"i think so. brittni and i have an appointment set at the salon while you guys do all the heavy setup," melissa bragged.

"oh, so let me get this straight, we get the grunt work while you two get pampered?" rob mocked.

"damn straight, but you'll reap the benefits when my nails and hair are all pretty," she said, running her fingers seductively over his bicep.

"works for me," rob answered, dipping a tortilla chip into the salsa the waitress had set down.

"oh brother," i muttered, rolling my eyes dramatically.

justin laughed outright.

"what?" melissa asked confused.

"you getting out of work by insinuating your nails will somehow benefit rob," i answered.

"are you saying you'd rather lug around tables and chairs all afternoon?" she asked.

"hell no, but i'm not too shy to tell the guys flat-out they're doing the grunt work." i smirked, dipping my own chip.

justin and rob both laughed, while melissa looked insulted.

"you're supposed to be on my side here. not three against one."

"i am, mels," i answered, patting her hand.

after the waitress took our orders, the conversation floated from one topic to the next. we discussed our jobs, or job-in-waiting in my case. melissa had lucked out and found a job as an assistant to an assistant.

"what if you don't get a permanent spot at your school in woodfalls?" rob asked me.

"i guess i'll have to commute to whatever school i can find a position at, or just move there. hopefully it's a moot point since one of the older teachers is supposed to be retiring soon and her position is basically mine."

"is it the grade you want?" melissa asked, digging into her enchilada.

"no," i sighed. "but i'll take what i can get initially."

"bummer. maybe you should move back here. i know melissa would love to have her best friend closer," rob commented.

without looking at justin, i was well aware that the statement had stopped him in midbite. melissa looked at rob with a mixture of horror and exasperation as her eyes darted between justin and me.

"hon, stop kicking me. it's not like i'm suggesting something ridiculous. justin and brittni are no longer enemies, so why shouldn't she move back to seattle?" he asked, seeing nothing wrong with his logic.

"because i have a life back home, rob. i can't just up and leave."

"so you're telling me you have the job you want and a home you like to go to every night?" he quizzed.

"well, not yet, but there are other things in woodfalls," i said, very much aware that justin and melissa had given up all pretenses of eating while rob drilled me.

"like what?" rob asked, unconcerned, as he took a big bite of his taco.

"my mom and friends, for one."

"so you and your mom are close now?" his ploy for nonchalance was broken when melissa kicked him hard enough for all of us to hear.

"look, i'm not dumb, so you can stop kicking him, melissa, before you do permanent damage," i said dryly. "it's not feasible for me to pack up and move across the country right now just because justin no longer thinks i'm satan's mistress," i added. it sounded harsher than i intended, but rob had forced me into a defensive posture. justin's only response was to start eating again.

melissa looked like she wanted to comment but said nothing. an awkward silence settled over our table that lasted through the rest of the meal. i felt bad that i had ruined the mood, but rob had backed me into a corner. relieved when the check came, i was the first to slide out of the booth after we paid.

once we were outside, i waited by melissa's car while she kissed rob good-bye. i had the distinct feeling she was still ribbing him for drilling me by the way they both glanced my way. i acted ignorant while i checked my phone for missed messages. i had several texts from tressa with more ashton updates. i was smiling as i read them when melissa joined me.

"what's so funny?" she asked as we climbed in her car.

"my friend ashton is having a string of bad luck with this guy she's dating," i answered, filling her in on poor ashton's mishaps.

"i'm sorry about rob back there," she finally said after i finished.

"it's fine. i know my life isn't going the way i thought it would be at this point, but i don't want it rubbed in my face."

"oh honey, he wasn't rubbing your face in it. we all just want you back for selfish reasons. i know you have a new life back home, but i've really missed you. rob is just trying to make me happy."

"i know. things aren't as easy as they were when we were in college. we have to weigh every decision we make now."

"very true," melissa said, pulling into the parking lot of a very posh-looking day spa.

