Fall in love again

What do you do when you have nothing else to live for? When the world closes in on you and rips your soul apart, leaving you dying and aching on the inside. How does one regain the pieces that have been scattered to the wind?

On the day I lost Carson, my world went gray and dark. The light inside me died when he was taken from me. I remember wiping the tears angrily away from my eyes as I sat there beside him. I wanted to see him clearly, to remember everything about my final moments with the man I had loved, cherished, and called my husband for the past two years. We were building a life together, and now it was going to be lost.

Holding his hand while he lay broken and battered in the hospital bed, I couldn't begin to fathom what my life was going to be like without him. As strong as Carson was, I knew it took all of his strength to even try to hold on. I wanted to take that pain away and keep it as my own. No one should ever have to see the person they love die in front of their eyes. I knew I would never forget the love and adoration in his gaze when he spoke those final words on his last dying breath.

"I love you, Kori," Carson says to me, his breathing raspy and forced, and I know it's agony for him to breathe because of the broken ribs. His face is almost unrecognizable from the damage of the crash, but no matter what, I'll always see the angelic face of my husband in my mind. My heart has broken into a million pieces just looking at him so helpless and visibly in pain. If I could trade places with him to spare him the anguish I would. A million times over I would.

"I love you so much, Carson. You can't leave me, please don't leave me." I choke as a sob escapes my lips. I have to remain strong for him, but how can I when he's facing death and I'm about to lose him. A tear escapes from the corner of his eye, and before I can speak again he grips my hand tightly.

"Shh, don't cry. I need you to promise me ..."

I lean over him, desperate to hear what he wants me to promise him. I'll promise him anything if it will keep him here longer. "Promise you what, Carson?" I say quickly, knowing time is running out. The beeping of the machines begins to slow down ... slower and slower. Breaking down into tears, I desperately try to cling onto him, to feel the life inside of him before it dies away. How can his time be up when he has so much to live for?

With quivering lips, I kiss him gently, branding the feel of him in my mind so I will always remember. Our final kiss, the last one we will share forever. His eyes flutter open one last time and on his last breath he cries, "Promise me you'll ..." But that's as far as he gets. I sit there frozen, stunned into silence, when I see that he's breathing no more.

"Promise you what, Carson?" I scream desperately. I need to know what he was going to say. I take his face in my hands, willing the life back into his body, but his eyes stay locked onto mine as his soul is set free. The machines begin their long and drawn out beeping, signaling the passing of my beloved husband. I am frozen in place, numb on the outside but in despair on the inside as I stare at the lifeless form of the man I have grown to love and cherish. His body is still, so very still. My tears flow like hot rivers down my cheeks, landing on his bruised face. "I love you. I will always love you," I cry. My lungs feel constricted and the world seems to be closing in around me. I can't breathe, I can't think, and I sure as hell can't believe that my husband is now gone ... forever. How am I going to face the future without him? He's gone ... and from this moment on, so is my heart.

Just when I thought moving on was possible, that day and the way it felt would come stumbling back in like a plague, consuming me with its pain. Sometimes I wanted to imagine it was all just a bad dream, but then reality would strike and the memories came flooding back of the day Carson died, and of the fear that if I ever decided to love again I'd be doomed to face the same torment. Bearing that kind of pain again was not something I wanted to endure.

***

"Are you sure you want to move back? You know, you can stay here as long as you like." My mother's warm face showed her concern, and if she had her way she would have made me live with her and my father forever. As much as I loved my parents, we all knew that I'd be miserable if I stayed there.

When Carson died, I decided to live with my parents for a while. I needed to get away to try to deal with my grief, but mostly I didn't want to be alone. I had no siblings or close family in Charlotte so I had no other choice except to stay with my parents. For six months I had lived with them at their beautiful home in the historical district of Charleston, SC. I loved it there, but it was time for me to go. After loading the last of my belongings into the trunk of my car, I turned around to face my mother. I had been told I looked just like her, except for the hair color. Mine had always been a golden-blonde, whereas hers has always been a deep, chestnut brown. Also, we both happen to be as stubborn as mules, but my mother never owned up to it.

