Every Sweet Regret (Orchid Valley 2)

GoodHands69: Amy deserved it. She deserved more. I just haven’t figured out what that more is yet. I wish someone could show me a map of my marriage and point to the place where I made the wrong turn. I fucking tried, and it wasn’t enough. If I understood, maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid of trying again with someone else.* * *StellaI might not have the map to Kace’s marriage, but I know more about where it went wrong than he realizes. I’d assumed that, as they worked their way through the divorce, Amy would’ve admitted the truth about her mistakes, but the poking I’ve done and the things he’s said about the marriage he misses so dearly have led me to believe he still doesn’t know the truth. Now, I’m sure of it.

“You’re glued to your phone tonight,” Savannah says as she hands me a full glass of wine from the opposite side of her big kitchen island.

I smile. “Sorry. I promise I’m almost done.”

GoodHands69: I’m sorry to go on like this. I’m sure I sound like another pathetic divorced dude who’s hung up on his wife.I shake my head and tap out a response.

“Take your time,” Savvy says, pulling out her own phone.

ItsyBitsy123: I don’t think you’re pathetic for being hung up on Amy. You were in love with her, and you had plans for your life together that you don’t want to give up. I only wish she deserved your devotion. More soon. Having an impromptu girls’ night.I darken the screen and slide my phone back into my purse. “Now I’m done with that and can give you my full attention. How’s Alec?” I should probably be home studying right now, but when Savvy found me at the end of my shift at The Orchid and asked if I wanted to come to her place for a glass of wine, I jumped at the chance. And then Kace started messaging me the minute I parked, and now I wish I were at home so we could message back and forth all night again.

She shakes her head. “Nuh-uh. Don’t dodge. I want to know who just had your attention so completely that you didn’t even notice when I pulled out the wine. New guy in your life?”

I bite my bottom lip. “Not exactly.”

Savvy arches a perfect blond brow. “Explain, please.”

I take one gulp of my wine and then another.

“Stella.” She folds her arms. “Spill.”

“I’ve been talking to someone on Random,” I say.

“I thought you were swearing off that app,” she says, but her tone is curious, not judgmental. Savvy’s a bit like me in that she struggles in the relationship department. That was until last October, when she went with Brinley to Vegas and hooked up with Marston’s best friend and business partner, Alec. There’s no way anyone could call a night with a guy like Alec unlucky. But Alec’s based in L.A. and Savvy doesn’t want to do the long-distance thing, so despite him calling her regularly and sending her flowers, she insists they’re just friends and going to stay that way.

“I got on Monday night out of habit more than anything, and I almost got right back off, but then I saw Kace had swiped on me.”

Her eyes widen, then she blinks. “Kace Matthews?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not some guy using his picture or pretending to be him.”

I shake my head. “No. It’s definitely Kace, and I already knew he’d been using Random. He told me he was going to give it a try.”

She sips her wine. “Wow. Go, Kace. I rescind my previous criticism. I guess decent guys do occasionally use that app.” She smiles slowly. “And good thing, because now he’s finally giving you a chance. Sweet Lord, it’s about time.”

I swallow hard then swirl my wine. “Whatever this thing is between us, it started before we connected on Random. We . . .” I blow out a breath. “We were going to hook up at his party, but then Dean asked if I could move in, and Kace shut it down, which was understandable. I was ready to let it go until he reached out to me on Random and said he wanted to connect on there because it’s less intimidating somehow.” I shake my head, not sure how to explain why that made so much sense to me at the time. “And we just talk on there, and it’s good. And yesterday morning, he was at Mom’s to do some work, and I pulled him into my bedroom and we . . . did stuff.”

“Get it, girl!” She beams as if she’s been on a personal mission to get me into Kace Matthews’ bed. “And was that good?”

I bite my lip, but a pathetic whimper escapes anyway. “So good. The man has a mouth on him, and I’m not just talking about his spectacular kissing skills.”