Wright Rival (Wright)

But I didn’t like it. I suddenly didn’t like the idea of Hollin hooking up with someone else. Let alone Tamara, who, one, worked at Wright and, two, was his sister’s age.

I made some excuse and headed back toward the restrooms. People were making out in the alcove, but I didn’t see Hollin. I didn’t see Tamara either for that matter. I took a breath and released it. This was silly. I’d just go and stand outside. The grape fields were right off the edge of the barn. It’d help to be back in my happy place. It all came back to this dirt. And while Wright wasn’t my winery, it had the same feeling to it.

I opened the back door and stepped out onto the chilly moonlit path that led down to the fields. I hugged myself against the cold. I only stopped walking when I found a figure standing on the edge of the field. Dirt crunched under my feet, and Hollin found me standing there.

“Hey,” he said.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Escaping Tamara.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah. She keeps offering me birthday sex,” he said, staring back out at the darkened field.

It was nearly a full moon. So, everything was vaguely lit up from overhead, but it was still dark enough to not be noticed from the back door.

“How nice of her.”

“Not when I keep telling her I’m not interested. I’m her boss.”

“That does border on harassment.”

“I can handle it. Just needed…this.” He gestured to the fields.

“It’s like coming home.”

He looked at me in surprise. “Yes. Grounding.”

I breathed it in and released it. “That’s how I feel, too. It’s my favorite place.”

“Mine, too.” His shoulder knocked gently against mine. “I come out here and live it each morning. It reminds me why I do it. What I’m here for.”

I could barely believe Hollin Abbey had just said that. Had echoed my own thoughts perfectly. As if when I was here with my feet in the dirt and the fields all around me, I was whole again. Nothing could take that away from me.

“That’s it exactly,” I whispered.

He smiled once at me. Not his cocky, ridiculous smile. But one of mutual understanding.

We stood side by side in the dark, breathing it all in. Until I was shivering from the cold breeze coming in from the north and he insisted we get me back into the heat.

It was getting harder and harder to remember that Hollin and I were too different. Not when I had seen firsthand that he was just like me when it came to the winery. The Wrights were the businessmen, but Hollin had his feet in the dirt. He loved this place. And that was something I could understand.

Blaire kept dropping hints that I should stay at the party later than her. But Hollin was drunk by the end of the night. If anything happened, he wouldn’t even remember. And I didn’t want that. So, I said good night and headed back with Blaire. She side-eyed me but relented when I wouldn’t say anything else.

I found Hollin’s white shirt when I got home and brought it to my nose. It still smelled like him. Fuck.

I curled up with it, and the next thing I knew, I woke to the smell of Hollin pressed against me. I jumped up, bleary-eyed, but it was just the shirt. I laughed and glanced at my phone to check the time. I didn’t have to be up for another hour. Though I had a text from an unknown number.

I clicked on it.

* * *

Piper! Long time since we’ve talked. It’s Quinn. I hope all is well. I happened to notice that someone posted a picture of you with Hollin Abbey. Are you two dating? I couldn’t even believe it when I saw it. It was a long time ago, but, girl, run! Run far away. I love you and don’t want to see you get hurt. Come see me in Denver when you’re next in town!

* * *

My stomach flipped at the unexpected message. Everything crashed back down. Quinn had seen me with Hollin?

I pulled up social and found the pictures she was talking about. A bunch of people from last night had added images into a shared album that was made public. And the very first image was of Hollin and me smiling for the camera.

I could deny it. We weren’t dating. But Quinn’s warning felt…fortuitous. As if I had let my guard down around him and let myself forget what he could do to me. How it could all fall apart. Quinn had moved to Denver to escape our living situation and Khloe. I didn’t want to give him the power to hurt me that bad.

Hollin and I might be similar, but we weren’t the same.

20

Hollin

I woke up on Easter Sunday with a hangover.