"wow, extravagant much?" i teased.

"hey, you only get to celebrate your engagement once," she pointed out as we walked up the discreet path that was hidden from the road with high hedges. "now, no more blah talk. it's time for some of the finest pampering you'll ever get."

two hours later, i had to agree with her. i was waxed, buffed, and polished, and practically glowed by the time we were done. melissa drove me back to my hotel and promised to be back in an hour to pick me up for the party. i opened my garment bag in my room and extracted the black cocktail dress i had bought specifically for the engagement party. tressa had helped pick it out. at the time, we both had one goal: get a dress that would make justin regret ever walking away. of course, things were different after being stuck in the elevator together, and i couldn't help wondering now if the dress was too much. it wasn't too short since it fell at my knees, but it definitely hugged and accentuated my body in the most flattering way possible. pulling the dress on, i wished the open back weren't quite so revealing, but i had no other options. especially since in our juvenile thinking, tressa and i had also shunned the idea of adding a shawl, feeling it would take away from the dress. after touching up my makeup and redoing my hair in a twist, i slipped on my black two-inch heels and was ready to go. i grabbed my small handbag and left the safety of my room behind before i could change my mind.

i waited in the lobby, deflecting the attention of two businessmen who looked old enough to be my father when melissa pulled up. saying my good-byes to the two creepers, i hastily left before either of them could hit on me again.

"making plans for later?" melissa teased as i climbed into the car. "you look amazing," she added.

"so do you," i said, taking in her pale pink dress that complemented her blond hair and blue eyes. "can you believe that? one of them even had on a wedding ring. seriously? men can be pigs."

"truth," melissa said, pulling away from the curb.

"so, where's your party being held?" i asked, feeling like a complete ass that i just now thought to ask.

"it's in an old warehouse that they refaced last year. it's now the happening place to have parties. rob does business for the owner, so we were able to get it for a steal."

"that's awesome," i said, watching the sights out the window as we drove. it was hard not to think about how much i loved and missed this city. even though i had thrown a wrench in rob's questioning earlier, i had been unable to shake his words. two years ago, i let something drive me away from the one place that had totally resonated with me.

"what do you think?" melissa asked, pulling into a dirt lot behind a large industrial warehouse.

"well, it looks like a warehouse," i said, climbing from the vehicle.

"don't be a baby. the transformation is on the inside."

"i know," i laughed. "i'm just kidding. it looks great."

melissa nodded, leading me to the oversized door that was standing wide open. we entered the dim space together and i was instantly taken. the interior was rugged and chic at the same time. there was a stage set back in the far corner of the building. a large glazed concrete dance floor sat directly in front of it, bordered with high tables and plush bar stools. the floor surrounding the dance area was a rich dark wood that had been polished to a high shine. the opposite side of the building held low couches grouped together to form intimate seating areas away from the music. the overall feel of the space screamed classy. what drew me in the most were the interior walls. i marveled at the intricate artwork painted across the entire room.

"he's phenomenal, huh?" melissa asked, following my gaze along the painted wall. her question left no doubt that justin was the artist behind the masterpiece i was viewing.

"he always has been," i answered, turning as the guys entered through a set of swinging doors that were hidden on the far side of the room.

rob let out a low whistle when he saw melissa. "babe, you look great," he said, taking her hand and pulling her in for a long kiss.

"so, the grunt labor was worth it while i got beautified?" i heard her murmur as he sealed his lips to hers again.

"you look beautiful," justin said to me.

"thank you," i answered, feeling my face blush. it had been so long since he looked at me this way, and yet it felt like not a single day had passed. "you don't look half bad yourself," i answered, taking in the well-cut suit he was wearing.

