I won’t let myself get in over my head with him. I won’t do that to myself again.
I won’t.
“Okay. Go deal with Jameson and have fun at the ball. I donated a couple of items so hopefully, they’ll help.”
“They always help and thank you. I love you and shit.”
I grin. “I love you and shit too. Bye now.”
I disconnect the call and shortly after, I arrive at Jasper’s beautiful mansion in the Hills.
Time seems to stand still as I hover outside the gate. I haven’t pressed the buzzer yet, and even though he likely has motion sensors and knows I’m here, no one has done anything about it.
His home reminds me of my parents’ house from my childhood. I was sixteen when they sold it after what happened to me in it. For a while, my father, mother, and I just sort of lived out of hotels and rented homes across the country and throughout the world.
I was making albums. I was singing and headlining tours. My mother had retired when I was fourteen, deciding to focus her efforts on my career instead of hers, and my father could write songs anywhere.
So that’s how it went until I met Florian.
He seemed to ground all of us in a way. I was only seventeen, but the moment he came along and swept me off my feet, that was it. I basically moved in with him—minor status be damned—straight into his 90210 mansion. My mother and father rented a place nearby, and that was just our life. No one talked about how young I was to be with a man so much older. For us to be so serious so fast. It was just how it was with us, and I think when my father looked at Florian, he saw himself. I often wonder what my father would have said or done if he were still alive when Florian and I ended.
A year after I met Florian, my mother died of cancer. A year and a half later, my father was dead.
These last years have been filled with a lot of heartache. It was bam, bam, bam, one thing after the other, and all of them shattered me until I was nothing more than a pile of dust on the ground. There was no glue that could mend my broken pieces. No salve to heal my wounds. I had no choice but to pick myself off and keep moving.
I guess that’s how I find myself here.
My phone vibrates in my purse and an uneasiness settles in my chest. Since Casper showed up at my door, a burning anticipation has been eating away at my gut. Corrosive and brutal, it won’t be denied even when I do everything I can to push it all down.
My fingers automatically hover over the lower left side of my belly, lingering over the thin one-inch indent in my skin that resides beneath my blouse. This is the worst scar of all and not because it’s visible, but because it serves as a daily reminder of all I’ll likely never have.
My phone vibrates again, and I bluster out a loud sigh.
I don’t know what I’m more afraid of—that it’s him or that it isn’t.
“Just give a girl a goddamn second.”
Fishing through my oversized purse, I locate my phone and practically belt out a laugh when I see what’s waiting for me.
Gus. I should have known.
A bubble of energy inflates low in my belly.
Vagina up and get your pretty ass in here.
Followed by.
Come on. Don’t let our fucked family dynamic scare you. Viola is going out of her mind waiting on you. She’s probably your biggest fan. Did I mention that already?
Viola. The woman Gus Diamond loves. The woman Jasper Diamond is married to. I have to admit, I’m beyond curious about her. About the way they all interact with each other. How does a family recover from something like that? From two brothers loving the same woman and only one of them being able to have her?
I guess I’m about to find out.
Buzz the gate for me.
A second later the wrought-iron fortress swings open, beckoning me to enter. I pull into the circular driveway, park my car, and erupt into a crazy grin when the front door flies open with Gus standing there, his arm around a woman who can only be Viola. He’s holding her back, I realize, a dopy, amused grin on his face as he watches her excitement, and I think Gus is the most amazing of men. One I’ve most certainly never encountered before.
He’s insanely likable.
Hell, who am I kidding? The man makes my heart thunder in my chest every time I think about him, let alone see him. But he called us friends, and it doesn’t take much to see where his heart still lies.
I get out of the car, grab the bottle of wine, flowers, and candy, tucking all of them into my arms as I go.
“Hi,” I say as I round the front of my car and head in their direction.
“Holy shit,” I hear her whisper. “She’s here. Gus…” Viola’s voice trails off, grabbing his arm in a tight grip, making him laugh, and I can’t stop my huge smile.
How fucking adorable is this woman?
I mean, she’s a stunning thing, slender with long blonde hair, wearing a short black skirt and a purple snug-fitting t-shirt that accentuates her perfect baby bump.
Gus finally sets her free and Viola Diamond rushes toward me, stopping short just as she reaches me, a smile glimmering in her eyes and cheeks. “Wow. Hi. I’m Viola.”
“Naomi.”
“I know,” she beams. “I never gave a crap about any of this rock star stuff, but meeting you…” She fans her face. “Yep, total fangirling right now.”
I belt out a laugh. “Is it weird that I feel the same about you?” Her eyes pop open wide in shock, but it’s true. “I realize you cannot drink wine, but my father brought me up to never go to someone’s house without a nice bottle for them. But, in consideration, I also brought flowers and chocolates. Really good chocolates, but they’re also dairy and gluten-free so Adalyn can have some.”
And that’s when this chick launches herself at me, crushing me in a hug. “Sorry!” she exclaims. “I’m fangirling for more than just my absolute adoration of your music—though I am a HUGE fan—or for the fact that you brought Adalyn-approved chocolates,” she whispers in my ear. “I haven’t seen Gus smile this much and mean it in a very long time. Few things make me happier than seeing Gus happy.” She pulls back and wipes away at a stray tear. “Stupid hormones,” she grouses, rolling her eyes at her emotions. “Please come in. Adalyn has said your name over and over again, and you’re going to have to tell me where you ordered that pizza from because she keeps asking for it. You got my baby girl to eat mushrooms and eggplant. I think you’re my hero.”
And the fact that she just called Adalyn, who is not biologically hers, her baby girl makes me love her more.
“Vi,” Gus yells out, cupping his hands around his mouth, a lightness glimmering in his eyes. “You’ll scare her off before she crosses the threshold, babe.”
Viola flips him off without turning away from me, tossing a wink in my direction as she does.
I don’t want to be jealous of her, but it’s impossible to be anything but. I can already see why the Diamond boys are so enamored with her.
Viola takes all the goodies I brought from my hands and waves for me to follow her. The moment I reach the front entrance, Gus steps forward and wraps his arms around me like hugging me in this way is the most natural thing in the world for us to do. He plants a kiss on my cheek and meets my eyes with an unmistakable enthusiasm.
“You ready for this? The guys are waiting.”