Chapter 1

I descended the staircase of The Plaza in a twelve-foot silk train.

My cheating boyfriend of seven years went white as a corpse.

His bourbon glass shattered on the marble floor.

"Aurelia?" he choked out. "This isn't funny."

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First week back after the Christmas break, we flew into the New York headquarters for the annual board meeting.

The Chairman beamed as he flipped through last year's performance reports.

"Aurelia's been grinding it out in London for three years. Doubled our profits over there. She's the reason we're celebrating tonight."

"Dominic, come on. Seven years with this girl. Isn't it about time you brought her home and put a ring on it?"

The other executives jumped in, laughing.

"Seriously, Dominic. Seven years is a long time. You can't keep a woman like Aurelia waiting forever."

I gripped my pen a little tighter.

A thousand nights alone in that London flat, and I thought the finish line was finally in sight.

But Dominic just pressed his fingers down on a printed transfer order already sitting in front of him.

"Tessa is being reassigned to headquarters. Aurelia will continue in her current position in London."

His tone was cool. All business.

"Tessa is still green. Some time at headquarters would be good for her development."

"Baby, you wouldn't want people saying I play favorites with my own girlfriend, would you?"

The room went dead quiet.

Tessa was biting her lip, but she couldn't hide the gleam in her eyes.

"Dominic, I really don't think this is right. Aurelia's been waiting three years to come home…"

Dominic turned his head toward me, his voice warm but every word a knife.

"Aurelia, you've always understood the bigger picture. You get why I have to do this, right?"

"Honey. New York and London aren't that far. I'll fly out every weekend. I'll even bring your favorite caramel truffles."

I stared at the transfer papers in Tessa's hands—the ones that should have had my name on them—and nodded at him.

"You're absolutely right, Dominic. A company has to have standards."

Dominic. Seven years of flights between two cities.

I'm done waiting for a homecoming that was never coming.

…

The sky over Manhattan was gray when the meeting broke up.

Everyone filed out fast, reading the room. Everyone except Tessa, who clutched her folder to her chest and hurried over to Dominic.

Her eyes were glassy, lip trapped between her teeth.

"Dominic, thank you so much for this chance. I just—I'm worried Aurelia might take it the wrong way…"

Dominic didn't even look up. He was still rubbing slow circles on the back of my hand.

"This was a corporate decision. It has nothing to do with my relationship with Aurelia."

"Aurelia sees the bigger picture. She doesn't lose her composure like you do."

Distant. Dismissive. Like Tessa was nothing to him.

Tessa flicked a quick glance at me before bending forward in a rush of gratitude.

"Yes, of course. I'll work so hard, I promise. Aurelia… I'm sorry you'll be stuck in London a little longer."

I didn't say anything. I just slipped my hand out of Dominic's.

The second Tessa disappeared down the hall, Dominic got up, slow and unhurried.

He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

"Are you upset?"

"Tessa is a kid fresh out of college. She's never been exposed to a real corporate environment. She needs the HQ experience to grow."

"She'll go back to London eventually, I promise. I'm actually doing this for you. Someday I'll hand you back a sharp, capable executive."

I didn't bother arguing. I picked up my bag and stood.

He reached over and took it from my hand before I could stop him.

"Come on, let me drive you to the hotel."

In the parking garage, the moment I slid into the passenger seat, he produced a small white box.

"I had someone wait in line for these this morning."

He broke off a piece of caramel truffle and held it up to my lips.

I kept my mouth closed.

"I'm not hungry."

He pulled his hand back, a little stiff, and leaned across to reach for my seatbelt.

His cologne was the sandalwood one I gave him for Christmas.

But as he pulled the strap across me, something soft and pink caught my eye.

A little fuzzy charm was clipped onto the buckle.

He froze for a split second, then casually ripped it off.

"Tessa. She grabbed some files from me yesterday and complained the belt was digging into her neck, so she stuck this thing on there."

He tossed the pink ball into the center console with a sigh.

"Girls her age love this cutesy stuff. Honestly, it's exhausting."

That compartment used to hold my allergy medication.

Now my little orange bottle was shoved into the back corner, buried under chocolates and a mini Jellycat keychain.

Every single thing in there was something Tessa liked.

I thought about all those nights in London. How I'd rearrange my entire week just to see him for one dinner.

I'd sleep at the office on Thursdays, burn through files all day Friday, and sprint to Heathrow to catch the last evening flight to New York.

Sometimes storms grounded everything and I'd sit on a terminal bench until sunrise.

He always used to say, "Baby, London is so far. You don't have to keep flying back like this."

I thought he was worried about me.

Now I realize he was worried I'd walk in on what he was doing while I was gone.

Dominic didn't notice anything was off. He started the car, his face perfectly composed.

"Did you book your return flight yet? I won't be able to drop you at the airport tomorrow."

"Tessa needs someone to walk her through the departments. I promised I'd take her around."

He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like me dragging a suitcase to the airport alone had become so routine he didn't even register it anymore.

I turned my head toward the window.

"Dominic, I've bought one hundred and fifty-seven plane tickets over the last three years. Every single one of them had you at the other end."

"My mother told me before she died—if you knock on a door for seven years and no one answers, it's time to find a different door."

Dominic slammed the brakes. He reached over and pinched my cheek.

"Your mom was just worried about you. She didn't mean it."

"I'll expense every single one of those tickets for you. And didn't I just promise in that meeting? From now on, I'm the one flying out. You won't have to lift a finger."

He popped a chocolate into my mouth.

Sweetness that was never meant for me melted on my tongue.

"Come on, babe. Don't be like this right now. Once the London project wraps, I'll bring you home. I promise."

The car pulled up to my hotel. He didn't even cut the engine.

He glanced at his watch, then at me.

"Aurelia, I'm slammed this afternoon. You go upstairs and rest, okay?"

He leaned in to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I pulled back before he could touch me.

"Dominic. Seven years. If you can't follow through, I'm not waiting anymore."

Dominic laughed softly, his expression cooling.

"Don't say stupid things, baby. London gets damp this time of year. Don't forget to take your medication."