"I know I don't have to leave, Mom, but I can't stay here anymore. I appreciate everything you and Dad have done for me, but I have to live my life the way I want to live it," I said boldly.

She shook her head in disbelief. "But that's just it, Kori. You're not living it! You're twenty-eight years old and have so much to live for. It's been six months since Carson died." At the mention of Carson, I knew my mother could see the hurt that passed over my face. Her voice turned soft and concerned. "You need to move on and get your life back on track."

I had heard those words from her over and over, and every time it took more and more control to keep my calm. I didn't think she would have said that to me if she knew what it felt like to lose the man you loved. I gritted my teeth and put on a fake smile like I always did in this situation. My mother knew it was forced, but she went along with it anyway.

"I'm trying, Mom. That's why I'm moving back to Charlotte, so I can start over. I'm going to start working again and go from there," I informed her, anything to appease her so I could leave. What I hadn't told her was that I was moving back, but I wasn't going back to mine and Carson's home. I rented a condo and planned to stay there until I got the strength to go back home. I knew my parents would find out eventually, but for now I didn't plan on telling them. My mother sighed and pulled me in for a tight embrace. Hugging her with all I had, I breathed in her motherly scent, the aroma that had been my comfort growing up. Other than my grandmother, my mother had always been my biggest supporter.

"That sounds great, sweetheart. You're always welcome to come back any time you want." Releasing her hold, she looked me in the eyes. "I love you, care bear. You will get through this. You're strong and I have complete and utter faith in you."

I nodded, quickly averting my eyes so she couldn't see the tears building up, about to fall. "I love you, Mom," I said as I opened the car door. "I'll call Dad when I get on the road to tell him good-bye."

"He'd appreciate that," she agreed.

I hated that I'd missed him, but his job had called him away on business. He spent most of my childhood years on the road, so I figured that's why my mom and I were really close. She was all I had growing up. My father was a hard man to get along with, always so stern and overprotective. However, after being here and spending time with him, it made me realize that all he ever wanted in life was to make me happy and to make sure my mother and I had everything we needed. My mother began waving at me before I started to back out of the driveway. When I sidled down the road, I took one last look in the rearview mirror. She was still waving, and as she slowly disappeared out of view, that's when the tears began to fall.

"Mr. Matthews?"

"Yes, Rebecca?" I replied over the intercom to my assistant. Her desk was right outside my door, so all she had to do was poke her head in to speak to me, but she insisted on using the intercom. I liked to amuse her, so replying back on the intercom was only a small price to pay. Rebecca was in her early sixties and the sweetest lady I'd ever known, other than my mother. She was a close family friend and had been in my life since I was a boy. Ever since my father died, she had started calling me 'Mr. Matthews' and not Galen. I tried many times to convince her to stop, but she thought it sounded more professional when the clients were around.

Her high-pitched voice came back over the speakers. "Your brother is here. Should I send him in?"

Not expecting to hear this news, I bellowed out a laugh in disbelief. I couldn't believe my little brother actually came. "Send him in!" I called out.

It only took a few seconds before my brother, Brady, came barreling into my office with a huge smirk on his face. His reddish-brown hair had grown longer since the last time I'd seen him, and now it curled over his ears and looked slightly unkempt. That was my brother though. He lived life like it was a playground; all fun and games, and care-free. Everyone would always tell us we were complete opposites, and opposites we were. I loved having fun and doing crazy things just like him, but sometimes life demanded more from me. With my conflicting work schedule and Brady living a couple of hours away, I never really saw him except on holidays. This was definitely a good surprise and a distraction I sorely needed.

"Wow!" Brady exclaimed, looking wide-eyed as he examined my office. Smiling and extending my hand, I thought he was going to acknowledge me, but he ignored the gesture and traipsed over to the windows. From the view that high up, you could see the whole expanse of downtown Charlotte. It was an amazing view and the sole reason why I had chosen this specific office.

"It's nice to see you, too," I mumbled sarcastically, letting my hand drop.

Brady laughed and caught me off guard by pulling me into a brotherly hug. "It's good to see you, brother. You know, I think I made a mistake in not pursuing the family business," he teased.

"Hey, it was your decision to play football instead. You could have easily had all of this, too," I stated, glancing around the office. Brady was never one to want a lot of responsibility, and he made a point to avoid it by all means possible. He also had no interest in architecture so it wouldn't have worked out too well for him anyway.

