ONE YEAR LATER

"Okay, all right, got it," I say into the phone, balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder as I scribble down the address of my client's house, where I'll be delivering some packages. I've upgraded from supplying to boutiques to doing more private work, you could call me a stylist as well as a seamstress.

"Please don't be late Dawn," she replies.

I nod like she can see me. "I will be there before eight." I promise and she murmurs okay before hanging up.

Allyson Mason is an actress, not a big one because she's still finding herself in the big industry and she's attending the screening of one of her movies tonight and she needs me to dress her. She found me on Instagram, saw my designs and messaged asking for a meeting. We had the meeting two months ago. I showed her samples and she loved what she saw and hired me to her stylist but I've always let her down by arriving to her place late. New York traffic is brutal but somehow she didn't drop me. I should be grateful for that because I really need this job. My clothes at boutique are selling well and the side gigs are blowing but since Nova left over twelve months ago, I've been short. I had no idea how much I depended on her until she left. She paid her half of the rent but the other little things are just too freaking much and I do as many things as I can, which includes frying doughnuts and waitress at a bar.

My whole life turned upside down this day twelve months ago. It's my birthday just like it was twelve months ago. It was also the day I met him, Hardin. It was the best day of my life. I've had my good and bad days and I'm very selective about what I classify good and bad but that day was the best. I still think of it every day before I go to sleep. Hardin was my perfect man and I stupidly lost him. It wasn't better the following weeks because Nova also had to leave, she had to move to Seattle for the job her dad got her. It was hard but I've been through worse. I'm an introvert that loves being alone or so I thought, I struggled after Nova left, I realized that I didn't like being alone or being without her Nova. It took me a while before I could leave the apartment myself because of my anxiety but I'm happy she left, don't get me wrong I miss her like crazy and wish she didn't have to go but being without her for a while year after always been together for almost four years. I needed her to leave to be able to live by and for myself. I got over the anxiety by getting into a routine and it's been helping overcome it.

The loud bang on the door makes me flinch, it what happens when you've been holed up in your room with no one to talk to, I should adopt a dog or a cat.

"Dawn!" The bang comes again with the doorknob rattling. There's only one person that act like this.

I shove my phone into my back pocket and tears the sheet from my notepad where I wrote where I'll be meeting Allyson. I fold it and put it in my front pocket before grabbing my clutch on the counter and head over to the rack hanging on the wall near the door to pick a scarf.

The loud bang doesn't stop until I unlock the door and open it to see Jasmine standing with her fist hanging up like she's about to bang my face. I sigh and look at her fist before meeting her eyes. "Really, Jaz? Do you want to break the door and get me kicked out of this place?"

Yeah, our landlord would kick me out, he has this stupid 'no noise' policy and I'm on second strike because of her, she's just too loud.

Jaz is Nova's half sister from her mom's side, she's an unavoidable irritation. The girl is eighteen and she's worse than Nova when it comes to partying. She just graduated from High school, a prestigious private school in the upper east side and somehow she's a good person like her sister. She can be annoying but she isn't rude like some other rich privileged asshole I've previously met.

"Is Stuart giving you shit again? He can't kick you out because you paid for this place, he's got no right."

I roll my eyes at the same thing she says whenever I bring up me getting kicked out because of her slip up. Stuart is our sixty five year old, short but chubby bald landlord. And Jaz talks about him like they're old friends.

"He's got every right, I agreed to all this term before moving in. Can't you just call before coming up?"

She shrugs. "I'm sorry, can we go now?"

I nod and my eyes drops and scans her out. Tucking my lips inward as I exam and take in her outfit. She and Nova are similar in some ways but not in the fashion department. Jaz favorite color is pink and one look at her and you'd know. Her hair is styled in two ponytail and six braids, the pink extension makes her loud make up pops up, which compliments her glittering pink crop top and long pink Disco pant. Normally I wouldn't have looked at her twice but the feather scarf and oversized pink denim jacket is too much.

"What are you wearing?" I can't just not ask. She's like my sister and I'd be damned to let myself go out like this without saying anything, but I know Jaz, she'll roll her eyes and tell me I'm too much and pull me out the apartment because we're getting late.

And she does just that.

The car parked out front is Jaz's, only her would have a pink custom made SUV. Her bodyguard is waiting for us with the door opened. Jaz enters without sparing the man any look.

"Hello, Miss Wheeler. It's been a while." He bow as he speaks.

I smile. "Hello, Harold. I know, I've been busy." I lie and enter the vehicle.

Even though I have been truly busy, I still have some time in my schedule that I could have easily used to checked in on them. I haven't seen him or Nova's in a year and it's bad of me because when Nova was around, we always go to her mom's house on Sunday for the compulsory family dinner. The first time Nova invited me, I didn't want to impose because it was family and I wasn't, but she rolled her eyes and said, "you better not let Mom hear you say that because in her mind she has three daughters, you included."