"this old thing?" he joked, leading me to the bar, where several cocktail waitresses were making last-minute preparations.

i snorted. "old, my foot," i said, looking up at him with a smile that faltered when i saw the pained expression on his face. i immediately regretted dropping my guard. we were forging a tentative friendship, but it seemed we had a long road ahead.

i turned away to gather myself while i asked the bartender for my favorite cocktail, hoping to settle my nerves.

i could hear justin clearing his throat like he had a tickle before he broke the silence. "is that dress backless?" he choked out.

accepting my drink from the bartender, i raised it to my lips, which were curved in a satisfied smile. any doubts i might have had about the dress were put to rest. "is that wrong?" i replied, taking another sip of my drink.

"depends how many guys you're trying to send to the hospital for heart failure tonight," he said, ordering a scotch neat.

"it's really pretty modest," i pointed out, turning to look at him.

"if that's what you call modest, i'd love to see your version of pretentious," he stated, taking a long drink.

"are you hitting on me?" i asked as the alcohol loosened my tongue. we were both playing with fire, but i didn't care. the truce we had established the day before seemed to give us the permission to pick up where we left off two years ago, before our relationship had gone to hell.

"would that be a problem?" he asked, taking my elbow and guiding me toward one of the intimate seating sections.

"i'm not sure," i answered honestly, lowering myself to one of the sofas. "people will probably think we're crazy, and my friend tressa would most likely have serious issues with it."

"do you care what they think?" he asked quietly, taking another drink of his scotch.

"they're just looking out for me. especially tressa. she knows how rough these last two years have been."

he nodded, contemplating my words. i couldn't help wondering if my candidness would scare him off. for a brief moment, i panicked and wished i could retract what i had said, but rightfully, secrets and misunderstandings had torn us apart before. it was time to put those days behind us and start with honesty.

he raised his drink to his lips, downing the rest of the contents while never taking his eyes off mine. in that moment, he made it clear he wouldn't be scared off. a shiver of anticipation raced through me.

33.

present day

thirty minutes later, i was standing with rob and melissa as their guests began to arrive. more than a few of them i recognized from uw. thankfully, even though they looked surprised to see me, they focused their attention on the engaged couple. i was amazed at how quickly the room filled with people.

taking to the role of proper hosts, melissa and rob circulated the building, making sure they mingled with everyone. i had lost justin in the crowd shortly after everyone started to show up and told myself it was probably for the best. we were playing a risky game, and taking time to figure things out was the smart thing to do. with that in mind, i forced myself to mingle with a few people i had been friendly with at uw. i was in the process of catching up with a few girls from school when a set of skinny arms crushed me into a hug.

"brittni," the hugger squealed with adolescent glee.

"hollie, you're all grown up," i said, taking in the preteen in front of me, who was at least a head taller. "you look beautiful," i added.

"thank you," she answered, twirling around so i could admire the full skirt. "i'm so excited you're here. come see mom and trav," she said, pulling me away.

i threw an apologetic look at my old friends as hollie dragged me across the room. "i didn't know you were going to be here," i told her, happily sliding an arm around her shoulders.

"rob had to invite us. mom's been like a second parent to him almost his whole life. she wouldn't have tolerated a non-invite," she pointed out.

i grinned at her logic. that sounded like the trish i remembered. my grin spread to a full-fledged smile when travis spotted me and squealed much like hollie had. his hug was every bit as exuberant, and i found myself returning it fondly. it dawned on me at that moment that except for the drunken hug my friend ashton had given me a few days prior to my seattle trip, it had been two years since anyone had really hugged me. i forgot how much i had grown to like the hugs from this particular family.

"travis, you look absolutely dashing. how does it feel to be a college man?"

"it's cool," he said, smiling broadly.

"brittni, it's so good to see you," trish said as travis finally released me.

"you too, trish," i said, stepping in to give her a tentative hug. she surprised me by pulling me in tightly. "i'm so sorry," she whispered in my ear before releasing me. tears shone brightly in her eyes and i knew justin had told her about the baby.

"he told you?" i asked as hollie and travis rushed over to talk to someone else they knew.