He looked at me incredulously. "I don't think so. I enjoy not working eighty hours a week, and having a life. Tell me, when was the last time you went out and had any fun?"

I shrugged. "I'll admit it's been a while since I've gone out for pleasure, but it's not so bad working the hours. It keeps me busy, and ... I love it." I do love doing what I do, but my brother was right about one thing. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I went out and had any fun. "So what brings you here early? The party isn't until tomorrow night," I asked curiously. "You're never early for anything, and if I recall correctly you were even late to your own wedding."

He bellowed out a laugh. "Hey, I can't help it that the keys to my car got flushed down the toilet." Brady took the seat across from my desk and smiled at me while he rested his chin in his hand. When my brother looked like that it could only mean one thing ... trouble. He was twenty-seven years old and still the same jokester he has always been. I may only be three years older, but the weight of my responsibilities had made me feel a decade older.

"The last time you had that look we were in college and were almost kicked out because of your schemes. What are you planning now?" I groaned, but in all reality I was actually curious to know what he had up his sleeve.

"Well ..." he paused. "It's not me that's planning it, it's Jenna."

Jenna is Brady's wife, a very beautiful and talented woman. My brother met her in college, and has been whipped ever since. She's also an artist, and her work is absolutely amazing. Every gallery in the area who has exhibited her paintings was completely wiped out once they went on display. There were probably about fifty of her works on my floor of the building alone.

"What may I ask is your wife planning? Please tell me she's not trying to set me up with someone. I think I had enough problems with my last one," I groaned.

"Yeah, your last girlfriend was a bitch. I always wondered what you saw in her. She had a nice body, but that was about it. We're actually here early because Jenna's best friend just moved back from Charleston. She wanted to spend some time with her and wondered if you wouldn't mind if we brought her to the party." This definitely caught my attention, and my eyes went wide at the mention of Jenna's 'best friend.' I knew this best friend, and I knew her well. I couldn't help the thoughts circling through my mind at the possibility of seeing the woman he spoke of again. The last time I saw her was years ago and she had just gotten married.

"Is her husband coming with her?" I asked skeptically. As much as seeing her would be amazing, I really didn't want to see her with her husband.

Taking a deep breath, Brady heaved a large sigh. A frown now marred his face and his eyes grew sad. Not knowing what to expect, I wasn't prepared to hear his next words. "That's the thing, Galen. Korinne's husband passed away about six months ago. He was in a car accident and suffered severe internal injuries. She was devastated and left Charlotte to live with her parents in Charleston for a while. We just heard she moved back and Jenna had this crazy notion that if we got you two together it'll help her friend. Apparently, Korinne hasn't been coping too well with the loss."

This news stunned me into silence. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger over the tragedy, anger from no one telling me and anger for the pain Korinne had to go through. Brady should have known I would want to know. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" I demanded incredulously.

My brother shrugged his shoulder, and it was clear in his eyes that he realized he should have told me, knowing that if it involved Korinne I would have wanted to know. I could remember her as if it was yesterday. When we were in college, her golden-blonde hair was long and wavy, resting just past her shoulders, and her smoky gray eyes could see straight through your soul. She was also a fun, caring young woman with a heart so passionate it would make any man fall hard for her. I know I did, so much so that to this day I still think of her often. A short time after Jenna began dating my brother, they introduced me to Korinne. Before she decided to transfer to a design school in Raleigh, we spent a lot of time together and grew really close, even though we knew we were doomed for heartache. We knew a long distance relationship would be tedious and complicated, so we kept it as casual as we could in the beginning. It didn't work for long, because feelings started to develop on both fronts, and there was no way I could hold back after that. I fell in love hard. The night before she left, I showed up at her apartment to tell her good-bye. We were both devastated and heartbroken, and then one thing led to another. Even though we had sex plenty of times before that, there was something about that night that drew me in more, against my better judgment. I needed her, and she needed me. I held her while she cried, and made love to her the entire night. We both knew there would never be another chance, so we took the night for ourselves.

