Prologue
SEVEN YEARS AGO – NEW YEAR’S EVE
Miami
“Hey, Nikki, are my nipples pointing in the same direction?” my best friend, Amelia, shouts over the loud club music.
I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the question. To be fair, Amelia is wearing a very tight black latex dress. I had to cover her body with baby powder to shimmy her into it, then use baby oil over the latex to make the dress even shinier. A whole lotta hoops to jump through for a New Year’s Eve dress, but given that Amelia is nursing a broken heart, I’ll take one for the team and stay vigilant on nipple watch. Plus, she started day drinking way too early, so at this rate, she’s working overtime staying vertical.
“Yes, your little boobies aren’t cross-eyed at the moment,” I tease.
Amelia huffs. “Well, sorry. We mere mortals can’t compete with these.” She makes grabby hands toward my bejeweled chest, but I swat them away.
My dress consists of hundreds of tiny, interconnected mirrors that catch the light and create a sparkle effect everywhere I turn. I’m wearing a nude bodysuit under, giving the illusion that I’m naked under this dress, which hits right above my knee. My long blond hair is down in loose waves, accompanied by a red lip that makes my blue eyes pop.
Sexy disco ball at your service.
“Girl, we’ve been over this already. I’m the tits of the relationship, and you’re the ass. Together, we make the dream team.” I angle my drink toward hers and clink them together.
“Otro más, another shot!” Vanessa, Amelia’s non-blood-related cousin, shouts. Amelia and the rest of the ladies in her cousin crew shriek and rush toward the bar.
I pull Amelia’s arm and talk loudly into her ear. “It’s a couple hours until the ball drops. I’m going to check out the bars on the other floors since I’ve never been here before. I’ll be back by midnight to celebrate with you.”
She frowns. “Boo, no! I’ll come with you. Or just stay with us. I don’t want you wandering alone. My cousins are so excited to finally meet you, and they’re technically your cousins since we’re basically sisters now, ya know?” She hiccups.
Even in her drunken stupor, my best friend has the kindest heart. But the truth is, her family flew down to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her as her farewell to Miami before she moves back home to New York City, and I already feel like an interloper since I’ll be tagging along and moving in with her. Besides, I wouldn’t mind having a moment to myself to bid my hometown’s nightlife goodbye.
I want her to let her hair down and have fun with her family, but she’ll never let me go willingly at this point in the night. So I give her the bait that will allow me to break away. Amelia being the hopeless romantic of the duo, I pat her arm and say, “A girl needs to do her rounds in order to find a New Year’s kiss, Amelia.”
She smiles widely, and I can see the romantic comedy unfolding behind her eyes. “Ohmygosh you are totally gonna find the love of your life tonight. And then you’ll have the most magical kiss ever, and then he’ll follow you to New York, and then—”
“Too far, girl. I said someone to kiss, not compare retirement plans with.”
She pouts like a petulant child. “But if I’m never going to find true love, I need you to do it so I can hear firsthand what it’s like. Because at the rate I’m going—”
“Okay, this is turning into sad drunk territory. And I did not get my hands all oiled up for you to spiral tonight. So I’m going to hand you off to someone who’s gonna put you on water duty for the rest of the night.” I look over all the bobbling heads and dancing bodies. “Wait, isn’t your brother supposed to be here by now?”
She frowns. “He texted me earlier saying his flight got canceled due to a small snowstorm up north. He should be able to fly in tomorrow night at the earliest.” She folds her arms across her chest.
Bummer, I was really looking forward to meeting Antonio. Amelia talks about him like he hung the moon. I’m an only child, so I always dreamed of having a loving sibling. Plus, I’m hoping to make a good impression since Amelia is my best friend and I fully intend to be considered theirplus onesibling for life.
Looks like introductions will have to wait. I steer Amelia over to one of her more responsible cousins and inform her that she should be on a food and water diet for the rest of the night. We’re no longer in college, and I have no desire to hold her hair back while she gets sick. She’s notorious for having terrible aim.
After I confirm that Amelia has a bottle of water in her hands and is surrounded by her family members, I take off toward the higher levels of the club to see what adventure awaits me until midnight.
Nikki
PRESENT
New York City
“You can’t be serious. You almost died, like, two seconds ago. I’m not leaving your side for a vacation at a time like this.” I wave my hand up and down her bedridden body where she’s lying next to me in her massive king-size bed. An absurd number of sugary snacks create a barrier between us as we digest everything that’s gone down in the past few weeks.
Last month, Evan Cooper, Amelia’s billionaire boyfriend, offered me a golden ticket. He was so grateful that I played a role that eventually led them to spending Thanksgiving alone together in his cabin, he offered me a trip of a lifetime.
Anywhere. Anytime. All expenses paid for me and my now newly ex-boyfriend, Justin. We planned on taking Evan’s private jet to an exclusive posh resort in Bali. But I haven’t even thought about the trip since Amelia was attacked over a week ago. And not just attacked, but kidnapped and held at gunpoint by the man who was her very first kiss when they were kids. Thank God her brother and Evan got there in time to save her. Though by then she’d been stabbed and had nearly died.
“Nikki, I’m fine. My recovery is pretty straight-forward. Plus, Evan is my literal shadow. I don’t think I can handle two of those right now.”
