me, but I was determined to stay strong, to keep moving forward.
As I wiped the sweat from my brow and reached for my water bottle, my phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. I picked it up, smiling when I saw Jess’s name flash across the screen.
“Good morning,” I answered, feeling a bit lighter already. Jess always had that effect on me.
“Same to you,” Jess’s voice came through, bright and cheerful despite the dreary weather. “How’s your morning going? Just finishing your workout?”
“Yep, just wrapped up,” I replied, taking a long sip of water. “What’s up?”
“Well,” Jess began, her tone turning a bit more serious, “I was thinking we should meet for lunch to go over the final details for the fundraiser. The event’s coming up fast, and I want to make sure we’re all set.”
“Definitely,” I agreed, grateful for the distraction. “Where do you want to meet?”
“How about the Corner Café? I know it’s not the best day for walking around, but I’m craving one of those warm soups they have.”
I chuckled, already looking forward to our usual spot, even more appealing on a rainy day like this. “Sounds perfect. I’ll see you there in an hour?”
“Perfect,” Jess echoed. “And don’t forget—we’ve got that planning committee meeting later this afternoon. Rain or shine, we’ve got work to do.”
