Melissa.

“We’re fine,” I said quickly, though my voice shook.

“No, we are absolutely not fine,” Aria cut in, giving me a look that very clearly said, "Are you out of your mind? “Troy was our ride. I am not calling an Uber at midnight from a biker lounge parking lot. Do you know how many true crime podcasts start exactly like this?”

“Aria…”

“It’s not safe.” The stranger said quietly.

Those ice-blue eyes found mine, and I could see the faintest smirk on his face. “I’m not a serial killer”

I giggled softly, putting my hand over my mouth. “That’s exactly what a serial killer would say.”

“Fair point.” The almost-smile held. “I’m offering anyway.”

Aria grabbed my arm. “We accept. Thank you.”

His car was a sleek black Audi parked at the far edge of the lot, of course it was.

Aria climbed into the back without hesitation, pulling me in after her. The door closed. The engine turned over with a low, smooth sound, and we pulled out of the lot.

The seats were leather, it felt really comfortable, after a short while I pressed myself against the window and stared out at the passing streetlights.

Aria lasted approximately four minutes before her head dropped onto my shoulder, her breathing going slow and even. I glanced down at her. Her purple hair fanned across my arm, her mouth was slightly open and she was out cold.

I don’t know what made me look up.

But I did … and my eyes found the rearview mirror, and his were already there.

He wasn’t looking at the road. He was looking at me. His gaze moved over my face and then, slowly, it dropped lower to the neckline of the red dress. And then to the tear at my thigh where I’d ripped the fabric. Back up. As unhurried as if he had all the time in the world and I didn’t want him to stop, I leaned back exposing more of my body to him.

My breath snagged somewhere in my throat.

Then he looked back at the road. Just like that. Like nothing had happened. Like I’d imagined it.

I turned back to the window, trying to calm my breathing.

Why does a complete stranger make me feel like this?

Maybe it’s because I’m angry, I was betrayed by that jerk after all.

I pressed my fingertips to the cold glass and tried to think about literally anything else.

It didn’t work. I couldn’t get my mind off the hot stranger sitting in front.

Stop it Malissa.

My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It was my Mom.

I sat up, dislodging Aria slightly, and answered before the second buzz. “Hello?”

“Melissa.” Mom’s voice was clipped. “Where are you? You were supposed to be here today. Gavin came all the way from Boston just to meet you .”

My stomach dropped. I’d forgotten completely. I was supposed to meet my moms fiancé earlier this morning but I had forgotten.

“I’m so sorry.” I pressed two fingers to my temple. “Something happened. I’ll call and apologize tomorrow, I promise.”

“You certainly will.” The disappointment came through clearly. Then, she said softer: “I need to tell you something, Melissa. Something important. But not tonight … When you’re home.”

Something in her tone made me sit up straighter. “Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Come home tomorrow.” Another pause. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Good night.”

I lowered the phone. The car was still quiet. Aria hadn’t moved.

I looked up at the mirror without meaning to.

He wasn’t looking this time.

I forgot to meet my mother’s fiancé today. I was feeling very guilty but I wasn't in support of the engagement … she was barely forty, and it had only been three months, and something about the whole thing had felt rushed and wrong from the beginning. But she was happy. Or she seemed happy. And I’d still managed to forget.

I pressed my cheek back against the cold glass and closed my eyes.

The car slowed and stopped in front of Aria’s building.

I nudged her gently. She made a sound of protest and didn’t move. I nudged her harder.

“Aria. We’re here.”

She lifted her head, blinking. Then I looked around. “Oh.” A pause. “Good.”

I started to reach for the door handle.

“Will you be okay?”

His voice came from the front seat, low and even, and I paused.

I looked up. He had turned in his seat to look at me fully.

“Yes,” I said. “Thank you. For everything.”

A beat passed.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

I hesitated for exactly one second. “Lisa.”

Something moved through his expression but it was too brief to read. “Ben.”

