FIVE MONTHS AGO

I have been keeping myself pretty busy since I returned to Glisten. There was a lot of work due, and I had barely a moment to focus on anything other than work in the office. I've been shuttling constantly from my apartment to the office and trying to keep things as usual regarding our business ventures. Dad texted me about dinner at eight when I was at work, and I just texted back "Okay".

When I went home, very tired and not seeing any other cars in the parking lot, I went inside. I was taken aback to see Margot and Blake in the living room, talking to Dad. This would be the very first opportunity to catch up with Blake since I had been back. I sat next to Dad but still felt uncomfortable in her presence. 

Dad asked, "Do you and Margot hang out after work?"

I blew my nose. "No, I don't have time for anything like that."

Dad in his insistent tone. "Come on, you are young, you should enjoy your life. I am telling you, son, it's the best time to rock and roll in life."

Blake giggled. "I second Dane. Until you are single enjoy the life at fullest because the moment you get married life changes."

I flicked between Blake and Dad, then shook my head. "I don't think marriage is my cup of tea. I am not against it but it's not for me."

Blake nodded and pointed a finger at me. "I can feel you man because before I bumped into Thea, I used to say exactly the same."

Dad agreed with Blake.

I laughed. "Why do I feel like you both are ganging up on me?"

Dad shook his head. "It's nothing like that I sometimes encourage Margot to take some time off to visit her college friends, even though her team is her college friends."

I looked at Margot and raised my brow. "Wait, all your teammates are friends from college?"

Margot was not prepared for a question raised from my side. She cleared her throat. "No, Carter joined three months ago."

After dinner, Margot turned to Blake, "I don't feel like driving. Could you drop me home? I'll ask Mr. Ryan to bring my car in the morning."

Before Blake could respond, Dad intervened, "Kev can give you a ride. He lives right opposite your penthouse."

The look Margot gave me I sensed she had just learned where I lived for the first time. Initially hesitant, she eventually agreed to come with me. The silence in the car was awkward, so I broke it by asking, "Do you mind if I play some music?"

Margot instinctively squared her shoulders and turned her head the other way. 

I sighed, "You know, the sky isn't going to fall if we talk."

She gave me a questioning look before responding, "Are you sure you want to talk to a slut... wait, let me think... I don't think so."

There was a pin drop silence, but if there's one thing, I've learned about living in Glisten, it's that nothing is going to be simple for me here. As soon as I walked in the door, I checked the time and then called Renna. After confessing my feelings for Margot, Renna responded, "There is nothing in this world that can't be fixed by talking to each other. However, there has been a ten-year gap, so there must be a lot of things you need to catch up on."

I replied, "I don't even know whether I should be happy by getting to know that she also didn't move on like me or whether I should be unhappy that we squandered 10 years of our life."

Renna responded, "Don't burden yourself. Take a break from the stress of 10 years and start by taking small steps, one at a time. First, you and Margot need to find a way to acknowledge each others presence."

I responded, "You're right."

Renna stated, "It's time to end this call, as I do have a life beyond you." I laughed and ended the call.

The next day, I met Margot at a coffee shop close to our office. I asked her, "Can we talk for a second?"

Margot put her laptop away. "What do you want to talk about, Kev Moller?"

I smiled and set my mug down on the table. "Mar, you have to accept that I'm back, no matter how easy or how hard it is. You will have to talk to me either at office or at family dinners or lunches like last night because you will see my face every day."

Margot put her shoulders back. "So, you want me to forget everything and become your friend as if nothing ever happened?"

"I'm not suggesting that we become friends again," I replied. "All I'm asking is that you accept that I'm back and stop avoiding my presence or using sign language. When we see each other, it would be good for both of us if we were polite."

Margot started getting her things together. "I'll try, but I can't promise."

I grabbed my coffee. "Do you mind if we walk and talk to the back office?"

Margot gave me a quick look. "I don't know what to talk about because we have nothing in common."

I got up. "Let's try until we reach the office."

She smiled when I opened the door for her. "New York made you a gentleman."

I squinted. "What do you mean by that?" 

Margot sighed. "When we were friends, you never opened the door for me," 

"Because you never acted like a girl when we were friends," I explained.

Margot looked at me. "Alright, so you have assumed that I have changed a lot."

