“Holy shit. Really, babe?” I ask.

“Wait, seriously? You’ve been sitting on that information this whole time while I’ve told you about how I watched a seagull poop on someone today?” Nichole pushes Myla playfully.

“I wanted to wait to tell both of you. But yes, my design was chosen, and I’m freaking out. I asked Kelsey if I could do both, work for her and handle the project, and she said absolutely. She thinks it will be good for me to take on the job, as it would be great to have it in the portfolio when we approach other buildings.”

“Baby, that’s amazing,” I say as I stand from the lounger and take her hand in mine, coercing her to stand so I can wrap my arms around her. I pull her into a hug and lean down to her ear, where I whisper, “I’m so proud of you. Jesus, babe, you’re amazing.”

“Thank you.” When she pulls away and rests her hands on my chest, she says, “I know we don’t talk about those few months when things were difficult between us, but there is something that I never told you. If it wasn’t for those months when you were focusing on yourself, I don’t know if I would have taken the time to focus on me and what I needed to be happy, separate from our marriage. I found myself, and I found you all over again.”

I drag my hand over her cheek and whisper, “You amaze me.” Then I lean down and kiss her on the lips, reveling that everything feels so right, connected, and in tune with the universe.

Nichole’s journey might be up in the air, but she’s propelled us forward in ours, so weirdly, I think this was all meant to happen this way.

It’s odd. When you feel like you’re at your absolute worst, total rock bottom, it could be the universe letting you know that you need to build a new foundation, a stronger one—a foundation that will jumpstart the next chapter in your life.

Myla handing me those divorce papers was more like the universe giving me a shovel with a gentle nudge to encourage me to start digging.

“All right, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff,” Nichole says. “I need you to tell me more about this design. And then when you’re done, I have some tea to spill about Banner and Kenzie.”

Myla’s head snaps to the side, and she says, “Forget my design. Give us the tea.”

* * *

Do you want to read more about the Cane brothers? Keep flipping for an excerpt from Breaker’s story, A Long Time Coming, and be sure to check out JP and Kelsey’s story, So Not Meant to Be, as well as Huxley and Lottie’s story, A Not So Meet Cute.

Excerpt - A Long Time Coming

Prologue

LIA

“Excuse me,” I say, bumping into a lanky guy in a jam-packed dorm hallway. “Sorry, didn’t see you there. I’m all kinds of lost.”