I held his gaze for a moment longer than I needed to. Then I looked away, reaching for the door. “Good night, Ben.”

I climbed out. The night air was cool against my skin. Behind me, I heard Aria say something cheerful to him that I didn’t catch, and then she was beside me, and the Audi pulled away from the curb, and was gone.

I watched the taillights until they disappeared around the corner.

Stop it, I told myself again. I couldn’t.

Inside Aria’s apartment, I made it as far as the bathroom before everything I’d been holding gave way.

I took off the dress and let it fall to the floor, and then the tears bursted out like a dam. I slid down the wall with my back against the cool tile and pulled my knees to my chest and just fell apart.

Aria was on the floor beside me. Her arms came around me without a word, and I cried into her shoulder … it came from the deepest part of my soul, I grabbed her shoulder like it was the only thing I had left stopping me from totally falling apart. “ I…I loved him, Aria. Why did he do that to me?”

“I’ve got you,” she said quietly. “I’ve got you. Let it out.”

I cried until I had nothing left. Until my eyes were swollen and my throat was scraped raw. When I finally pulled back, I felt wrung out and empty.

Aria held my face in her palm. Not worried about all the tears and probably snot.

“Can we please,” she said carefully, “talk about the kiss.”

I dropped my face into her hands. “Aria, no…”

“Melissa.” She pulled my cheek together, raising my face to look at her. “That was like something out of a movie! A romantic movie! The way he just pulled you in? ”

Heat moved through my face despite everything. “It was intense actually.”

“Intense?” Aria laughed. “Melissa, that man looked at you like you were the only person in the entire club. Like you were the only person in the entire world.”

I bit my lip, remembering those ice-blue eyes. The way his arms had felt around me. The taste of his lips.

“ It was just adrenaline ,” I said weakly.

But even I didn’t believe that.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The next morning the warm smell of coffee and burnt toast filled Aria’s kitchen as golden sunlight streamed through the window, painting everything in soft morning light. I sat at the counter wearing her oversized t-shirt, with my legs tucked under me.

My eyes felt swollen and gritty from crying. My head pounded with a dull ache that wouldn’t go away.

“You know, I still think you should have gotten that Greek god’s number yesterday.” Aria sipped her coffee with a very serious look on her face . “It’s just a shame you didn’t get to fuck him. I mean, did you look at the same man I saw ?”

Despite everything, a laugh bubbled up in my throat. “You are just a slut.”

“I’m a slut with excellent taste,” she corrected, grinning. “That man was criminally fine.”

“I gave him a fake name, so I wasn’t actually planning a redo.” I picked at the edge of my coffee mug, not meeting her eyes. “Plus, he looks way older than me.”

“Does that matter?”

“ No, not really.” I sighed, running my fingers through my tangled hair. “ But I’m also coming out of a relationship. I don’t think I should be swayed by hot guys so soon . That’s how I ended up with Troy in the first place.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but…”

My phone rang, cutting her off.

Mom’s name flashed on the screen, and my stomach immediately clenched with anxiety. Mom never called this early. Something was wrong.

“ Hello?”

Loud, gasping sobs came through the speaker.

“ Mom? Mom, why are you crying? What’s wrong?” Panic clawed up my throat, making it hard to breathe .

Her voice was broken, barely recognizable through the tears. “Melissa, baby, please come home. You need to come home now.”

I was already standing. Adrenaline flooded my system, making my hands shake. “Mom, are you hurt? Did someone hurt you? Are you okay?”

“No, but I need you. Please come home.” Then the line went dead.

“Shit Aria, something is very wrong. I have to go home. Now.”

“I’ll come with you,” she said immediately, already setting down her coffee, her face filled with worry.

I was already moving, grabbing my wrinkled red dress from last night off her bathroom floor. I didn’t care how it looked. I didn't care about anything except getting to my mom.

“No, I’ll text you.” I was pulling the dress over my head, my fingers fumbling with the zipper. “I know you have class today.”

