Page 21 of Hold Me Instead
“Yeah, alright. Where, Mel’s place?”
“Not this week. But we should at some point. She’ll want to see you while you’re in town!” Jordan called as he headed toward his room.
While you’re in town.
As though Zachary were here for a casual visit. A friendly passing through of his hometown to catch up with old friends. Not because his father had undergone a serious heart attack. Staying with his best friend eased some strain of being back. He wasn’t a burden to Sandra, and while his mom would love to have him, he didn’t need to be in the same house as his father.
Thank God his father would get to go home.
His phone buzzed. He pulled it from the pocket of his joggers and went to the guest room, Maple at his heels. Furrowing his brow, he saw a text from Bella Mazzolari, the one mutual friend he still shared with his ex-wife.
Bella:So you know how I said I’d only share if it’s something important?
She followed it up with a screenshot from Anna’s social media account that showed his ex-wife, smiling brightly for the camera, nestled against a man gazing at her with adoration. In Anna’s arms were two small puppies with matching red bow collars around their short sandy fur. They sat on a bright white couch, in a bright white room, perfectly staged decor around them. If a picture could encapsulate Anna’s dream life, both social media and reality, it was this one.
But the caption sealed the deal.
“Everyone,meet the love of my life, Xander.He swept me off my feet this summer!We’ve been enjoying a private start to our relationship,taking time away from the spotlight to form a solid base to our relationship,and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so excited to announce that this handsome face will be joining my father’s clinic as their new veterinarian!And I’m sure you’re all dying to know—we were fostering these two little bundles of joy and are thrilled to say that we FAILED!We’ve officially adopted Percy and Gus, four-month-old Labrador Retriever siblings. The four of us can’t wait to share our new adventures with you!”
Zachary stared hard at the words, hashtags blurring, as fragments of the post processed one at a time. Another buzz pulled him from his daze.
Bella:You probably met him already? I wanted you to have a warning in case their relationship hadn’t been exposed at the clinic. Am I too late?
Bella:Also, hi! Should’ve started with that…
Zachary:Hey, Bella. Haven’t met him. They actually let me go.
His phone rang.
“What the hell? When?” Bella’s voice was groggy.
“About a week ago.”
“That timing can’t be legal!”
“It’s not worth it. ‘At-will’ and all that. Got my severance, and I needed to get out of there anyway.”
Bella released an exasperated, growling huff. “I don’t like it.”
He checked his phone. “It’s so early by you.”
“I know,” she whined. “I’ve got a photo shoot with some of the girls for this fancy liquor. Have to leave soon and get across town before the stupid LA traffic gets terrible. Wait, it’s almost six? I’m already screwed.”
“Sounds great.”
“Yeah. I really love it here,” she said earnestly.
He chuckled.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Bella had spent the last few years living in Los Angeles after appearing on a reality show calledIs This Love?,competing for the love of that season’s bachelor. She’d made it to the final five and became a social media darling. At a Chicago skincare company’s grand opening event, she and Anna had connected and bonded over their Midwestern roots in the influencer world.
“Hey, I’m sorry it all went down like that,” Bella said.
“It’s fine. It’s better this way. Things were too…”
“Toxic?”
He sighed. “Yeah. Besides, I’ve got other shit to worry about.” He gave her a quick update about his dad and being home.
