Everett Holden had sworn to live the rest of his life a single man, but his plans are disrupted when he finds himself sharing an apartment with his best friend's ex - the one woman he detests with every fiber of his being yet simultaneously desires...
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WITH LIAM MOVING away for college, I didn't spend much time hanging out with friends. Sure, I had people I spoke to during classes and occasionally grabbed a drink or two with, but Mason has become my closest friend aside from Liam.
I never thought we'd get along, at least not at first. He was a golden retriever type of man who was head over heels in love with my sister, but the more I got to know him, the more I respected him. Like Emery, he lost his parents at a young age but never let that stop him from succeeding. The only difference between the both of them is that money has never been an issue for him.
As I push through the crowds of people in a bar downtown on a busy Sunday night, I spot Mason on a barstool with an open seat beside him. His golden shaggy hair, hidden beneath a beanie, is glistening from the overhead lights, and when he sees me, he catches the biggest grin. "Hey, you're actually on time!" he shouts, pulling me in for a hug. Ever since I met him, he's refused to let me be emotionless around him, so I'm used to the hugs by now. He's the only person besides my sister I'm comfortable showing affection for. "I got you a local IPA. Hope that's okay."
"That's perfect," I reply, shrugging off my jacket to rest it on the back of the barstool. A football game is on the television above us, but I avoid staring at it too much. My father's absence growing up made all sports leave a bad taste in my mouth. I hate watching them. "Everything okay? You never text me to grab a drink. Especially in public."
Mason shrugs and releases a frustrated sigh. "I'm good. Iz and I just had a stressful day with all the wedding stuff. She hired this highly-rated planner, but the woman is insane. She had us spend four hours discussing venues. I guess I called because I needed a sense of normalcy. At least for an hour or two."
"Did you at least decide on one?"
With a dip of his chin, he sips his beer and says, "Yeah. We're going with a destination wedding. The Maldives. In May."
I almost choke on my sip of beer. "May? As in this year? That's only four months away."
He shrugs. "What can I say? I'm in love, and I won't be an idiot by wasting another second without your sister having my last name."
"She's lucky to have you, too, you know."
Placing a hand over his heart, he lets out a laugh. "That might just be the nicest thing you've ever told me, Everett. Who the hell has made you so emotional lately? Does her name rhyme with memory?"
I roll my eyes. "That's the corniest thing you've ever said, but no. Well, I don't know. It's complicated."
"Because of Liam?"
We're interrupted when the bartender places a fresh beer in front of me with a wink, letting me know it's on the house, and it bothers me that I'm not sure if it's due to my good looks or if it's because she knows who my father is. I'm certainly not recognized as much as my father is in public, but the paparazzi still follow me, trying to catch a good photo of the highly sought-after nepo baby. At college, I'm able to be a normal human being, but as soon as I head out into the streets of downtown Los Angeles, I'm quickly reminded that I'm the product of one of the most famous athletes in the country. And that's pressure all in itself.