“Mel…”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.” But my voice wavered on the last word, betraying the fear coursing through me.

———

The drive home felt endless.

I tried calling Mom back three times. Each time, it went straight to voicemail.

What happened? Is she hurt? Is someone dead?

My mind raced with horrible possibilities , each one worse than the last.

My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white.

When I finally turned onto our street, my heart literally stopped.

A moving truck sat in our driveway like a vulture. All our furniture…our worn couch, my dad’s old recliner that still smelled like his cologne, boxes and boxes of our belongings…were scattered across the front lawn like garbage.

I felt a mixture of shame and fear.

Two men in crisp suits stood near our front door, they were bank officials. I recognized the logo instantly, and my stomach dropped to my feet.

No.

This can’t be happening.

I parked haphazardly, before I stumbled out.

I knew I looked like a mess...hair tangled, makeup smeared, wearing last night's clothes...but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Mom, what's going on?" The words tore out of me as I ran toward her.

Her eyes looked devastated. " Why didn't you tell me things were this bad?"

She collapsed on my shoulder, her sobs soaked into my shoulder, hot and desperate.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." Her voice was muffled against my neck. "I really tried to keep up with the loan payments ever since your dad died. But after I lost my job..."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Mom, you lost your job? When?"

"Three months ago."

"But why didn't you say anything?" My voice cracked.

"I didn't want you to worry. I thought I could figure something out before they foreclosed."

Three months. She'd been struggling for three months and I hadn't noticed. I'd been too wrapped up in Troy...his parties, his drama, his bullshit. Too focused on school and chasing my photography dreams to see my own mother falling apart.

One of the bank officials cleared his throat, cutting the moment short. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you really need to leave the premises. We are on a tight schedule."

Mom pulled back, wiping uselessly at her tears. "I know. We're going."

"Where are we supposed to go?"

Her face shifted, something almost like relief crossed her face. "Gavin. My fiancé said we could move into his penthouse. He has plenty of space, and it's temporary. Just until I get back on my feet."

Gavin. Her fiancé of three months. A man I'd deliberately avoided meeting because the whole thing felt wrong.

"He's been so kind to us, Melissa. So generous." Her voice made my chest ache. "When I told him what happened, he didn't hesitate to help us"

I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms.

The truth was, my father's death twelve years ago broke something inside me. Something that couldn't be fixed or replaced. Yes, he'd left us drowning in debt. His gambling and bad decisions got him killed because he owed money to the wrong people.

But he was still my dad.

No stranger could replace that. I didn't care how rich or generous he was.

But I wasn't dumb enough not to know we didn't have any other option right now. We had nowhere else to go.

We were out of choices.

"Okay," I said quietly, the word tasting like defeat. "Okay, we'll go."

Relief flooded Mom's face, and she grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. "Thank you, baby. Thank you. This is going to be okay. You'll see. Gavin is wonderful. You're going to love him."

I doubted that. But I didn't say anything.

Gavin's building was downtown, It screamed wealth and power in a way that made me feel small and out of place.

"He never mentioned he was rich," I muttered, my voice echoing in the space.

"I told you he was successful," Mom said, but even she looked slightly overwhelmed.

Judging by what I was seeing, "successful" was an understatement. This man was loaded.

A woman probably in her mid-fifties, with perfectly styled gray hair. She was probably the house keeper.

"Mrs. Parker, please make yourself comfortable. Mr. Gavin will be with you shortly." Her smile was warm but professional.

"Thank you," Mom said.

We stepped inside the penthouse, and I had to force myself not to gasp.

If I thought the lobby was impressive, this was something else entirely. A floor to ceiling window,with a beautiful view. Beautiful furniture . Abstract art that probably cost more than a house. And everything was in black and white.

"Should I get you anything? Water? Coffee?" the housekeeper asked.

"No, thank you. We're fine," Mom said, smiling.

The woman nodded and disappeared down a hallway, leaving us alone.