I wasn't expecting that and I was honored, I went there and they were all nice to me, they didn't treat me like an outsider. Her mom made me and Nova do the dishes and it was the sweetest thing ever, I know I'm the only one that probably thinks doing dishes is sweet, but no, it was how she said it. She included me and it was so sweet.

I call but never visit because Nova wasn't around and it would be somehow to show up without her.

"Mom says to tell you that you are making up for all those family dinner you missed," Jaz tells me as she types away from her phone. I see her at least once a month when she came around to steal Nova's clothes.

Right, I think it long overdue.

Harold starts the ignition and drives off, seconds later Sicko Mode by Travis Scott and Drake blast from the speaker. Jaz is a fan of Travis Scott and she makes us listen to him everytime we ride together. This is the only thing I did not miss.

"Did you know she's bringing someone?" Jaz asks without taking her eyes off the screen.

This is the first I'm hearing of this.

"Like a human?"

She pulls her eyebrows together and turn her head to look at me. "No, a dog."

I let out a humorless chuckle. "I see you still have your sarcasm."

She rolls her eyes. "Her boyfriend or something," she answers before facing her phone.

Boyfriend? She didn't tell me about any boyfriend.

"No one knows about him, it's suppose to be a surprise." Like she can read my mind.

"How did you know?" If it's supposed to be a surprise, how did she know?

She shrugs and answers, "I called her two days ago to confirm the time of her flight and a guy picked it up. He said he's her boyfriend and he's coming with her. Says I shouldn't tell anyone because she's trying to surprise us with him."

"He must be important."

Nova have spent the last twelve months working with her father and I don't know what happened last month but she decided it was time for her to move back to New York. She arrives today and we're going to pick her up.

The rest of ride to the airport is in silence except for the Travis Scott blasting from the speaker.

Jaz and I get off the car and leave Harold to find a safe space to park before going inside and wait for Nova. Jaz holds a sign that reads 'Novie Adams' over her head as we both sprain our heads to look for a blond in rainbow.

Searching through the swarm of people, I see a familiar blond walking closer. I slap Jaz's back. "Look, J, there she is!" I say in excitement as I point in the direction she's walking from.

I've been looking forward to this day since she told me she was moving back. We talk everyday, sometimes via call, text and when we're lucky FaceTime. I miss her so much and I'm not the only one as Jaz drops the sigh and screams her name at the top of her lungs.

Nova hears and stops walking, she pushes the big sunshade up to hook her hair and smiles as she sees us, a big smile cover her face as she shakes her head. She opens her arms and without waiting for further gesture, Jaz and I run, slamming against her. We wrap our arms around her.

"I missed you guys so much too," she says into the hug.

I don't know how long we spend hugging before she pulls away. "I think that's okay, now," she clears her throat and pulls the hem of her white shirt with the words 'imabadassbitch' with a fuck you sign on it. She smooth the front of her shirt, spreading her finger and that's when I notice the rock on her finger.

"What the fuck is that?!" Jaz screams, pointing at the huge ruby rock on her finger before I get the chance.

Nova gives grins and spread her arms out above her head as she shouts. "I'm engaged!"

My mouth drops open. She's engaged? I didn't even know she was dating anyone until Jaz told me and she's engaged.

"How–when–?" I don't even know what to ask.

She shrugs and comes to stand between Jaz and I, she throws her arm around our neck and leads us out. "Where are you parked?" She asks, ignoring our confused mood.

"Oh no, Novie, you can't just drop a bomb like that on us and not say anything else. When did you get engaged? Why didn't you tell you got engaged? Where is your fiance? When–?"

"Gees, Dawn, nice to see you again to, at least let us get home before we start the talk and he's already here, he won't be riding with us because he has something to do. You guys will meet him tomorrow night at the welcome home party."

I frown as we approach the vehicle. "There's a welcome home party?" I look past Nova's head to glare at Jaz, "why didn't I hear about the party?"

She raises her head to meet my gaze with glare of her own. "I don't know, sister, why didn't you?" She doesn't give me the chance to answer, she adds, "you haven't been home since Nova left and Mom is pissed at you."

Her words plunge into my heart like a knife. I know I should have visited and I didn't even know Jasmine was upset with me. The way she said sister and home, I don't–

"It's a good thing that we're going straight home," Nova chirps in, sensing the tension, she looks at me. "You and Momma can talk."

I nod.

"I have an appointment. Harold will drop me off at the apartment to do my thing and I promise I will go straight home after the appointment."

"Of course you will, I'm back now, Dawn. I'm fucking back."

Oh she is. She definitely is.