I said, "Yes because you didn't have any friends at the time, and you wore the same clothes as me. But now you're always with a lot of people, and your clothes are..."

Margot arched a brow. "What about my clothes?"

I didn't want to tell her the truth, so I smiled. "Your clothes are more feminine now."

I thought I had just saved myself from a land mine going off. She was going to put her laptop on the floor so she could tie her hair while she waited for the lift, but I grabbed it from her. After putting her hair up in a high bun, she ran her hands through it. It was impossible for me not to look at her bare neck and think of ways to slam myself into her all day. I shook my head, and when we got to her floor, I gave back her laptop. She thanked me and left. After that day, we started talking to each other every time we bumped—not in a friendly way, but I see these conversations as progress.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Dad looked at me. "It's been five months since you came back to Glisten, and yet you only find time to talk to me over dinner or lunch."

I nodded in guilty. "You're right, Dad. I had no idea I'd be this busy. How did you manage to do all this for years with me, Blake, and Margot to look after, too?"

Dad smiled but not the warm smile. his eyes were telling me something. "Just give yourself some time, son. You'll learn soon."

I was about to respond but I heard my name, and the voice is not familiar at all. I turned around and a girl standing there with ear-to-ear smile. I had no idea who is she.

I was about to say something when Dad spoke. "I didn't know Kev and you knew each other."

The girl shook her head. "No, actually, I know Kev. He doesn't know about me."

She held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Aurora Lorenzo. Margot's best friend. She told me all about you."

Smile spread on my face due to the fact that Margot had spoken about me. It made me feel refreshed, though I hesitated to ask what exactly she talk about me. Doubts crept in about whether Margot had portrayed me in a positive light. Aurora carried on talking as if we were old friends catching up. 

As Aurora left, Dad leaned in to tell me that she owned the restaurant we were dining in—a fact that added another layer of intrigue to the encounter. After dinner, Dad shared his plans for Margot's promotion, and the next day, after her promotion announcement, she invited the whole office to her place—I checked my schedule and I'm going to be very busy next week. The entire week felt like a whirlwind; exhausted, I was making my way back home when I realized I needed to stop by a shop. I pulled over, grabbed what I needed, and just as I was about to leave, there she was—Margot." I thought you left Glisten again," she remarked, her wasn't friendly. 

I asked with caution. "What gave you that idea?"

Margot looking at me. "Because I haven't seen you at the office all week," folding her arms against her chest.

"It's been a busy week," I replied curtly, not in the mood for interrogation. 

"So, you are coming to my place on Saturday, right?" Margot asked in her tone insistent. 

"I can't commit to anything right now. It's been hectic," I replied, my frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. 

"The whole office will be there, and if you don't show up, people will think you're rude. That's not great for your image," she pointed out sharply. 

"Is that the only reason you want me there?" I challenged, feeling the tension between us escalate. 

Margot sighed, clearly exasperated. "Listen, you're the one who suggested we should stop avoiding each other. Now you're the one avoiding."

"Mar, I'm not avoiding..." I began

Margot cut me off." It's Margot, and yes, you are," she snapped, turning on her heel and disappearing into the shop, leaving me standing there, feeling frustrated and misunderstood. 

After coming back from the party, I regret following Renna's advice and attending Margot's party. It's clear from the way she kissed me that she has feelings for me as well. I wonder what is holding her back. I lacked the strength to ask her. 

I sighed. "I am missing New York."

Renna showed me the mirror. "You're not missing New York, Kev. You just want to escape from Margot and Glisten, and I won't let you do it." 

Feeling defeated, I admitted, "I have no idea if she has a place for me in her life; nothing is clear."

 Renna's tone turned firm. "Listen to me, you're going to win her back, period. I don't know what happened at the party, but you need to get off the bed and stop whining. "

I chuckled at her straightforwardness. "You're my favorite friend." 

She quipped back, "I'm your only friend." 

The next morning, fate seemed to intervene when I saw Margot's car causing a traffic jam. Without hesitation, I called the towing service, feeling as though the universe was offering me another chance to connect with her. I patiently waited the entire day to drive her home, taking the chance to ask her to dinner knowing she wasn't great at cooking. Sawyer informed me his parents were visiting, providing the perfect excuse for Margot to join me for dinner—a chance to spend more time together outside the confines of work and possibly explore the feelings that lingered between us.