“Were you friends before?”

He shakes his head. “No, business partners in some aspects.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t work with him anymore.”

“I wouldn’t, but he’s a smart asshole. We can either work together or be enemies. I guess the latter is where we’re heading.”

I fidget with the buttons on my jacket, not sure what to say. I pull my phone out and check for messages. There’s one from Blake.

Blake: I don’t know.

“Who’s that?”

I tear my eyes from the screen, looking into Pierce’s. “No one.”

“I hate being lied to, Lila.”

“I hate when people keep things from me,” I bite back. Frustration boils to the surface. There can’t be two sets of rules between us.

“And what exactly am I keeping from you?”

“Tell me what happened between you and Blake. Why do you hate each other so much?”

He stares at me long and hard, reading me as if I have some complex definition. “Have you asked him about Alyssa?”

Shaking my head, I glance out the window and watch New York City go by. I haven’t asked him because I’m scared. If it weren’t a big deal, Pierce would just tell me.

“Ask him. Tell me what he says, and I’ll fill in the blanks.”

“I don’t get why you can’t just tell me,” I respond. If we weren’t stuck in this car right now, I’d probably scream.

He shrugs. “There’s no way I can explain it and come out sounding like a nice guy, but if you want a glimpse into the past, let’s just say, when two men love a woman and both lose her, it turns into one fucked up mess.”

I contemplate his words—roll them around. In the end, I’m just left wondering if I should just walk away from both men. If the baggage they carry is more than I can take on my back. And even more than that, I wonder if I can ever compete with Alyssa . . . whoever she is.

BY THE TIME THE CAR PULLS up in front of my apartment building, the sky is completely black. I’m happy to be home—ready to climb into my warm bed and sleep the night away, but there’s still a Pierce hurdle I have to jump: goodbyes.

“Let me walk you to your door,” he says.

I don’t argue. I don’t have the energy. Instead, I stand quietly on the sidewalk and watch as Pierce takes my bag from the driver. The air is frigid, so much so it seeps through my jacket, peppering my skin with goose bumps.

“What did you think of New York?” Pierce asks as we make our way up the sidewalk.

“The hot chocolate was good.”

He opens the door, allowing me to step inside first. “Hmm, just the hot chocolate? You’re low maintenance, Ms. Fields.”

We make our way up the flights of stairs, and all I can think about is how I’m going to handle things when we get to my door. I need to smooth things over with Pierce. I’ve enjoyed the little bit of time I’ve spent at Stanley Development, and I want to be able to go into work without this giant cloud hanging over my head. Even if I know it won’t dissipate completely.

Then there’s Blake. I don’t know if he’s still going to be here when I open the door. Part of me hopes yes, the other no. It makes me nervous as hell. To top it off, I need to keep the two of them apart. When they’re together, it’s like watching a lit match hit gasoline, and I’m the one who seems to get burned.

“Pierce.”

“Yeah?”

“I know we’ve already talked about this, but I want to make sure that what happened last night isn’t going to affect our work relationship.” I stop walking, closing my eyes to clear my head. “I don’t want it to ruin what could be a really great friendship between us.”

I don’t want to look up, but I don’t have a choice when he uses his finger under my chin to lift my eyes to his. “Nothing has changed for you at Stanley.”

I nod, breathing out.

He continues, “And as far as friendship goes . . . if that’s what you want, that’s what I’ll give you, but I’ll always want more.”

“I can’t give you that. Not now,” I say, shaking my head.

His thumb brushes my lips. “I know, but I’m not going to be able to watch you with him either. You deserve better.”

“And so do you,” I whisper. Pierce has so much to offer. If he found the right woman, he could show her the world and give it to her too.

He kisses me gently on the forehead before letting me go. “Love isn’t defined by what you deserve. It’s about finding that one person you know you can’t live without and never letting them go.”

He’s right, in a way. I’ve known lots of great guys who I classified as a woman’s dream—successful, kind, good-looking—but it didn’t equate to me falling at their feet.

“Get some sleep, Pierce,” I say, picking up my suitcase. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Take tomorrow off. You deserve it.” He winks, but the playfulness doesn’t show in his eyes. He looks tired and mentally worn. Not the powerful man I’m used to.

“You don’t have to do that. Besides, I don’t do well when I have too much time on my hands.”

“It’s up to you, but the offer stands.” He runs his long fingers through his hair. “I’m going to wait right here until you’re inside. Have a nice night, Lila.”

I step back, waving one last time before sticking my key in the lock. I feel him watching me but don’t look back. My heart aches enough from staring into his forlorn eyes just seconds ago. He tempted me last night, and I led him on—made him believe there was a chance at something that just can’t be. Not now.

After closing the door behind me, I notice the apartment is dark. Disappointed, I carry my luggage into my bedroom and rummage through my drawers for something more comfortable to wear. It’s going to be another night where I sit alone and wonder what I actually escaped by moving to Chicago. Two cities. The same problems.

I curl up in the center of my bed, wrapping the thick comforter around me. Blake’s absence shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I need closure. I need to know if I ever meant anything to him, or if he was just a waste of a broken heart.

I grab my cell phone from the nightstand and dial Mallory’s number, tapping my finger on my knee as I wait for her to answer. She’s my voice of reason—the sanity to my insanity. And maybe, she’ll have some answers.

“Hello,” she answers, sounding a little out of breath. I wonder what the weather is like there, if she’s out for a run.

“Hey, we haven’t talked in a while so I thought I’d give you a call to see how things are going.”

“That’s funny because I was thinking about calling you after the gym. It’s been crazy busy. I swear the tests here are ten times harder than they were at UCLA. I’m either in class or studying. How are you?”

“Not too bad. I quit Charlie’s the other day. Doing that and working at Stanley was getting to be a little too much. I actually just got back from New York an hour ago.”

There’s nothing but silence on the other end . . . rare Mallory silence.

“Are you there?” I ask after seconds have passed.

“Sorry, did you say you’re working at Stanley? As in Stanley Development?” She sounds a little panicked. I start to panic.

“Yes, they hired me for an apprenticeship.”

Another long pause. “You’re working with Pierce Stanley?”

“He hired me,” I say simply.

“Shit.”

Mallory never swears. Ever. “What?”

“Does Blake know?”

“Yes. What’s the matter, Mallory?” There’s so much I want to know about Pierce and Blake. Most importantly, why they hate each other so much.

“There’s a history between them.”

“I’ve already gathered that much, but why?”

She sighs. “There was so much heartbreak when it all happened . . . so much. You need to leave it alone.”

Begging.

Pleading.

I have no idea what to do next.

Then I remember what Pierce said. “Does it have something to do with Alyssa?”

“Who told you?” she asks, practically choking on her words.