Mom immediately grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. "See? This is going to be wonderful. We're so lucky..."

Mom released my hand, smoothing down her hair one last time, pasting on a bright smile on her face.

A man walked into the living room.

He was tall and broad-shouldered. His dress looked simple but it fit him perfectly like it was tailored just for him.

And he looked terribly familiar.

My breath caught in my throat.

No. It couldn't be.

He walked closer, and I saw the exact moment recognition hit him. His ice-blue eyes widened a little bit, before becoming perfectly neutral as though it was my imagination.

My entire world shattered into a million pieces.

The man was Ben. The stranger I kissed last night .

"Gavin!" Mom threw herself at him , not noticing the tension between us. "Thank you so much for this. I don't know what we would have done without you."

He wrapped his arms around her , but his eyes...those impossibly blue eyes...never left mine. They burned into me with an intensity that made my skin burn.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"Melissa, come here." Mom's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Let me properly introduce you."

I couldn't move. My lungs had forgotten how to work.

"Melissa," Mom said again, more insistent. She grabbed my arm, pulling me forward.

I walked like a puppet, my legs moving without conscious thought.

"Gavin, this is my daughter, Melissa." Mom beamed, completely missing the way we were staring at each other. "Melissa, this is my fiancé. Your future stepfather, Gavin."

The word stepfather hit me like a blow.

The man whose touch had made me forget my own name.

Was my mother's fiancé.

"Melissa." Mom nudged me, frowning slightly. "Say hello, honey."

My mouth opened. Closed. No words came out.

Gavin's jaw tightened further. "Hello, Melissa." His voice was the same seductive voice that sent chills down my spine last night.

The way he said my name made my skin burn.

"Hi." The word was barely audible.

Mom looked between us, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," Gavin said smoothly.

God, what have I done?

The thought screamed through my head on repeat.

The room spun around me. My hands trembled at my sides. Nausea rolled through my stomach in waves.

We were completely, utterly screwed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

......

The bedroom door clicked shut behind me and I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

The room was massive...it had a king-sized bed with a beautiful white bedspread, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a walk-in closet bigger than my entire bedroom back home. It should have felt like a dream. Instead, it felt like a trap.

I grabbed my phone with shaking hands. It rang once.

"Melissa..."

"Aria..."

We both screamed at the same time.

"I have something to tell you," we said in unison again.

"Okay, you go first." I pressed my fingers to my temples where a headache was already forming.

"No, you go first."

"Aria, I need to organize my thoughts. Just... please. Go first."

She sighed dramatically. "Okay, don't panic, but this news is huge. Like huge huge."

"Just tell me."

"So that video of you kissing that hot guy while Troy got his face rearranged? It's circulating through the entire school group chat. Girl, you're famous."

I closed my eyes. "Oh God."

"Wait, there's more."

"How could there possibly be more?"

"So I couldn't shake this feeling that I'd seen him before...your mystery man. Something about him was familiar. And not many people drive Audis. Like, only rich rich people drive Audis."

"Aria, where are you going with this?"

"I did some digging." Her voice dropped. "Melissa, he's not just some random rich guy. He's Ben Gavin. Like, the Ben Gavin. He owns multiple professional hockey franchises. He's been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Forbes, everything. Babe, he's a billionaire. With a B."

My legs gave out. I sank onto the edge of the bed.

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. And get this...he's exactly what you've been dreaming about. You want to be a sports photographer, right? Work in PR for a major team? This man is literally at the top of the industry you're trying to break into."

The room tilted sideways.

"Aria." My voice sounded strangled. " You won't believe what just happened."

"What? Did you see him again?"

"Worse." I could barely form the words. "So much worse."

"What could be worse than kissing a hockey mogul and going viral?"

"Gavin is my mom's fiancé."

Silence. Complete, suffocating silence.

"The man I kissed..." My voice broke. "He's going to be my stepfather ."

