3. Liam
3
LIAM
I walk out of the conference room with Alex, my mind spinning. The image of Bianca in that tailored pantsuit, those heels clicking against the polished floor, burns into my brain.
"Man, can you believe that?" Alex shakes his head, looking just as shocked as I am.
I don't respond. Instead, I keep replaying the moment she walked in, how composed she looked. Her braids swinging as she moved with confidence, completely at ease. It’s like she doesn’t even remember the mess she left behind. My jaw clenches just thinking about it. Alex nudges me, clearly trying to snap me out of my daze.
"Hey, you good?" he asks, his brow furrowed with concern. I force a nod, even though I'm anything but. How the hell am I supposed to be good when Bianca just waltzed back into our lives like nothing happened?
Alex’s voice fades into the background as memories crash over me. The last time I saw Bianca, she was standing on the beach, the sun setting behind her. Her laughter mingled with the sound of the waves. It was a perfect evening—or so I thought.
We’d spent the day talking about dreams, future plans, things that seemed so real back then. She mentioned wanting to start her own interior design business one day. We talked about Alex, James and I opening our real estate company. We were on the same wavelength, or so it seemed.
Then she vanished. No warning, no explanation. Just gone.
Seeing her today ripped open that box. All those emotions came flooding back like a tidal wave. The shock in her eyes when she saw us matched my own, but she quickly masked it with that professional fa?ade of hers.
Bianca didn’t even show up to our graduation party. James, Alex and I spent four years together, hustling through classes, pulling all-nighters, dreaming about what we’d do after we tossed our caps in the air. When we met Bianca, she'd blended seamlessly into the fold.
Alex nudges me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blink and realize I’ve been standing here, staring at nothing.
"Earth to Liam," Alex says, his tone light but his eyes searching. "You good, man?"
I shake my head, trying to clear the fog. "Yeah, yeah. Just... fuck, that was weird."
"Tell me about it." He lets out a low whistle. "I mean, of all the people we could have hired, it had to be her."
"Of all the people," I repeat, still reeling from the shock. "How does that even happen? We’re in a city full of designers and she’s the one that walks through that door?"
Alex chuckles softly, but there’s an edge to it. "The universe has a fucked up sense of humor, doesn’t it?"
I look over at him, noting the way his jaw tightens slightly. He’s trying to play it off, but I know him too well.
"You think she’s here to fuck with us?" I ask.
Alex shrugs. "I don’t think so. She seemed just as surprised as we were."
I nod slowly. "Yeah. She did look pretty shocked."
He runs a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "Even so, after all this time? It’s hard to wrap my head around."
"No kidding," I mutter. "One minute she’s gone without a trace, and now she’s back like nothing happened."
Alex leans against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Guess we’ll have to see how this plays out. But man, it’s going to be a trip working with her."
"Understatement of the fucking year," I reply dryly.
He smirks at me, but there’s something deeper in his gaze—something thoughtful. "Hey, at least her designs are killer. Gotta give her that."
I can’t argue with that. Her presentation was top-notch; she always had an eye for detail and creativity that set her apart.
"Yeah. She’s good at what she does," I admit reluctantly.
Alex claps a hand on my shoulder. "We’ll figure it out, Liam. We always do."
His confidence is infectious, but there's still a part of me that's wary—wary of opening old wounds and getting too close again.
As Alex and I leave and head to our next meeting, my thoughts are a storm.
"Hey, you sure you’re, okay?" Alex asks, his voice pulling me back to the present, again.
"Yeah," I snap, a bit too harshly, sighing as I rub my hand down my face
He nods, his face understanding but wary. “Yeah, I can’t say I’m not fucked up about it either.”
We cross into the lobby, our footsteps echoing in the spacious hall. My mind replays that morning on the beach again. How she smiled at me like nothing could ever go wrong.
I try to shake off the memories, but they cling like shadows. Every step closer to our meeting room is heavier with unanswered questions and unresolved feelings.
I force the thoughts out of my head. I can't start thinking about her like this. Fuck, not in that way again.
"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, running a hand through my hair.
Alex shoots me a look.
How can I explain that seeing her again has ripped open wounds I thought had long since healed? That part of me wants to shake her, demand answers, while another part wants to...
No. I shut that thought down hard. I can't go there. Won't go there.
As we approach the conference room, I steel myself. I've dealt with cutthroat competitors and impossible clients. I can handle working with Bianca.
But trust her? Never again. She burned that bridge when she disappeared.