Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

Oh, there was definitely some drama between Aaron and Lena, and there was no way I was missing it.

Lena didn’t even try to hide it. She let out a long sigh and spilled about how Aaron had walked in on her and Nate together.

“Nate meeting my parents definitely has something to do with Aaron,” she muttered.

I snorted. “What, does Nate see Aaron as competition? Seriously, he’s your uncle.”

“Who knows? Guys can get so jealous, they’d side–eye a lamppost for standing too close,” she shot back.

“Honestly, that just proves he’s mad about you,” I teased, thinking about Nate’s dramatic goodbye kiss with her at the airport.

Love, I thought. It’s not just about losing someone forever it’s the slow burn of being apart, even when they’re

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Lena went quiet, and I realized I might’ve hit a nerve. Time for a subject change.

“Hey, there’s this human light show thing happening at work,” I said, smirking. “We brought in male models so hot, they make A–list celebs look like background extras. You in?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Human light show? What is this, like…naked guys posing with led lights?”

I cracked up. “I mean, I wish. But nah, if they stripped, the cops would shut us down before we could even start.”

“Rea, looks like you’re diving headfirst into your ‘wild phase,‘ huh?” Lena teased.

* I shrugged, all nonchalant. “What can I say? Life’s short. Eat what you want, drink what you like, and let loose. If

guys get to be jerks, why can’t girls have a little fun?”

“Fair,” Lena said. Her grin was mischievous. “Rea, you’re finally showing your true colors.”

“What? Was I some repressed control freak before?”

She gave a dramatic hum. “When you were with the Johnstons, they had you playing the perfect little angel. But now? This is the real you.”

She wasn’t wrong.

If I were a flower, I used to be all pruned and pretty for show. Now, I was full–on wildflower vibes— growing wherever I wanted, no apologies.

“So, are you coming to the show or what? I’ll save you the VIP seat,” I said as we split ways.

“I’ll think about it,” Lena called back, not committing..

I grinned. “What’s the hold–up? Don’t tell me you’re scared your uncle might show up.”

She shot me a thumbs–up, which basically screamed, ‘Yep, you got me.‘ Funny thing about family– age doesn’t matter. Slap an official title on someone, and suddenly, they’re the boss of you.

Not long after, my phone buzzed. The bar owner wanted to meet up to finalize the transfer. Everything about the deal was smooth–almost too smooth. My gut wasn’t exactly throwing a party.

“Mr. Shane, this bar isn’t hiding anything shady, right?” I asked Ron, who was handling the negotiations.

Ron shot me a look, like I’d just accused him of a crime. “Rea, seriously? I triple–checked everything. You’re good.

1/2

The confidence in his voice was almost contagious.

Trust is funny like that. Even though Ron and I weren’t close, there was something solid about him. Maybe it was because he was one of Hayden’s people. If Hayden trusted him, then I felt like I could, too.

Once the deal was done, the bar owner didn’t waste any time calling everyone together to announce the transfer.

Tanya was there too. Her face went pale, then flushed with anger.

She clearly hadn’t expected me to buy the bar so decisively, especially one worth several million. Power like that was out of her reach, and she hated it.

I could practically feel her resentment toward me skyrocket.

After the crowd clapped and welcomed me as the new owner, I smiled and dropped my own little bombshell: Tanya would be the bar’s new manager.

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