She is the heiress to a big empire.
He is the guy who never fits in.
After five years, Nick is back, just when Renee thinks she’s moved on. First as her ex-next-door, then as her new workplace complication. Their undeniable chemistry crackles beneath the surface, but with old wounds reopening and sparks flying, they have to decide—rewrite their story or leave it in the past.
Tags: Contemporary Romance, Second Chance Romance, Forced Proximity.
Chapter 1
Then
(2018)
I ran away from solitude. I liked noise and commotion, wanting to disappear into the crowd, never to be found again.
That was me, running among the flower beds in parks, chasing butterflies and smiling at the sun’s warmth.
Those were our moments: My friends and I at Hawkers Asian Food Street, eating Roti Canai, laughing between bites at Harper’s jokes, and gulping down water when we choked.
Harper, my number one best friend, was a blonde girl whose locks slipped into her mouth with every whip of her head and who studied people’s behavior as if they were her favorite books. She didn’t judge others; she tried to understand the reasons behind their actions.
And creative Ella, my second best friend, added art to everything she did, from her words to her flowing boho-style maxis. She dreamed of a perfect man who would bring her fantasies to life.
And then there’s me, dragging myself through my internship hours, whining over my team members’ mistakes and hiding my face over my own.
I couldn’t go a day without hours of texting with Ella and Harper.
Our weekend plans almost always started like this:
“What’s the plan?” I’d ask, even though I already had a plan.
“Let’s go to the art gallery or the bookstore,” Ella would say.
“Why not watch a Panther’s game?” Harper would propose a desire Ella and I always vetoed.
I’d suggest the name of a historical place we had already visited dozens of times.
“Not again,” they’d groan in unison.
“One shouldn’t break their connection with history,” I’d argue.
“I think I’ll be busy this weekend,” Harper would say, remembering some forgotten task.
“I’ll come, but in return, you’ll have to go to the library with me,” Ella would bargain.
I’d hesitate because a trip to the library with Ella meant getting roped into one of her long-winded romance novel summaries. But wasn’t I the one who needed her to hear my history rants?
And when the weekend arrived, despite her important job, Harper would show up in her colorful glasses and high ponytail. We would go on a long drive to Mooresville, our favorite library. We would spend half the day in its musty atmosphere and then the afternoons exploring the pages of history in some museum or savoring the present in a sunlit park. At night, we’d collapse in my living room, surrounded by takeout containers, ready for our usual movie marathon: Horror thrillers, Harper’s favorite. Ella would scream at every scene, and by the end of the movie, I’d be just as jumpy. Those nights, I wouldn’t let Harper go.
Ella had to travel a long way for work, so she would leave. Harper and I would lie on my bed and talk about everything possible until two in the morning. That day would become one of the most beautiful days of my life.
………
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