Brady hesitated and then finally answered, "I don't know why I didn't say anything. It was really tragic the way it all happened. Jenna was heartbroken for her friend, and we just didn't discuss it for a while. I'm giving you fair warning though ... Jenna's on a mission, and I'm sure you can imagine what that mission is."

"I just wish you would have told me. There probably wasn't anything I could have done, but it would have been nice to know." I paused to let that sink in and then I asked, "So Jenna's playing matchmaker again?"

Nodding sheepishly, Brady smiled. "If I could stop her I would, but you know how she gets. She's a determined woman."

"I think I can handle it, and anything else your wife has in mind. As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to it, but I wonder what Korinne will say about all of this."

"There's no telling. Jenna was nervous about asking her." Laughing, Brady stood from his seat. "Well, I better get going since I'm sure you're dying to get back to work."

"Very funny, little brother. I guess I'll see you all tomorrow night."

"I wouldn't miss it." He turned to head for the door, but paused and turned back around. "Oh yeah, I have another favor to ask you," he said while cringing.

"What do you want now?" I questioned.

"Jenna is staying with Korinne tonight. Do you mind if I crash at your place? I really don't want to stay at Mom's," he begged.

I shook my head, exasperated. "Please tell me you've thought about this. If she finds out you're in town and you didn't stay with her she's never going to let you live that down."

Brady groaned and nodded. "I know, it's just that she drives me crazy sometimes."

The past year had been a rough one for my family. My father passed away five months ago, and we all took it pretty hard, especially my mother. Luckily, she seemed to be on the mend. I, however, had inherited the family business, and with that came a lot of responsibilities. Taking the keys from the desk drawer, I handed Brady the key to my house. He snatched it up excitedly and looked at it as if it was a treasure. "Don't mess with anything while you're there, you hear me? I don't want it to be like last time when you cost me hundreds of dollars to get my things fixed," I ordered in a serious tone.

"You have nothing to worry about," he promised. Yeah right, I thought.

Once my brother had gone, I was left to the silence of my office while thoughts of Korinne and our last night together replayed repeatedly in my mind. Tomorrow I was holding the quarterly cocktail party for my employees, and for once I was actually looking forward to it. The question was ... would Korinne be looking forward to it, too?

The boxes in the room surrounded me, and there was hardly any place to walk, or even see the floor for that matter. The desire to unpack or decorate anything was not something I wanted to do. What is ironic about that, is decorating had been what I loved most before Carson died. Being hired to decorate for a living had earned me a name in these parts of the state. Magazines had featured me, and newspapers had run articles on my talents. However, all of that felt like a dream now. I didn't feel like that person anymore. When Carson died, my ambition to do anything died along with him.

I thought coming back home was what would hopefully help me find my way to that spark again. I wanted to have my life back, a life where I could be happy. It was just the fear that held me captive.

I rented a furnished condo in the south-east district of Charlotte, NC. It was one of the smaller condos in this development, but I had no need for the extra space. I preferred the close quarters because anything larger would've made the loneliness seem greater. My phone buzzed, rescuing me from my thoughts. Looking down at the screen, I saw that it was my life-long friend, Jenna Perry, now Matthews, since she got married. The name on the screen read 'Twink' which was the nickname she had gotten in college. A few drunken nights had left us with some pretty ridiculous nicknames. Mine happened to be 'Ducky' and Jenna loved to use it. We met in college and had become instant friends. We kept in touch after I transferred, and saw each other often. Once she got married to Brady, they packed up and moved a couple of hours away. I missed her greatly, and wished every day that she could be here with me.

Hearing her voice was exactly what I needed. "Hey, Twink."

"Where are you?" she demanded, sounding impatient and concerned. "I called your parents a few hours ago and they said you decided to come home. Why didn't you tell me?"

I sighed. "Because I didn't want to bother you. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"Well, it is a big deal when I drive all the way to your house and it looks like a ghost town. You're not here, so where are you?" she ordered again with more force in her tone. "What's going on?"

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "You're in town? I didn't know you were coming down."

"Yes, I came to see you, silly. Now stop dodging the question. Where are you?"

I had hoped to keep my living situation a secret, but again it's a secret that couldn't be kept for too long. Sinking down into the cold leather of my stiff couch, I decided it was best to try and explain to my friend how weak I had been, and how I couldn't handle walking into the house I shared with Carson.

