Page 33 of Angels Are Falling

The guys fawned over our posh home as they entered, repeatedly asking me if I sold drugs on the side and whether they could join the business because it clearly paid better than the magazine. Part of me reluctantly admitted to wanting to host the pregame in hopes of this very reaction, especially from Matt. I was too ashamed to invite my friends over to our previous run-down home. The one time I let Matt come over in high school, he had joked about our flimsy front door and shabby couches. It had seemed like good-natured ribbing, but I had picked up on the passive-aggressive taunts after years at my high school. Things were different now.

The three men followed me to the living room. “Guys, this is my wife, Amelie. This is Marcus, the other photographer on the Africa expedition. This is Will, he was the journalist who covered the piece. And this is Matt, Obsidian’s creative director.”

Amelie forced a smile. “It’s so nice to meet you guys. I can’t wait to hear about your trip.”

“I don’t know if you remember, but Matt went to Blairclub Prep with us. Imagine my shock when I landed in Tanzania, and he introduced himself as the creative director.” I clapped his back.

When Matt winced, I realized I had slapped him harder than necessary. Perhaps I was still holding on to some resentment despite vowing to start fresh. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to discover he held a leadership position at Obsidian, one that ranked higher than mine. I was positive that his father had paved the way for him, as he had in high school. At least I was now richer than Matt in terms of net worth. I only worked at the magazine because it was my dream job, but it still sucked to be his subordinate.

“Oh, I don’t know if we ever met,” Amelie said graciously.

“I think I remember seeing you around.” Matt’s response was just as well-mannered. “Were you on the cheer squad?”

The rest of the men were equally courteous, making polite inquiries and flooding Amelie with, Stefan has told us so much about you. Once the small talk ended, the guys became distracted by the art decorating the walls and took it upon themselves to do a closer inspection. I poured them a round of drinks and told Amelie we were heading out for the night.

“You’re leaving?” she asked, caught off guard. “What about dinner?”

I had never been one for boys’ nights. Perhaps it was a bad idea to start on the first night Amelie was back. Then again, she had plans with Kai, and the kids had a nanny. I had to honor my agreement with Kai to be flexible while he was in town. What purpose would I serve by sticking around?

I gave her a big smile, hoping to assuage her annoyance. “Amelie, it’s almost nine o’clock. I had dinner an hour ago.”

She pursed her lips. “It’s just… I miss you.” She lowered her voice while the guys chitchatted about one of the art pieces. “Can we stay together tonight?”

I would love nothing more, but the situation was complicated.

Before they left, Kai pulled me aside to discuss Amelie’s hostility toward him. She had been the most aggrieved party among the three of us, and this arrangement would never work with her ripping into him at every turn. Kai was also scaling back at work to find a new home-life balance. He didn’t put any particulars in place but suggested giving them space to sort things out and adapt to their new lives. After the adjustment period, he was fine splitting time more proportionately.

It was a logical plan. We couldn’t live harmoniously until she could at least tolerate Kai. But how would she get used to him if I was always around like her security blanket?

For the next few weeks, they’d probably spend every night together. I had hoped to still hang out with her at other times, but Kai expected her at dinner.

I plastered on a phony smile. “We made a pact to grab a proper drink after the trip. Besides, you have plans,” I pointed out, glancing at the set of double doors that led to Kai’s side of the house.

“Right.” She nodded. “So…”

“So… I’ll see you later?” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her soft lips. Her body molded against mine with a gentle hum. She tasted like mint and something else that was uniquely her. I caught the scent of her perfume—jasmine—and leaned closer with a shudder. Fuck, I loved her. It was the first time I could openly kiss her because Kai wasn’t around. Despite wanting to, I didn’t deepen the kiss because my friends were openly gawking like teenagers. Fucking idiots.

I glanced at the bags on the coffee table. “I wanted to see your reaction when you opened them,” I murmured.

She gave me a tight smile. “How about tomorrow morning? We can open them over breakfast.”

I smiled, and this time, it was real. “I’ll text the chef to make us something special.”

“Seven thirty?”

“It’s a date.”

Chapter

Ten

AMELIE

The door slammed shut as Stefan left with his new friends.

I wasn’t invited.

Stefan had never been one for boys’ nights, and while I didn’t mind, I hadn’t expected it on my first night back. Nor had I anticipated being left alone in this god-awful house.