Legacy by M.A. Foster
January
_____________________________
Dylan
Istretch my arm out, expecting to feel a warm body, only to be met with a cold, empty space. I peel my eyes open to find her gone and Alex perched on the edge of the mattress.
“Happy New Year, sweet cheeks,” he croons.
Grabbing a pillow, I toss it at his head. “When did she leave?”
Chuckling, he catches it midair and drops it back on the bed. “I caught her sneaking out around three thirty this morning. Thanks for taking off and leaving us to deal with an angry Italian supermodel. Gianna tried to come back to the room with us, but Eva wasn’t having it. She sent her back to the other hotel with the rest of the group.”
“About that… when did Evangeline start playing matchmaker?”
“Since she heard your story from Jay.” He winces. “I was surprised to see how upset she was on your behalf. Turns out my girlfriend does care about people.”
I shoot him alook that says “Bullshit.”
“Okay, not people.” He rolls his eyes. “But she does care about you and your family, even if she doesn’t always show it. She’s softened a little ever since Jay and Zach got married.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?”
“I took care of that last night.” He flashes me a sly grin. “You missed it.”
I blink at him. “You proposed?”
He rubs his hand over the scruff on his jaw. “I did. Just before midnight, I took her outside and proposed. It was pretty cool. She had no idea it was coming.”
“Neither did I,” I deadpan. “Jay is going to be pissed she missed it.”
“She eloped without Eva.” He shrugs. “I’d say turnabout is fair play.”
“I dare you to say that to her face,” I challenge with a knowing smirk. “As your best friend, I should’ve been there. I’m sorry I missed it, but congratulations.”
“Thanks. I promised Eva’s mom I’d send her a video, so I had Gianna record it. I’ll send you a copy. So….” His lips twitch as amusement dances in his eyes. “Did you have a good time last night?”
I shoot him a look that says “What do you think?”
“Are you ready for the interesting part?”
He raises his brows as if to say “Continue.” So I do.
“She’s the girl.”
His eyes flick over my face as my words register, and then they nearly pop out of his skull. “Fuck off. That’s her? Are you sure?”
“That’s her,” I say adamantly. “I saw her on the dance floor, but I didn’t think anything of it because her hair is short… and blue, but then she turned around and….” I nod once. “It’s her.”
“When she introduced herself to me last night, her eyes were the first thing I noticed. She’s stunning.” He pauses. “I had a short conversation with her before she took off. Did you know she’s friends with Liam’s Vanessa?”
I jerk my head up from the pillow in surprise. “She’s from Heritage Bay?” Why hadn’t I asked?
“Magnolia Park, but she’s been living in Heritage Bay for the past three years. Why are you making that face?”
“Because she’s been right there all this time.”
“Had you been looking for her, maybe you would’ve seen her. You’ve been in your own head for a long time, Dylan.”
He’s right. At first, Katie was just a pretty girl with bright eyes who caught my attention. I’d felt the pull between us, and it intrigued me. And when Jade died, Katie became just a nameless character in my tragic story.
A beat of silence passes before Alex adds, “Do you think maybe you two were meant to meet at some point?”
“If that were true, why now?”
“To quote my father, ‘People come into our lives when we need them the most.’” Alex shrugs.
“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be just yet. Imagine how many times soul mates cross paths in their lives before they find each other.”
“I don’t believe in soul mates.”
He pins me with a hard look. “Bullshit. That’s your broken heart talking.” His lips press into a flat line. “Your parents. Your grandparents. Marcus and Emerson. Zach and Jay. Cole and Harper. Me and Eva. The timing isn’t always right, but true soul mates will always find their way to one another. Look at Liam and Vanessa. Five years apart and they’re back together. You know why? Because they’re soul mates. I’m not saying this Katie chick is your soul mate, and I’m not saying she’s not. But your paths have crossed too many times, and in London of all places. This isn’t a coincidence. It means something. She’s no longer the ‘mystery’ girl. You found her, Dylan. Don’t let her slip away again.”