"I couldn't do it, Twink. I thought I could go home, but I don't think I can face it alone. I'm just not ready. I rented a condo not far from the house, so I'm going to stay here for a few months until I get back on my feet."

If there's anyone I could admit my weaknesses to, it would be Jenna, but it killed me to sound so weak. I had always been the strong and stubborn female out of my friends. Always the leader, the one who took charge and wouldn't take shit from anyone. Where was that woman, the one who was strong and fearless? How can I get her back, and how long was it going to take to feel normal again?

"Give me your address and I'll be right there. And just so you know, I'm staying the night because tomorrow we have big plans." She screamed the last part in my ear, so obviously she was excited about something.

I groaned. "What kind of plans are you talking about?" Knowing her, it could be anything.

"I'll tell you later, but for now we're going to have some girl time. I'm bringing the cookie dough ice cream!" she squealed. I could just picture her now, jumping up and down with a goofy grin on that face of hers. It made it hard for me not to smile, and if anyone could get me to smile it would be her. After giving her my address, she said she would be right there and hung up. Now I wondered what those plans were for tomorrow night.

***

"What kind of party are we going to that requires me to dress like this?" I asked skeptically. Obviously amused, Jenna smiled at me, winking for emphasis.

"Ducky, stop worrying. You look fantastic." She grinned sweetly. I watched her as she put on the finishing touches of her makeup and fluffed her brown curls until they were perfect.

The dress Jenna made me wear was very beautiful and worked perfectly for the weather, since it was a chilly night in March. The black sweater dress fit snugly over my slight curves, but had somewhat of an itchy feel to it that was kind of annoying. Luckily I knew I would get used to it. Jenna came behind me and placed a thick silver belt across my midsection and fastened it in the back. Groaning at her persistence, I knew it was no use to argue with her. I had argued with her for an hour while she did my hair and makeup. When Jenna gets into one of her determined mood swings there's nothing that anyone can do to stop her.

Once Carson died there was no reason for me to get dressed up and go out. It felt pointless because I knew I would be spending the whole time depressed while other couples were together and having fun. 'Date nights' were what I looked forward to most with Carson. We would eat at one of our favorite restaurants, take long walks in the park, and then we would go back home and talk for hours on the little pier behind our house overlooking the lake. Afterwards, we would go inside and make love to each other until the sun came up the next morning. I missed the way his hands felt when he touched my body, and the way he tasted when he would kiss me. Knowing I would never feel those things again with my husband sent the pain shooting straight through my heart. Why did memories have to hurt? They were good memories, but the pain of them still left an aching in my chest. I didn't want to feel that way anymore. All I wanted was to be happy.

"Korinne! Kori!" Jenna yelled.

Jerking to attention, I looked at Jenna wide-eyed and snapped, "Why are you yelling at me? I'm standing right here!"

"I know, but I've been talking to you for the past five minutes. When I looked at you it was like you were in another world. Are you okay?" Her voice took on the motherly tone she always had when she was worried. Placing her hands on my shoulders, Jenna turned me to face her. Her soft, brown eyes raked over me with concern and sympathy, and it reminded me of my mother because she had spent the last six months looking at me the same way.

"I'll be fine," I assured her, holding back the tears as best I could. "I just got caught up in some memories. I haven't been out since my last date night with Carson, so it kind of hurts knowing this will be my first time without him."

She nodded and said softly, "It's understandable. I know that it'll be hard to get back on track, but I have faith in you. You can do this. Brady texted and said he'll be here in five minutes."

Brady and Jenna met in college and now they were happily married. We used to have some fun times in college together before I relocated to a different school. Not long after I transferred, I met Carson. It was at a little coffee shop near Duke where he was attending med school. He happened to be standing too close to me at the counter, so when I turned around I bumped into him and my coffee splattered all over his clothes. Needless to say, it wasn't love at first sight, but it soon grew to love and then to marriage.

Jenna's phone buzzed, signaling that Brady was there and I needed to get my mind focused on trying to have fun. Straightening my shoulders, I put on a smile and grabbed for my clutch. "Let's go," I urged with forced enthusiasm. That night was going to be my first giant step to achieving somewhat of a normal life.