"No. No, no, no. Melissa, are you serious right now?"

"I wish I wasn't." Nausea rolled through me. "He's engaged to my mother. They're getting married in ten months. And I kissed him. I can still feel his hands on my waist, Aria. I can still..."

"Melissa, breathe. You didn't know."

"How am I supposed to live here? Under the same roof? Pretending like nothing happened?"

"You have to stay away from him," Aria said firmly. "You avoid him. It won't be easy, but for your mom's sake, you have to pretend it never happened."

For your mom's sake. For some reason those words made me angry.

"I'm sorry I have to go."

"Mel, wait..."

I ended the call before she could say any other thing.

I was angry, I was upset and worst of all I didn't know why I felt like this.

I couldn't sit still.

I opened the door cautiously. The hallway was empty and silent.

I crept forward, my heart pounding with every step.

Where is he?

I needed to talk to him. He can't tell my mom what happened, it will crush her.

Then I heard someone talking. I followed the sound to a partially open door...his office, maybe.

I shouldn't eavesdrop. I knew I shouldn't

But my feet stopped moving.

"...so grateful, Gavin." My mother's voice was warm, almost tender. "You have no idea what this means to us. To me."

I turned and walked away before I could hear his response.

But then I saw a photograph on the hallway wall. I'd walked past it without noticing before, but now it stopped me cold in my tracks.

Gavin stood beside a younger man ...maybe in his mid-twenties. The resemblance was striking. Same strong jaw. Same intense eyes, though the younger man's were green instead of ice-blue. Same athletic build.

They stood in front of a race car, both wearing racing suits. The younger man had his arm slung around Gavin's shoulders, grinning widely. But Gavin's expression was plain.

My stomach dropped.

A son. He has a son.

The realization hit me like cold water. Of course he did. A man his age, this successful, this established...why wouldn't he have children?

Which meant I didn't just have a stepfather. I also had a stepbrother.

The thought made my skin crawl.

......

Hours passed. Mom left to pick up more of our things from storage. She asked if I wanted to come.

I told her I was tired, and had a headache.

I was in the kitchen pouring myself a glass of water when I felt his presence behind me.

I spun too fast, nearly dropping the glass. Wetting my hands a bit.

He stood there in his white dress shirt...sleeves rolled to his elbows now...and black slacks. His ice-blue eyes locked onto mine.

"I..." My voice came out high and strangled. "I didn't see you there."

Heat flooded my face. My cheeks were burning...probably red as a tomato. I could feel the flush spreading down my neck.

"I'm sorry. I was just..." I set the glass down with trembling hands, nearly knocking it over.. "I didn't mean to... I"

He said nothing. Just watched me with those unreadable eyes.

My fingers twisted together, knuckles white. "Last night. I didn't know who you were." The words tumbled out in a rush. "I swear I didn't know . If I had known you were my mother's fiancé, I never would have... "

My voice cracked.

"Please don't tell my mom." The whisper came out broken, and desperate. "Please. She can't know. It was a mistake. A stupid, horrible mistake "

A tear slid down my cheek before I could stop it.

I wiped it away with the back of my hand, but another followed.

"I didn't mean to..." My breath hitched.

He moved.

Each step made my heart pound harder until he stood right in front of me.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

His hand lifted slowly .

I flinched.

But he only tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers barely grazing my skin.

His eyes searched my face...lingering on my tear-stained cheeks, my trembling lips, the pulse hammering in my throat.

"A mistake," he said quietly.

"Yes."

He looked at me for a short while before a faint scoff broke the silence.

"You really don't think before you act, do you?"

My head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

Anger flooded through me, fast and hot. "That's not fair."

His jaw flexed. "Life isn't."

My cheeks flushed pink, and my hands trembled at my sides.

"You don't even know me."

"Don't need to."

I stared at him, furious ... more at myself than him. "Go to hell."

"Already there," he said quietly, turning away.

He left before I could think of a reply.