Chapter 2
PHOEBE
What am I doing? I shouldn’t be here.
Yet here I am in JFK’s departures lounge, drowning in a sea of couples and families who all look like they know exactly where they’re going.
I watch as a plane takes off. Advertisements flash on screens throughout the terminal, each with an enticing new offer. I look away, overwhelmed by all the stimulation.
My phone rings. It’s Penny.
“I need to leave,” I tell her without so much as a hello.
“Why? What happened?”
“Nothing. They’re not here yet, but I should leave before they get here.”
I glance down at my suitcase. It’s been packed since before the wedding.
I’d picked out some gorgeous lace sets, perfect one-piece bathing suits, and ethereal shawls I raided Bergdorf’s for.
My finest summer outfits for my honeymoon with Matthew Hearst, one of New York’s most eligible bachelors until he popped the question.
I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. I look down at my ring finger, once again naked.
“Phoebe, breathe. You’re spiraling out of control,” Penny warns. “You deserve to get away from everything. Go to Hawaii. Have a good time. Let the guys spoil you. It’s what they want. It’s what you want, too, though you may not realize it yet.”
“I just want peace and quiet,” I tell her.
“What’s more peaceful than white sand beaches, turquoise blue water, and perfect weather?”
“What if they’re just doing it for clout?”
“Clout?”
“Internet celebrity. Matthew dumped my sorry ass for that.”
“First of all, correction—he dumped your gorgeous ass. Second, the guys don’t need clout.
They run a successful business together, remember?
A business from which, might I add, Matthew was dumb enough to back out of before it actually took off.
He missed out on billions of dollars’ worth of profits.
Called it his biggest regret. I’m sure it was, from a financial standpoint. ”
“Yet they stayed friends with him. Until yesterday, anyway.”
“Case in point, Phoebe. These guys are going to make sure you enjoy your trip. They’re going to make this whole shitstorm worthwhile,” Penny says. “Deep breath, honey. Just kick back and relax. You need this.”
“Deep breath,” I echo then gasp as I see them coming. “Call you back.”
I hang up before Penny can reply and put the phone away. It’s hard to take my eyes off Dominic, August, and Theo. They stand out in every good way possible.
All three move like they own the terminal—linen shirts that somehow don’t wrinkle, slacks that fit like sin. When they spot me, their smiles hit like a physical force. My knees threaten betrayal.
Shit, shit, shit. I start to panic. I can still back out. Call the whole thing off. I’m the one in control.
August and Dominic are identical twins, but I’ve never mixed them up.
August is built like he could throw me over his shoulder without breaking stride.
Dominic has this edge to him, dark eyes that suggest he’s three steps ahead and enjoying every second of it.
Both move with the kind of confidence that comes from never having to prove themselves.
“Phoebe!” Theo exclaims as they reach me. He’s almost as tall as the twins, his long blonde hair caught in a tight manbun while his sky-blue eyes measure me from head to toe with a mixture of admiration and curiosity.
“I think this was a mistake,” I reply, my voice breaking.
Their good humor fades while I struggle to focus on my descent into cowardice. It’s easier if I just run away. I’ve already been humiliated in public.
“Phoebe, are you having second thoughts?” August steps forward, his gaze drilling into my very soul.
“Yes. No. Maybe.”
My brain’s fried, that’s for sure. I can’t think straight, not when he’s so focused on me. The three have always had a subtle impact on my senses, even when I was head over heels with Matthew. But I’m a loyal woman, and my heart belonged to one man.
There’s something about their presence, about the energy they manifest, both individually and when they’re together.
The kind of strength a woman can appreciate.
The kind of safety, I realize now, I never felt during my relationship with Matthew.
Since the public breakup, and while digging through the plethora of conflicting emotions surrounding the entire event, I have to admit I’ve gained some clarity.
Reasons to move on and thank the skies I didn’t end up married after all.
“Which is it?” Dominic chuckles softly.
Theo sighs deeply. “She’s going through the motions, fellas. Panic. Fear. Uncertainty. She took a leap with us, and now she’s considering a hole in the ground where nobody can find her. Am I right?”
“Pretty much,” I reply, surprised by the accuracy of his assessment.
Then again, Theo is the CFO of their company. The man makes a stellar living out of analyses and financial predictions, reports and stock market fluctuations. He can read most people like an open book.
“Will moping, feeling sorry for yourself, and waiting for the storm to pass make you feel better?”
