Chapter 1

I went to the airport with my boyfriend to pick up his younger brother—and ran straight into my ex, Julian Bennett.

Seeing the gorgeous woman beside him, I forced a smile. “I’m getting married soon, too. Make sure you come to the wedding.”

Then my boyfriend walked up beside me. “Julian, say hello to your future sister-in-law.”

Something in Julian snapped. He grabbed me and pulled me into a VIP lounge.

Pinning me beneath him, he demanded in a low, rough voice,

“He’s the better man you were talking about?”

At the airport, I nearly lost my mind over a man whose back looked just like Julian Bennett’s.

When I snapped out of it, I grabbed the coffee I’d just bought and hurried away—only to spill it all over someone.

“I’m sorry.”

I fumbled for tissues and held them out. Then I looked up, straight into a pair of painfully familiar eyes.

But the openness I remembered from three years ago was gone. Now those eyes studied me with disapproval.

Julian glanced at the tissues. “Don’t bother.”

Did he… not recognize me?

Or had he reached the point where he could look at me and feel nothing at all?

“Hey! Do you ever watch where you’re going? You think saying sorry makes it okay? Do you have any idea how much those clothes cost?”

The woman beside him erupted, finally dragging my attention away from Julian.

She was all curves and sultry beauty, with her chin tilted so high she could have looked down on anyone.

So this was his type now.

“What are you staring at? You spill coffee on someone, and I’m not even allowed to call you out?” she snapped.

“I’m sorry. Tell me how much it costs. I’ll pay.”

I wanted to escape far more than I wanted to argue.

After three years of keeping my feelings buried, it took a lot more than a few nasty words to get a reaction out of me.

But right now, just speaking normally in front of Julian was taking everything I had.

“Like someone as broke as you could afford it. You—”

Julian cut her off.

“Leave it.”

His voice was still quiet, but it sliced straight through my heart.

Apparently, he couldn’t even be bothered to speak to me anymore.

Fine. Then I could keep my head buried in the sand.

But just as I turned to leave, I heard a voice call my name for the first time in years.

“Hannah.”

My heart missed a beat. What was he going to say?

Before he could continue, the woman let out a startled gasp.

“You’re Hannah Brooks?”

“The woman who had the nerve to dump Julian?”

I dumped Julian?

So that was how he told our story.

Maybe I felt too wronged. Maybe I just couldn’t swallow the insult. Either way, I actually snapped back.

“What? Can’t stand knowing the man you treasure is someone else’s reject?”

Then I looked at Julian.

“I’m getting married soon, too. Make sure you come to the wedding.”

Only after the words left my mouth did I realize something. After three years of keeping my emotions locked down, the first person to make me lose my temper was still Julian.

“Hannah, what’s taking so long? You were only getting coffee.”

Evan Hayes strode over, glanced at me, then looked at Julian.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Evan was already smiling. His voice was as courteous and gentle as ever.

“Julian. I’ve been waiting by the exit forever. So this is where you’ve been.”

“Come say hello. This is Hannah, your future sister-in-law.”