Is she even normal? I think she's left half of her brain in Seattle and only got on the plane with the dense brain.

"Except we aren't a couple, we literally just met." I state clearly, shooting Henry an annoying look. Why is he still standing here?

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on don't be daft. Henry, are you free next week?" She asks him.

He smiles and answer with, "Anything for you Nova."

Jerk.

I shake my head. "I'm sorry but I can't next week."

Her face fall. "Why the hell not?"

I roll my eyes as if the reason isn't obvious. "I have a job, remember."

She rolls her eyes like my reason isn't genuine enough. "You are always working, take a vacation."

Right, like it's that easy.

I sigh, knowing she won't let it go. "I will think about it." I whisper and leave her and Henry. I need to find a place to hide and I know just the place. The perks of always coming here with Nova is knowing where all the hideout is.

The indoor pool. It's late, no one would ever find me here, not even Nova. Steve used to be a professional swimmer, actually he is a three times Olympics gold medalist professional swimmer and loves to swim to stay in shape after he retired. They have at least five pools because Jazzy is allergic to chlorine, she has a personal pool, which is where I'm hiding because no one uses it but her.

I stand at the edge, crossing my arms above my chest. I wish I could jump into it and swim my feelings and pain away but I'm a terrible swimmer, in fact I'm not a swimmer. Nova tried teaching me how to swim but she couldn't get me to do it. I'm a lost cause.

What I wouldn't give to listen to Lost Cause by Billie Eilish but I can't because the speaker of old iPhone six is giving me problem besides the music coming from the house is loud enough.

"Hi." The familiar deep voice greet behind me.

I'm not startled this time because even though I didn't want to admit it, I had a feeling he'd show up. I had a feeling someone was watching, I guess I know who it is now because he couldn't have stumbled her, he followed me.

I tighten my grip on my purse and walk two steps backwards before turning around to make my leave. He shouldn't even be here.

Hardin moves in front of me, blocking the exit, the smell of his cologne fills my nose. Oh, that smell.

"Please stay." He whispers.

I shake my head and move to the side to try to walk past him but he moves with me. "I'm sorry but I have things to do."

"You've been avoiding me," he says.

I don't look anyway but his chest and having this weird fascination with his suit button, it's that or staring at him and I have a feeling I might do something I might regret if I stare at his blue eyes.

"I have not," I whisper.

"Yes! You have. You have." He says a little loud this time.

"I'm sorry you see that way," I move to the other side but he's there again. I groan silently. We just saw each other after a whole year yesterday and it wasn't the reunion any of us hoped for or I at least hoped for, but it's what we got. And apart from his morning I haven't seen him until this night.

Does he think I left because of him? I mean it was part of the reason but I don't want him thinking about it like that.

Am I happy to see him? Happy to know he came looking for me? Happy to know he's thinking about me?

Totally but it's wrong. Him being here means he cares and if he cares then I'll start getting ideas I'm not supposed to be getting. So it's better I avoid him.

"Dawn, I'm sorry, all this is my fault, I shouldn't have led you." His apology is sincere. I might have spent just a night with him but it's enough for me to know him.

"You didn't and you're getting married to my best friend."

He sighs like he's trying to process the whole thing himself.

"It's okay to be upset."

Honestly I'm not upset and I tell him that. I'm heartbroken but not upset.

"Then prove it." He demands.

I raise my head to look him for the first time, meeting his gaze. "Prove what?"

"Smile. Dawn, I haven't seen you smile once since I saw you that day." He has been watching me. He has and that makes me happy.

"You mean my birthday party, yesterday?" I raise my eyebrow at him. He referred to it as that day like it's been long. It feels like a while.

He nods.

"You didn't wish me a happy birthday," I whisper.

"You don't like birthdays," he replies.

"You remember?"

He sighs, something flashing in his eyes. "Of course, it might have been just one night but I remember everything."

I close my eyes and shake my head. He shouldn't have said that. He shouldn't have. "I'm going to go now." He can't just tell me things like that and not expect me to react but I can't react because he's my best friend fiance.

"Dawn..."

I back away, holding my hand up to stop him from coming any closer. "No, don't say anything. You are marrying my best friend, and I will see you every time because Nova is my best friend."

