Page 91 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO
Nonetheless, they were happy for me. That night, Luke and I talked, and he confessed to having a big crush on me back when we were younger. He said he is okay with how things are right now and is happy I have found my love again, and that he’ll always carry a torch for me in his heart, even if it’s going to go very dim now. After talking for an hour, we hugged it out.
Grace, Maya, and Luke's excitement was nothing compared to Lydia, Brooke, and Landon's excitement. The moment I mentioned it, they bombarded me with questions, their jaws practically hitting the floor. Lydia kept asking, “Wait, how did this happen? When did this happen?”
We practically spent the entire day - and well into the night - in Brooke’s apartment because they would not let me leave until I “started from the top and didn’t skip a single detail.” My shocker was Landon…, he was the ringleader of wanting the truth. The dude practically ordered takeouts and pizza. Who knew Landon could thrive on drama like this? No wonder he and Maya clicked so quickly.
Oh yeah, they have a “thing” now. Or at least, that is what they call it. Personally, I would call it dating, but they’re apparently very committed to this whole undefined thing. Either way, they are basically involved romantically with each other and watching them try to keep it casual is equal parts hilarious and adorable.
Everyone was happy for us, well, not everyone – one of whom is Sharon. A day after getting back together with Liam, she sent me a long message about how I turned her family, her son, against her and that I am not good for Liam. She has also reached out to me twice in the past month, once even stopping me in the middle of the street to accuse me of “bewitching” her son. Bewitching.
Anyway, none of that matters.
With the campaign nearing completion, everything feels like it is finally coming together. Today was a whirlwind of activity - we took pictures of the team, captured extra footage of the training center, and even conducted interviews for the project recap.
By mid-afternoon, the adrenaline is finally starting to wear off as Landon, Lydia, Brooke, and I pack up the equipment.
Lydia slings her bag over her shoulder and turns to me, grinning. “Hey, we are going to this new bar outside of town tonight. You in?”
“A bar? Sounds interesting. What time are you guys going?” I ask, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Six-ish,” Brooke chimes in, tying her hair into a ponytail, “we could all use a break, and this place has great reviews.”
“That does sound nice…” I start, imagining how good it would feel to unwind. “Sure!”
“Sure, that’s a great idea but sorry, but she has plans,” a voice interrupts from behind me.
I spin around to see Liam standing there, hands in his pockets, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
I narrow my eyes. “Excuse you, what do you have, big ears? And as far as I know, Idon’thave plans.”
“Yes, you do,” he says, stepping closer.
“No, I don’t,” I turn back to the others, “so, yeah, I’m coming…”
“No, you’re not,” Liam interrupts, wrapping his arms around me from behind, “as I said, we’ve got plans.”
“Oh, do we now?” I say, craning my neck to look up at him. “Since when do you get to decide my schedule?”
“Since you became my girlfriend again,” he teases, his lips brushing my temple.
Landon, who has been watching this with barely concealed amusement, raises a hand. “Well, on that note, we will leave you lovebirds to it. Have fun - whatever this is.”
As they head out, I turn to Liam, crossing my arms. “So? What are these mysterious plans you have suddenly conjured up?”
“It’s a surprise.”
A short while later, we are in his car, heading to his office.
“You dragged me away from a night out to visit your company?” I say as we pull up.
“Relax, it is just a quick stop. I need to sign off on some documents.”
While he handles business upstairs, I wait in the lobby, scrolling through my phone to pass the time.
“Hazel?”
The familiar voice makes my head snap up. Standing a few feet away is Decker Calloway. For a moment, I am caught off guard. Would it be wrong to say I had practically forgotten about him?
“Oh,” I say, standing, “Mr. Calloway. Hi.”