Brady was waiting for us by his car, and of course his eyes lit up the moment he saw Jenna. Whose wouldn't? She was beautiful and smart, and stunning in her form-fitting red dress. Brady's reddish-brown hair had grown since the last time I saw him, but his midnight blue eyes were still the same. He was a twenty-seven year old pro-football player that had a career ending injury during his first year. Now he coached his local high school's football team, and Jenna said he absolutely loved it.

"It's good to see you again, Korinne," he stated warmly, opening the car door for me. "I hope you're excited about tonight." The undertone to his voice had me curious, like he was up to something. Most likely he was, because he would act the same way when we were in college when he was cooking up trouble.

"Thank you. It's good to see you, too," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. I slid into the backseat and he gave me a wolfish grin before shutting the door. Oh yeah, something was up. He kissed Jenna on the cheek before opening the door for her to climb in the front. He may be a complete jokester, but I'd only ever seen him treat Jenna with the utmost care and respect. Their personalities complemented each other perfectly.

"You two look amazing together," I whispered softly.

"He has his moments," Jenna admitted, staring at her husband as he made his way to his side of the car. "But I know without a doubt that one of these days someone will come into your life and heal that heart of yours."

"I wouldn't count on that," I mumbled.

"We'll see." She smiled.

Once Brady was in the car and we were headed on our way, I decided to try and figure out what was going on. "Brady?" I began.

He quickly acknowledged me, but then turned his face back to the road. "Yeah," he replied.

"Jenna here wouldn't tell me where we're going. Would you be so kind as to tell me?" I said, giving Jenna a sideways glance. He and Jenna looked at each other and it seemed like a silent conversation took place between them. When Jenna gave the final glare, Brady threw his hands up and sighed.

"I guess we can't keep it a secret for long," he announced. "Why do you always leave the hard parts for me?" he asked Jenna, giving her a glare. Directing the conversation to me, he casually explained, "My brother invited us to a cocktail party that his company has every so often in appreciation to the employees. Ever since he took over, he does this for everyone. It's his way of giving back to them for working so hard."

"You can't be serious," I shrieked, astounded and scared all in one. "Did I just hear you right? We are talking about Galen, am I correct?"

"Yes." Brady grinned sheepishly.

My heart began beating rapidly and my jittery nerves had me shaking. I hadn't seen Galen since Jenna and Brady's wedding, and I remembered being nervous about it because he was going to be seeing me with Carson. He had moved on to another woman, who I met at the wedding. She was a snooty looking brunette who gave me the evil eye the whole time, and I couldn't stop wondering why Galen would've gotten mixed up with a bitch like that.

"Does he know I'm coming?" I asked nervously.

Brady nodded. "Yes, he does. I talked to him about it yesterday. I think he's happy he gets to see you again."

What the hell am I going to say to him when I see him? I thought to myself. I slowly sat back against the seat as we approached downtown Charlotte. When I got my degree in interior design, I had always thought I would one day work for this area's lead architectural firm. It just so happened that it's Galen's family business. His dad had brought it up from nothing to the giant success it is now. I always anticipated a call from them, but it never happened.

We pulled up outside of the huge high-rise building of M&M Architectural Building and Design. The valet attendants were in abundance that night, and were eagerly awaiting the guests. Every time I see valets, I have a Ferris Bueller moment. Like for instance, the part in the movie where the two men took the nice, red sports car out for a ride while Ferris and his friends enjoyed a day downtown. Sometimes I wondered if that stuff actually happened in real life.

"All right, ladies, let's go!" Brady called out.

The lobby we entered had me frozen in place the moment we walked in. If there was a heaven in the designing world, it would be here. I had never seen anything so immaculate in all my years of decorating, but what caught my attention were the various paintings. Jenna's artwork was splayed everywhere, and I knew it was hers because I had seen her work on many occasions. How come she never told me about any of this? I wondered.

"Kori, stop gawking and come on," Jenna snapped playfully.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know, and I'll tell you all about it later, but we're already running late."

Pointing my eyes in Brady's direction, I stated adamantly, "Yeah, and we all know why we're running late."