I curl my fingers inward in a fist because I'm seconds away from crying. "I know you're hurting but–"

I cut him off before he can go further. "You don't know shit, so just leave me alone."

"Can we be at least friends?"

Friends? Has he gone mad? How can expect us to be friends?

"Friends? You offer friendship to all your one night stands?" I say in a stern tone.

"Don't you dare reduce the night we had to a one night stand, it was more than that and you know it!" He sounds angry and I don't know why he's angry. I'm the one that should be angry. He has no right to be saying those things to me.

"I'm going to go." I tell him and walk away before he can say anything, he doesn't stop me this time.

I can't believe him. Did he really just say those stuff to me? I'm the one that should angry because he is engaged and I'm still in the same place I was when I met him last year.

I return to the party because I don't think I want to be alone anymore. My eyes scans the room for Nova but before I can find her my purse vibrates. My phone.

I open it and take out my phone. I unlock it and swipe it down to see I have notification, message from an unknown number. I click on it and read.

Unknown: Hello beautiful

I frown because I don't remember giving my number to anyone that would call me beautiful. I type a response.

Me: Who is this?

His reply comes immediately.

Unknown: Henry. We met earlier

I draw my eyebrows together. Henry? I don't remember giving him my number.

Me: How did you get my number?

Henry: Nova gave it to me

I'm so going to kill her. Why would she give him my number? Like what the hell?

I sigh and type out a nice reply, also explaining my rude behavior from earlier.

Me: Hello Henry. I'm sorry for being rude earlier, I was having a bad moment.

Henry: You look like you're still having one, want to get out of here?

I stare at the message for a while before raising my head from the phone to look for him, my eyes meet his. His standing at the table to find him looking at me.

Nova will kill me for bailing on her party again. I really need to get out here but...

Me: I can't, it's Nova's party.

I watch him type his reply and seconds later my phone vibrates.

Henry: And Nova is happily dancing with her future husband, she won't miss you.

I look at him, he tilts his head to the side and I follow it to where Nova is indeed dancing with Hardin. It's not a slow song playing but they're just slow dancing. It reminds me of our dance. Oh God!

Me: Fine.

This isn't about getting to know Henry or anything, it's about taking my mind off Hardin.

Henry signals for me to wait where I'm standing before coming to meet me. "Where do you want to go?" He asks.

I shake my head and say, "nowhere. Are you in the mood for ice cream? I know a place."

The place is the kitchen. Chicken pot pie casserole isn't the only the Carmen is good at, and Jazzy is always craving ice cream like a pregnant woman, which means they always have it available in their fridge.

I lead him to the kitchen and bring out the bowl of Ice cream from the refrigerator. I grab two bowls from the cabinet and serve us before returning the rest inside the refrigerator.

We sit opposite each other on the counter stool and take the ice cream in silence.

"What to tell me what happened?" Henry breaks the silence minutes later.

Whoever said ice cream cures heartbreak is wrong.

I shake my head and scoop a spoonful. "I'd rather not talk about it," I answer and take it.

"Are you sure? I'm a very good listener and I won't judge." He presses on.

I don't talk much which give me the advantage to study people and their body language, it's obvious that Henry is interested in but I'm not sure if it's sincere or not. He is a six foot tall man at least, I'm not very good at reading heights and unlike Hardin he's very muscular like he spends his entire life in the gym. His eyes are brown, not like Hardin's blue one. His mocha skin glows with–

What am I doing comparing both men?

Shit, Dawn.

"Judge? What make you think what I'm feeling has a right to be judged?" It's a good thing I still remember what he said.

"How about you tell me and see how I react."

He's pressing and I don't like it.

"I'm just having a mid life crisis, nothing's up."

He smirks and says, "You don't want to tell me."

Finally getting it. Took him long enough.

"No, I don't want to."

"Honesty." He hums. "I love that."

Right.

"Are you free this Friday?" He asks.

"Why? Is something happening on Friday?"

"I would like to take you out on a date."

Just like that.

"I'm not free." I'm not free and even if I was I wouldn't say yes.

"Easy no?"

I sigh and answer. "Not a good time, my head is all messed up, I just..."

"That's a good reason to go out, we would have–"

"You won't stop until I say yes." I cut him off.

He smiles. "You're catching on."

Okay.

"Fine." I agree, knowing I would cancel but he doesn't know.

"Great."