“Don’t feel sorry for him,” Nikki drags, then turns to face me. “It’s good to see you again, Austin. It’s been how long?”
“Years,” I remind her with a smile, not wanting a reminder of exactly when.
“And you’re a doctor now?” Adriana smiles fondly, linking her arm into mine as we walk to the table. “If you’ve done one thing right by Lex, it’s that.”
“Second-year resident, still not entirely there yet.”
When we reach the table, Julian shakes my hand. I’ve known him since I first started dating Millie, and much like Lex, the man never ages.
The last time we spoke, he was trying to calm me down after it was confirmed Millie and Romano were fucking behind my back.
“Buddy, you need to calm down,” Julian holds me back, clutching my shirt with force.
Standing across the patio is Romano with a satisfied smirk on his god damn face. Lex is beside him, angry as hell but trying to push him further away to create distance between us.
She’s fucked him. Who the hell knows how many times or how long this has been going on.
It’s over.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the city.”
I turn around, refusing to stay here a second longer and be humiliated by a woman who agreed to marry me. A woman who promised me it would be just us for the rest of our fucking lives.
Inside the car, the radio plays soft music. I stare out the window, attempting to numb the pain.
“I’ve been where you’ve been,” Julian mentions, breaking the silence between us. “It’ll sting for a long while before you begin to heal. Don’t let this ruin everything you have going for you. That, out of everything, was the biggest mistake I made.”
I wasn’t like him. I refused to let Amelia Edwards destroy me. She can have her happily ever after with her prince charming.
I don’t need her or her family.
As far as I’m concerned, they’re dead to me.
The memory disappears the moment Andy walks through the door. He stops mid-step with a dazed look, his eyes widening at the sight of everyone.
“Surprise!” Luna shouts, running toward where he stands and throwing her arms around him.
After a brief hug, Andy appears surprised, but something else seems to be on his mind. He’s dressed rather casually in a pair of jeans and black tee, never one to dress formally. His focus shifts onto Ava and me with a forced smile. “Oh, look, it’s everyone.”
“Well, of course, it’s everyone in Manhattan,” Luna sneers, rolling her eyes at her brother. “We have to celebrate your achievement. You didn’t think you could go under the radar again, did you?”
The moment he opens his mouth, the door opens, and my eyes lock onto the eyes of the woman who once owned me.
Fuck.
Now I know why Andy appeared surprised to see us. I drop my gaze, then press my lips, not believing my luck.
Beside me, Ava lets out a small huff followed by, “Great, the jealous brother-in-law is here.”
In hindsight, I never should have agreed to this. I don’t have the patience to deal with the conniving billionaire right now. But this isn’t about him. It’s Andy’s night. With that thought in my head, I glance up to see a furious man standing beside his wife.
“Oh, crap,” Luna mouths.
Adriana pats her on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine. We’re all adults.”
“Adriana?” Nikki sighs heavily. “Have you met my son?”
“You know what?” Ava begins, straightening her shoulders, “This is about Andy. I’m sure we can all be in the same room for an hour.”