Jenna laughed as I followed them to the elevators. It didn't surprise me when I saw Brady push the top level button. When the doors shut, we made our way up the dozens of floors until the elevator finally opened. I was amazed to see that there were hundreds of people milling about in the wide open expanse of the room beyond. It was an open-style room with tables lined up everywhere, drinks and food decorating every single surface. It almost looked too good to eat. All sides of the room were nothing but glass windows, and I bet if I were to go to them I would see all of downtown and then some. I bet I could see my condo development from there as well.

"Ladies, have fun and mingle. I'm going to find my brother," Brady said before snagging a glass of champagne from the table. Jenna and I both grabbed one as well, and I welcomed it. I was probably going to need more than one to cool my anxious nerves.

"Let's get something to eat. The food looks amazing!" Jenna exclaimed.

We ate a few bites of food from the many tables, and I had to say the party was impressive. I'd been to a few designing conventions, but never to anything as grand. It had to be hard to find employers that would do this kind of thing for their employees. I bet they all loved Galen. I know I did years ago.

Gazing at the beautiful lights of downtown, Jenna and I stood there with our wine and admired the view.

"Are you nervous about seeing him again?" Jenna asked.

I laughed. "You have no idea. It's been so long since I've seen him."

Jenna rubbed my shoulder and smiled. "I'm sure you two will be just fine."

"You're not trying to set me up with him again, are you?" I wondered.

Jenna avoided any and all eye contact with me, and that was answer enough. Before I was able to protest, I saw Brady's reflection in the window. Walking alongside of him was his brother, Galen. A chill ran down my spine, making me shiver, and it wasn't the temperature in the room. Galen's gaze never left mine as he moved closer and closer. The world began to move in slow motion as I stood there frozen and locked in his powerful trance.

Jenna broke me out of the daze by grabbing my arm and pulling me around to face the man I had left years ago. The same man I had loved and hated to leave. "Kori, look who it is!" Jenna let me go and gave Galen an excited hug. "It's so good to see you again, Galen!"

"Same to you Jenna," he replied, although his focus was purely on me. Galen looked the same as he did before; only now more rugged, yet sophisticated. His spiky, ash-blond hair glistened in the soft, serene light of the room, and his eyes were the same majestic blue that would make anyone melt at first glance. They were so clear they looked almost magical, and for a moment there I was beginning to think that magic was swaying me in. Galen smiled, probably because I was staring, but for some reason I couldn't seem to move much less think.

"Thank you for letting me come, Galen," I stammered awkwardly. I didn't know whether to hug him or hold out my hand, so I did the latter. He took my hand and instead of shaking it he just held it tenderly in his. For a moment there I forgot to breathe, and I basked in the pleasure of his touch.

"No thanks necessary. I'm glad you could come." Still holding my hand, he looked over at his brother. "Can you believe it's actually the first time I could get my brother to come to one of my parties?"

"You know, I couldn't care less about these types of things," Brady mocked while looking around the room, feigning boredom. I could tell he was lying by the glint in his eye. Brady was never one to not enjoy a good party.

"Brady, honey, why don't we get something to eat," Jenna insisted. She winked at me behind Galen's back, and I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what she was trying to do.

Glaring at Jenna, I pulled my hand gently from Galen's clasp. I did not sign up for Jenna to play matchmaker with me. Even though Galen and I had a past, I didn't think I was ready for anything like that yet. My hands went clammy and my heart felt like it was in my throat.

"But you already ate, Jenna," I said with an edge to my tone. I knew she clearly understood what I meant by that tone, but she smiled and quickly peeked over at Galen before looking back to me.

"It's okay," Galen interrupted, looking at his brother and my traitorous friend. "I'll keep her company. She'll be safe with me." For some reason I didn't believe him. No part of my body was safe with Galen around.

He lightly grasped my elbow and led me to a secluded corner of the room, where we sat on a vacant sofa. "I'm so glad you came. Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked.

I nodded while taking a sip of my champagne. "I am actually. It's the first time I've been out in a while. You seem to be doing very well for yourself," I pointed out, looking around the room.

Shrugging, he smiled. "I'm managing pretty well I guess."

