Fool Me Once

her blazer, her

oldings," her boss the M.D told her, his

om surrounding her. Power executives milled about, their faces a mix of

she asked, looking through the cro

ve been having problems with public opinion re

emories flooded her like a wave-those high school years, laughter intertwined w

nd squared her shoulders. N

ns-the kind of work that had earned her respect in the business world. But whenever anyone m

rew attention. Dark hair slightly rumpled; piercing green eyes scouring the

voice as smooth as silk but with a

llection of their previous meeting lingered at the periphery of her thou

tending to be surprised but not qu

ly, teeth gritte

eir eyes locked-two worlds crashing in one tense

said sharply, pushing memories asid

nt, something remained between them-a charge in the air that sug

into that same old combination of determination and frustration. This was her chance to

paign, something continued to nag at her-what if he w

ted up to the window, where the city pulsed with energy. R.R. Conglomerate Holdings required a face-lift-something to hel

r. Those full hips and brilliant smile still set something ablaze deep within him, all the

shing back: study sessions late at night with laughter and dreams of the future. Then silenc

came in with a clipboard. "Jeffrey, we need to

as gruffer than he intend

pest brewing in Jeffrey's mind. "Aspire's manager recommends

ords were sharp

ed to have weekly status meetings with her team and

Cassie on the company website-the self-assured w

n against the clipboard, "the branding

till thinking about Cassie

ne. "I realize this is a big project for you and R.R., but

's green eyes-similar to his own-and felt a jolt of irritat

effrey repli

t and nodded slowly prio

re doing," he grumbled before

th Cassie through to the end without allowing past hurts to govern their working partnership. She still hated him; he'd glimpsed that c

embrace. She squared her shoulders, shaking off the specters of the past that clung to the edges of her mind. The a

voice as crisp as she perched on the ed

flashing with something that might have been hop

m leaning forward, laughing so hard tears poured from their eyes in those ea

barked, pushing a folder across

then at her. "Before we start. I needed to

but said nothing. The

he went on, his voice sincere. "You d

tract, not his piercing eyes, which were filled with r

cily, "but let's just k

obviously grappling with her r

rebranding of R.R." Cassie's tone effectively closed

wn bad poetry. Laughter had poured from her mouth as he'd leaned across the table, his dark hair tumbling into his eyes as he win

elings only blur

things right between

hose green depths flickered-regret mixed with longi

," she said firmly. "Let's co

tation seethed just beneath the surface as Cassie laboriously worked through numbers and projections. She spoke

" he asked at last, his patience r

, narrowing a fraction as

another," she retaliated, ev

im like a cold wave, mixed with anger-not at Cassie but at himself for letting things spiral out of control all t

t stretched tight with tension. "You have to

t allowing him to slip beyond th

, interrupting him before he

before; it was all those things he had never experienced-a midnight discussion that stretched into morning,

smile and the glint in her eyes. It was pointless now; the drawings were n

've missed you," he said b

ce tou

hat's rich co

anger in himself. How had it gotten so? With barriers

her go, his heart thudding heavily in his chest. The door closed on her, cutting the last flicker of hea

de the doorway, adjusting the straps on his pack, as students rushed by, laughter and the sound of raindrops in a c

he sa

holding her umbrella over her head, its vibrant design slicing through the murk like a flag.

ss but upbeat. "You look

anks as she tilted the umbrella in his direction, shieldin

he protested, half-laughing as

th a smile that melted all resis

cover. He was overcome with a rush of warmth-not just from

Carter had embarrassed him in front of the whole class for not doing a homework assign

urning in her eyes. "Jeff tries hard; you do

npours and upheavals, Jeff had known he'd found somebody speci

o him in waves. He gritted his jaw against the pain in his chest. All those moments-those slippe

Friday movies, letting her purse plop with a sigh onto the coffee table. The fading light of day seeped through the sheer

e his eye-pencil as he does his make-u

across her chest as though to shield herself fr

ward, curious. "

er lower lip. "No. he was th

eptive grin spreading over his face. "You

a movement similar to a person attempting to dislodge an a

ding his arms behind him in a stubborn grin. "But did

hreatened to overwhelm her-Jeff's laughter echoing in her ears like the echo of a bro

eyes theatrically. "Girl, your career

sh that rose to her cheeks nonetheless. She dete

softly. "Do you think y

ppened to catch a glimpse of herself in a mirror that was hanging nearby-a wo

ce between them, thick

gainst the kitchen counter looking at nothing in particular. The hea

how much she attempted to smother it. She bit her lip as the awareness seeped

coffee. She aimlessly scrolled through her phone until a gentle bump against the door

ely enticing. She picked it up and experienced a stra

her heart racing with each crease that revealed more of the image. There she was: sixteen years old, her eyes o

e sketch. It was all alive, from the way her head was tilted to the sparkle

le message, written in Jeff's well-kno

art trembled, ready to come crashing down under the weight of memories she thought she had put behind

il it crumpled in her hand. H

ghts spun out of control. Why now? Did he honestly believe a simple drawing

it scorched her fingers. The crumpled paper fell softly on top of a stack of b

eternity, caught between rage and longing

r across space and time, something restrained her-a glimmer of h