finally breaking.
“You know, I really don’t want to talk about anything.”
Jordan clenched the steering wheel. “I’m doing you a huge fucking favor, Annie. You could maybe seem a little grateful.”
I whipped my head to look at him. “Grateful? Are you fucking serious right now?”
“I’m just saying. I had an important meeting that I ditched for you, and I didn’t have to do that. Sulking and staring out the window and then jumping down my throat really doesn’t help anything.”
“Oh, excuse me, Prince Charming. Allow me to fawn all over you,” I growled. “So sorry about your date.”
“Date?” he asked with wide eyes.
I snorted. “And you didn’t even notice. Wow. Same old Jordan.”
“Sophia and I are not dating.”
“You might be the most oblivious guy on the planet. Did you not see the way she fell all over herself when you showed up? Or are you just used to that from the rest of the female population?”
He gritted his teeth. “I know she’s into me, but we’re not dating. I don’t even know why you’re getting upset about this. It’s not like you want to date me.”
“You’re fucking right about that.”
“Annie—”
“No,” I said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to have this conversation.”
We’d had this conversation before. Jordan and I’d had a one-night stand. One of the best nights of my life. He’d told me he was leaving, going back to Vancouver. He hadn’t mentioned that he was moving here. Which meant, of course, that he hadn’t wanted me to know. Fine by me. If that were where it’d ended, I’d have just shrugged it off, and we wouldn’t have this distrust between us.
But it hadn’t ended there. He’d brought his girlfriend to Jensen and Emery’s wedding a month later, and it had all gone downhill from there. I still didn’t even like to think about that wedding.
Somehow, the best night of my life had been tainted by one of the most humiliating. I’d been vulnerable with Jordan, and now, I knew better than.
“One day, we’re going to have to get past this,” Jordan said softly.
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes. The worst part was that he was right. One day, I would have to get past this. It wasn’t like we were suddenly going to be in a different circle of friends. He was a Wright. And I’d known Sutton Wright my entire life. I was on a rec soccer team with his brother, Julian. None of this was going away or getting easier.
And my day sure as hell wasn’t helping anything.
Deep down I knew that I was taking out my anger on Jordan. He was an easy target.
I deflated a little at that. Jordan was doing me a favor. Maybe I could shelve my resentment for the next half hour and get through this day with his help.
I breathed out heavily. “Sorry,” I said with a sigh. “I’ve had the worst day. Like, honestly, the worst day in existence.”
He startled at my apology. He clearly hadn’t been expecting that. “What happened?”
My body relaxed back into the seat. I hadn’t even realized all the tension I was holding in my back and shoulders until he asked. “Well, my house flooded. Like, completely flooded, and I don’t have a room right now.” I got choked up at the thought. “I lost all my shoes!”
“Holy shit, Annie!”
“I know. I’m still recovering from the loss. The landlord is going to cover everything, and he has insurance, but it’s pretty terrible. Hence the impractical snakeskin shoes.”
He laughed softly. “And I just thought those were you.”
“I was about to donate them. It’s a mess.” I shook my head. “I almost got into a car accident on the way to the party. Then all of…this.” I shrugged. “Wine dilemma, car trouble…” You. I trailed off. Keeping him as the last problem to myself. Ten minutes ago, I would have slung it into his face, but there was no point now.
“I’m so sorry. That sounds terrible. No wonder you’re so mad. I would be, too.”
“Understatement,” I agreed. “So…what was your meeting actually about? What does Wright Construction have to do with a small wine business?”
“Nothing,” he said with a laugh. “You’re never going to believe this, but I’m considering going in with Julian and Hollin on buying a local winery.”
My eyes widened. “You’re going to go in on the winery?”
“I know. It’s ridiculous.”
“I thought that was all Julian.”
Julian had always been the wide-eyed dreamer to Jordan’s stoic business practicality. But their cousin Hollin Abbey had