in the front pocket of my bag before straightening.
“You’re beautiful, Tyler. You will always be beautiful.”
I reach for his scarred hand and lift it to my lips.
His skin is rough and warm, and I want more of him—all of him.
“Whatever’s between us now…” I take a long breath. “It can’t stop me from going to New York. And neither can you.”
He pulls his hand back and rises from the bed, his clothes tugging across the strong, deliberate lines of his body. “I know. I’ll take your bag down to the car.”
After my flight arrives at La Guardia, I stop by my apartment to drop my things and change. It feels strange to be back after only a week away. It’s my space, filled with things Elle and I love, but suddenly I’m noticing what isn’t here—big, bright windows everywhere letting in natural light, the sound of Sophie’s feet thudding on the carpet as she tears into a room or out of it.
Elle texted to say she’s working all weekend, hustling out some gigs with a new agent, and might not be back tonight.
In my tiny room, I change into a fitted red dress that ends partway down my thighs. The neck is a V, and I open my jewelry box to search for a chain to wear with it.
My gaze lands on one in particular, and my stomach knots.
It’s still there, curled into one of the compartments, the rings preserved in time like the rose.
My fingers itch, and I think how easy it would be to slip it over my head.
In the end, I can’t decide on another necklace, so I go without one.
Ian wanted to meet at my apartment, but I told him we’d meet at a restaurant. I should’ve known something was up when he gave me the location. It’s the hottest place in town, inside a shiny, recently reopened Midtown hotel. It’s glass and minimalist elegance. The sky-high ceilings and white space scream money, as they’re meant to.
Ian’s waiting at a prime table when I arrive.
My ex is the opposite of Tyler, though I never realized it until now. He’s quick with a smile, the life of a party, grew up with everything handed to him. His father’s in real estate; his mother in the arts. He did a combination of things, running galleries, but his real interest is in performance arts.
Ian wears a suit like a skin, as if he fell out of bed and slid effortlessly into the tailored wool.
“Annie. You look gorgeous,” Ian says easily as I cross to him.
I smooth a hand down my dress. The nude open-toe heels were the perfect addition for a business dinner somewhere fancy.
I put the outfit on feeling as if I was going into a negotiation, but the way he’s looking at me, he’s not thinking of fighting.
Ian steps close, hands resting on my bare arms. I turn my cheek so his kiss lands there, and I step out of his arms smoothly as the waiter holds my chair.
“Thank you for booking the restaurant. I’m glad we have an opportunity to talk business.”
“Thank you for coming. Let’s order first.” He gets steak, and I order salmon. Once the waiter disappears, Ian grins. “Tell me what you’ve been up to with your family in Dallas. I hope I didn’t drag you away.”
A glass of wine appears without my ordering it, and I take a sip, grateful. “My family is fine, thank you. I hope yours is too.”
“You know my mom. It’s the middle of fundraising season, so she’s in her element.”
I smile tightly. “The show’s nearly completed. As you know, I’m working on the lyrics for the last couple of songs. Honestly, I hoped it’d come faster. But they’re the most important.”
Ian’s smile doesn’t waver. “Annie, I know we planned to more formally discuss my involvement in funding after the reading next month.” The event is a tradition, taking place at Ian’s apartment, involving half a dozen actors plus the writing team and a host of prospective funders from Manhattan’s elite circles. “But I think we can move sooner.”
My heart kicks in my chest. “Really? You never sign on to a project until all the pieces are in place and you have a chance to discuss it with people you trust.”
“But this is your project.” He lifts his glass in a toast. “If I commit first, getting the rest of the funders lined up will be simple. We can get this where it needs to be. Together.”
Suspicion crawls