Famously Mine (Best Friends Book Club #6)

Prologue

OLIVER

There was something about summer nights in Portland that I absolutely loved.

Maybe it was because this was the best time of year weather wise in the Pacific Northwest, when the sun shined and there wasn’t a single raincloud in sight.

It also didn’t help that at golden hour, the golden yellow hues streaking across the sky were the most stunning thing I’d ever seen.

Or maybe it was the fact that this summer, I got to spend time with my cousin, Noelle.

We’d grown apart after she’d moved to New York to work in publishing, but now that she was back, we’d started doing things again.

We were both only children, and had spent a lot of time together growing up because of our moms.

I was glad to have her back. In a lot of ways, she was the sister I’d never had. My parents had wanted another child, but it had never happened for them.

Getting out of my car, I walked up to the small house that Noelle shared with her boyfriend, Matthew. They’d met during her last semester of graduate school, since he worked on the same campus as a professor.

“Oliver,” my cousin’s voice called as she opened the door. Noelle was dressed in a cream colored sundress, looking happier and more confident then I thought I’d ever seen her.

“Hey, Noelle.” I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a hug.

She was a lot shorter than me, though that wasn’t hard, considering I’d gotten my dad’s height.

We both shared the same ginger hair and freckles, so we’d often been mistaken for siblings growing up.

Noelle been there for all of it—including my gangly, skinny phase.

“Hi.” She smiled. “Thanks for coming.”

“Any time.” I handed her the bottle of wine I’d brought with me. “It’s always good to see you.”

“You didn’t have to bring anything. Come on in.

” She opened the door wider, and I followed her into the house, towards the kitchen.

The sound of other voices drifted towards us, and my cousin turned to look back at me, her long hair swishing over her shoulder.

“Matthew’s sister just moved back from New York. ”

And time stopped. Maybe just for a moment, but it felt like my entire world had shifted.

Standing in the kitchen, leaned against one of the cabinets, was a beautiful blonde.

Tall, with long as fuck legs, wearing a short yellow dress and a pair of sandals.

Her hair tumbled down around her shoulders in loose waves, and there was a pair of sunglasses perched on her head, pushing her hair back.

And those eyes, as she turned to look at me—beautiful blue, just like the summer sky. Crystal clear and endlessly captivating. And then she smiled.

She was beautiful. Like a Hollywood star in her own right. I’d never felt such a visceral reaction to anyone before, never felt my heart race like this, my palms sweaty, my mouth dry, and I—

“Oliver?” Noelle’s voice cut through the fog.

I blinked. “Huh?”

“You were staring off into space.” She nudged me in the side. “What’s up with you these days? Have you been spending too much time in a dark room working on your computers?”

Maybe. “Something like that,” I responded, pulling my eyes away from the blonde bombshell. Noelle gave me a knowing smile.

“Hey, Oliver,” Matthew said, reaching out to greet me like usual. “Glad you could make it. This is Tess. My sister.”

Right. His sister. Fuck, what was I doing, leering at her?

From what I knew about her, she was twenty two, had just graduated from college, and was moving to LA to pursue acting. Which meant not only was she off-limits, she was also leaving.

“Tessa,” she said, holding out her hand for me to shake it.

Clasping her hand in mine, I ignored the attraction I felt to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Tessa,” I offered. “I’m Oliver. Noelle’s cousin.”

Matthew picked up a plate of meat, heading outside towards the barbecue. My cousin followed him, as did their fluffy white dog, like none of them could bear to be apart.

Tessa nodded. “I know. She’s told me all about you.”

“Oh.” I tugged at the collar of my t-shirt. Was it hot in here, or was it just me? I didn’t know why knowing that Noelle talked about me affected me, but it did.

“Only good things, of course.” She fiddled with the golden ring on her pointer finger.

I chuckled. “Right. So not that I’m a computer geek who still lives in my mother’s basement?”

Her eyes went wide. “Do you?”

The sound that burst out of me was hardly human.

“No, thank god. I’m not sure I could handle living with my parents at this age.

” There was a sadness in her eyes, and I instantly cursed myself.

She’d lost her parents when she was young.

That had to have been hard. “I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I didn’t think…”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to tiptoe around me or my feelings.

” Tessa gave ma small, hesitant smile. “I’m a big girl.

I can handle it.” She looked outside at her brother.

“Besides, I think I can understand what that’s like a little.

Matt told me I could move back in here, but I just don’t want to impose when those two seem so happy. ”

“Right. I get that, believe me. They’re a little too lovey-dovey sometimes.” I grabbed a beer from the bucket on the counter and popped the tab off, taking a long pull.

Tessa snorted. “You can say that again. You should have seen them the first time I met Noelle. They could hardly keep their hands off of each other.”

When had we moved so close together? It felt like we were only a breath apart.

“What about you?” I asked, unsure why the words were slipping from my lips. “Anyone special in your life?”

She scrunched up her nose. “No. I’ve sworn all that off, anyway.”

I quirked an eyebrow, amused. “Sworn what off?”

“Dating. Relationships.” Her voice dropped lower. “Love. I don’t have time for any of that. Not if I’m going to pursue my dream and move to Hollywood.” She sighed. “If I even make it.”

“Yeah.” Drinking from my beer, I studied her. Hollywood. Yeah, she’d fit in there alright. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about that.”

Tessa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hm?”

“I just have this feeling is all.”

She beamed. “And what’s that?”

“You’re going to be the brightest star there, Hollywood.” I winked at her. “You can count on that.”