“Doubt it. It’s just my instinct.”
“How about two weeks in Hawaii, sunbathing on a gorgeous beach, sipping on mai tai’s, eating top quality seafood, and splashing in the ocean? Among many other stress-relieving activities,” Dominic says. “I bet that would make you feel better.”
“I suppose it would,” I reply. “It’s just that everything is happening so fast.”
“Life isn’t slow, Phoebe,” August says. “Right now, Matthew is probably making the most of his newfound freedom, trashing your name wherever he goes in order to improve his image. It’s a classic egotistical move.
Rally an army of shallow followers, spread the word, and enjoy a good woman’s downfall.
So why give him the satisfaction after what he did to you? ”
They have an interesting way of looking at things, one that resonates with the angry part of me.
The part that desires some kind of revenge.
I think about what Penny said about this trip and it makes sense.
My courage returns as I look at each of these men.
Oddly, it’s as if I am truly seeing them for the first time.
“Okay, let’s say we do this,” I reply, the wheels quickly turning in my head. “What are your expectations?”
Theo chuckles softly. “You didn’t think that one through when you posted the invitation video, did you?”
“No, sir, I did not,” I quip. “I didn’t think anything through, period. But I have heard the rumors about you three.”
“Rumors,” August replies, his eyes narrowed. “Such as?”
I’m blushing. My tongue is tied. But I opened this can and I need to deal with it. My father taught me that much before he passed away. “Your polyamorous lifestyle, let’s call it.”
The men exchange amused glances before they shift their focus back to me, and in that moment, every nerve ending in my body comes alive. Inevitably, I draw a comparison to how Matthew’s supposedly adoring gaze made me feel. It was nothing like this.
“We’re close friends. Best friends,” Dominic says. “For as long as we can remember, ever since we were kids. And yes, we share pretty much everything.”
“Once in a while, a woman comes along who entices the three of us in equal measure,” August adds. “Does that bother you, Phoebe?”
“I’m going on the assumption that we’re just taking a holiday to Hawaii here,” I nervously laugh. At the same time, new thoughts and ideas blossom in my head. The kind I’ve never had before. I find myself enticed by all three of them. “That’s what this is, right?”
Theo offers a soft, reassuring smile. “This can be anything you want it to be, Phoebe. You’re in control.
We’re just going along for the ride because you invited us.
You deserve better. The only thing I can guarantee is that things will get better.
What Matthew did is unforgivable. We meant every word in that video. ”
I nod slowly, a genuine smile forming on my lips. It could just be nothing more than a fun trip, something I definitely deserve. A day or six at the spa. Fruity cocktails and a cool breeze. Warm sunshine raining down on my body.
My phone rings again. “Oh, hold on,” I say as I check the screen. It’s a video call from my mother. “It’s Mom. Yikes.”
“You should answer,” August says. “Tell Helen we said hi.”
“She’ll love that,” I laugh and swipe to take the call. “Hey, Mom. And Crystal.” My sister sits next to her.
They both look gorgeous, as always. Blonde curls framing their oval faces, cheeks and lips plump with filler and a layer of dewy blush, the familiarity of their blue eyes plucking at my heart strings.
Ironically, other than DNA, we have nothing in common.
“Phoebe, what do you think you’re doing?” Mom asks, her brow furrowed. “Are you at the airport?”
“I told you she was going to do it,” Crystal says, a grin on her face.
“I’m going on my honeymoon. It’s already paid for,” I reply.
“With the groomsmen? Have you lost your damn mind? Have you no shame?” Mom gasps, looking like she’s about to blow a gasket.
Crystal rolls her eyes. “You think you’re getting back at Matthew by doing this, but you’re really just embarrassing us. Baldwin Enterprises doesn’t need your messy love life splattered all over the tabloids.”
“Someone should have told Matthew that before he started all this,” I say, stealing a glance at the guys. They’re smiling, quietly watching as I try to build up the courage to resist my family’s influence. It’s always a mission and I often fail.
“You should be the graceful one and finish it, not make it worse,” Mom says. When I don’t reply, she continues. “Phoebe, enough is enough. Cancel this circus and come home. You have better things to do with your life.”
“Actually, right now, I don’t,” I calmly tell her. “And if you cared about me, even a little, you would understand. There’s no harm in going on a holiday, especially after that monstrous humiliation.”
“Oh, please, get over it already,” Crystal says flatly.