“Why didn’t you give it to her?”
“It felt insignificant after seeing all those jewels. Hard to compete with them.”
Aiden smiles at me. “Here’s a tip, Dawson. All isn’t fair in love and war, but the victor always plays with heart.”
In the car - L.A.
RILEY
I’m on my way to the hotel to meet Shelby when I get a text.
Ariela: I’m really sorry the note upset you. That wasn’t my intention.
I don’t reply, instead I call Logan. Once we exchange greetings, I get to the subject at hand.
“So tell me about this new guy she brought in to be her assistant.”
“Kyle? I don’t know much about him. Seems like a nice enough kid. Good looking. Funny. Maggie and Grandma were drooling over him.”
“And what about Ariela?”
“They seem close. But they must not be too close because he thinks that Maggie and I are renewing our vows, so Ariela doesn’t trust him enough to tell him everything.”
“Is she fucking him?”
“Hmm, not sure. Based on the way he acts around her, I’d say he wants to but hasn’t. Why the twenty questions? I thought after homecoming you two made up? She even told us about the premiere girl getting pregnant. I was under the impression she wasn’t going to let that interfere with your relationship.”
“Did she tell you guys about the note?”
“What note?”
“On graduation day, she was too chicken to tell me in person that she was going to Princeton.”
“What do you mean? She told you in person then ran to her parents’ car and left.”
“Yeah, I know. But that wasn’t her plan. Apparently, she didn’t have the guts to tell me in person, so she was going to leave a note on my car. But as she was going to my car, she ran into me, blurted everything out, and forgot to give me the note. She’s kept it all these years though. She gave it to me at homecoming and made me read it last night.”
“And, what did it say?”
“That she had to go to Princeton because it was her dream, that she hoped I would understand, and that she hoped we could stay together.”
“What the fuck?”
“That was my exact response.”
“Why didn’t she mail you the letter? Or message you? Or one of us? Anything?”
“Exactly. Why didn’t she? If she was as heartbroken as she claims to have been, why didn’t she send it?”
“Did you ever contact her after that?”
“Fuck no.”
“Maybe that’s why she didn’t send it.”
“It really doesn’t matter anymore. We agreed to talk this week, but I’m bailing on that. At the wedding, I’ll tell her I don’t want to see her again, and she can go back home.”
“Uh—”
“Uh, what?”
“She agreed to work for Asher, helping to design our new wedding and event space. She’ll be around.”
“Shit. I’m the one who encouraged her to take the job.”
“Riley, maybe you should talk to her in person before you make a permanent decision. She’s been working really hard. The wedding is going to be beautiful. Want to know what Maggie told me?”
“Probably not.”
Of course, it doesn’t stop him from saying, “Ariela told Maggie that she thinks making Keatyn’s wedding perfection will prove her love to you.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Women never do,” he says.
I pull up to the hotel and leave my car with the valet, our conversation replaying in my head and wondering what the hell I should do. It’s hard to forgive someone who caused you so much pain—let alone let them back into your life.
My heart wants to go to the vineyard, hold Ariela in my arms, and have her tell me she still loves me.
I want her to keep telling me that until I believe her.
Because after reading the note, I’m not sure I ever will again.
As I knock on the door to Shelby’s bungalow, I focus on the task at hand. I’m here to take Shelby out for dinner, get to know her, and then fuck away any and all thoughts of Ariela.
When Shelby answers the door, my jaw drops to the floor.
“I look different, huh?” she purrs, handing me a glass of champagne. “I learned something today, Riley Johnson.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you remember the good champagne we had in New York?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I found out that it’s actually a cheap brand. I think the sommelier steered you wrong.”