"I'm actually impressed with the setup you have here. I bet your employees love you! I mean, look at them," I said, watching the crowd. "They seem happy, all smiling and laughing." I paused because I was rambling, and Galen knew that rambling is what I do when I get nervous.

He laughed and took my hand. "Korinne, you don't need to be nervous." My face turned scarlet red in that moment, so I bowed my head and bit my lip to hide the embarrassment. Galen released my hand and settled it on my leg. His fingers brushed my thigh and it made everything inside of me burn hot. Shifting in the seat, I cleared my throat and moved over a little bit on the couch so I could have more space.

Meeting his steady, yet amused, gaze I found my voice to speak again, something to get my mind off of his touch. "How does it feel to be owner of one of the most sought out architectural firms in the United States?"

Galen shrugged. "When my dad died it was hard, but it was a learning process. I seem to be doing well I think." He tilted his head to the side and studied me. "How about you? I've heard some amazing things about your talents. I believe I saw you in a couple of magazines, if I'm not mistaken."

I grinned. "Yes, that was me. It feels like that was a long time ago." We sat there in silence for a moment, and I hesitated before I spoke my next words. "You know, I always wondered if I would hear from you," I said softly. Averting my gaze, I took a sip of the champagne. I would have loved to work for M&M, but given mine and Galen's past, I knew it probably wouldn't have been such a good idea. I didn't think Carson would've liked it if I worked for a man I used to be in love with.

"I did," Galen admitted.

Choking on my drink, I coughed a couple of times as his admission sunk in. "What do you mean? When ... how?" I sputtered.

Deep in thought, Galen rubbed his smoothly shaven chin and looked down at the floor. "If I'm not mistaken, it was about four months ago, but I was told you had taken a leave of absence. I'm assuming it was after your husband passed away."

"That's true," I confessed sadly. "But who did you speak to? I never knew you called."

"I believe it was your mother. I didn't want to pry, so I left you be in hopes that one day you would get back to me," he added.

"My life was a bit harder back then," I stated. "I left Charlotte and moved to Charleston to stay with my family for a while."

"Are you back in business now? We could always use your expertise," he said while playfully nudging me in the side. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood.

I smiled at his playfulness, but I knew my eyes showed the sadness I felt. "Actually, I'm not decorating at the moment. I just don't feel like I'm ready," I admitted softly.

"I understand. Take all the time you need, but when you do decide to start back, make sure you let me know," he pleaded.

I smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Galen laughed, and I saw the dimple in his left cheek that I used to always love back when we were in college. My fingers ached to touch it, and I almost brought my hand up to do just that. Luckily I caught myself in time and clasped my hands firmly together. It all brought back memories. Memories of a time when we were carefree and happy and of a time when we were always together. Galen sidled closer and reached for my hand again. His hands were warm, and that warmth travelled to every nerve ending of my body. I missed having a man's touch, and Galen's was one I remembered very well. Wait, what was I thinking? I shouldn't be feeling that way. I couldn't let myself fall for someone again, even if that person was a man I'd already fallen for once.

Jenna and Brady were heading our way and I couldn't have been happier. I feared what my traitorous heart was going to do if I stayed there with Galen much longer. "Kori, it's getting late. I think we're about to leave. Are you ready to go?" Jenna asked with a smirk. Letting out a relieved sigh, I quickly stood and moved away from Galen. Jenna saved me from getting too close. It's too dangerous to be that close to him.

"I can drive you home if you want to stay," Galen insisted.

My heart screamed for me to stay, but my head was telling me to leave and never look back. I glanced from Galen to Jenna. They both appeared hopeful, but I knew I was about to burst both their bubbles.

"I'm a little tired. I think I'll go home," I revealed sheepishly.

"I'll be out of town for the next three weeks, but I would love to give you a call when I get back. Maybe we could have coffee or dinner?" he suggested. Galen searched my face for an answer, but I kept my expressions blank. My emotions were everywhere and I didn't know exactly how I was supposed to feel. It was all so confusing.

"We'll see," were the only words I could muster up.

"Whenever you're ready," Galen offered. Smiling at him, I turned around to follow Brady and Jenna to the elevators. Before the doors closed, the last thing I saw were Galen's piercing blue eyes staring straight into my soul and into my heart.