Page 10 of Falling Hard
Her words struck, sharp and silent, leaving my chest hollow.
Just then, Vicky tilted her head to signal something behind me. I turned around to find Luke coming over. He looked well rested, handsome, and at ease, like he wasn’t the reason I’d been staring at my ceiling all night.The fucking nerve of him!
"Well, if it isn't my two favorite women," he said, then kissed Vicky on the cheek and took a seat beside me, a little too close. Our arms touched; it was brief but still managed to send electricity through me. Goosebumps appeared along my arm, and I fought the urge to slide away or closer. Just like a typical man, Luke didn't notice my discomfort; he kept chatting away, completely unaware of how off-center he made my world.
"Don’t you mean two of your favorites? Won’t your fiancée feel left out?" Vicky said.
Luke smiled, then leaned in and kissed my cheek. Heat filled me before I knew what was happening.
"It's a habit. You're right, I'll have to change that."
"Not even married to Solemn yet, and already you have to make changes to your personality. So sad." I stuck out my bottom lip.
Vicky squinted. "Isn't her name Solenne?"
"Liv struggles with pronouncing it," Luke said, then gave me a doubtful look. "She speaks six languages, one of them is French, but she’s struggled with this particular French name for six months."
Vicky chuckled and lifted a menu to browse. "Well, you'll have a lifetime of practice. Solenne Forrester will be joining our little group permanently, right Luke?"
"Soon as we say I do. We'll all be one happy family."
Noticeably, Luke never took his eyes off me as he spoke. I had to keep my teeth hidden, otherwise I’d snarl at him, but my bitten lip paid the price.
"What are we having for breakfast?" Luke asked, then paused. "Liv, are you joining us?"
Jumping to my feet, I shook my head at Vicky. "No. I'm late for work. Should've been there two hours ago."
"Why are you and Mom meeting this morning?" Luke asked.
I looked at Vicky with pleading eyes.
"Fashion. What else?" she said, then continued, "Olivia was asking me what fashion show I wanted to sit front row at this season."
I exhaled deeply, hurried to her side, and kissed her. "I’ll call you later about that."
"Couldn’t you have called her about it in the first place?" Luke asked, raising his eyebrow at me.
He wasn’t even engaged for two whole days, but already he was acting like I needed a reason to see his mother, a woman I calledaunt.
"Since when did Liv ever need an excuse to visit me?" Vicky said, reading my mind.
I left her to handle him. The whole morning had been a waste. Since the news of Luke's engagement slapped me upside the head, I'd been a mess. It was time I accepted things and went on with my life. The first thing I should do was bring my butt to work. I exited the club and climbed back into the SUV.
"Let's head to Fox & Cie."
In the back of the SUV, my mind tortured me by replaying old conversations with Luke. Most pressing, Luke's claim to loveSolemn.What the hell did he know about love, and if he knew so fucking much, why didn’t he try it out on me?Vicky and my once-favorite barista were in agreement. Luke was in love, and I should respect it. Meanwhile, my girlfriends had a different take on things; they all voted for me to bear my soul to Luke, leaving me vulnerable to rejection and in more pain than I felt right now. Luke was my best friend. I couldn’t handle the idea of him rejecting me.
"Why is this so difficult?"
Through the rearview mirror, Hopeton looked at me. “Did you say something?”
“Nothing, sorry.”
I smiled as I thought about how long I had known him. He and Dorothy had been with my family for as long as I could remember. When my parents divorced, my mother assigned Hopeton as my driver, refusing to let him leave with dad. His wife, Dorothy, who once tucked me in at night as my nanny, now helped me run my home. They were more than staff. I loved them.
While I reflected on how grateful I was to have them, I realized we had already arrived. “Thanks,” I said, then climbed out of the car and walked into the office, determined to be productive, get a handle on myself, and stop acting like my world was falling apart.
"Olivia, you’re here. A few designers stopped by your office," my secretary said as I walked by her to my desk.
