Rise - Part One (Rise #1)(24)

It's an offer that's as kind and generous as she is. My friendships in college were all impacted by my relationship with Ansel. Jealousy became a factor the first time one of his songs landed on the charts and each time I had to cancel on a dinner or pep rally to go see him play, the resentment had only mounted. I'd graduated quietly with just my family there to congratulate me. I hadn't attended any of the celebratory parties after the ceremony. I wasn't invited and even if I had been, I didn't belong.

In the short time I've known Lilly she has become one of the closest friends I've ever had. She is giving and accepting. Her heart is pure and untainted. I have to tell her now that I've been holding something back from her.

I bring the wine glass to my lips and down half the glass in one swallow. As I place it down on the table I look directly at her. "I used to date Ansel Rinaldi."

Her hand leaps to her chin. "What did you say?"

"I met him in college, Lilly." I pick up the glass again. "I knew him before he was famous. We dated for a few years. It's been over for months now."

"Ansel Rinaldi? The Ansel Rinaldi? You actually dated him?"

I can't pull any emotion from her questions. She looks completely stunned by my admission. "That's the one."

She squirms in her chair. "I like his music but he seems like he'd be a total * in real life."

"You have no idea." I still. "He changed so much when he became successful."

She takes another small bite of the breadstick before she chews it quickly. "How serious were you two?"

"I loved him," I admit. "He used to sing to me when we first met."

"Seriously?" Her ass pops off her chair as she leans forward." He sang to you?"

"We'd pack a picnic and go to a park after class." I look past her shoulder to a group of people seated at another table. "We didn't have much money so he'd bring his guitar hoping to pick up some spare change from people. Sometimes when no one else was around he'd just turn to me and sing."

She settles back down on the wooden chair. "What happened? Why did you break up?"

"It wasn't one thing." I shrug my shoulders. "We stopped having fun. He started changing because of all the attention and we just fell out of love."

"That's sad, Tess."

"It's life," I say sullenly. "Whatever we had ran its course. It happens sometimes."

"It wasn't meant to be," she states loudly with a tap of her hand on the table. "He wasn't the right guy for you."

"He really wasn't." I flash a grin. I'm grateful that the conversation went as well as it did and that she doesn't see Ansel through the same rose colored glasses most of his fans do.

"I think Landon is the guy for you." She leans back as the waiter approaches with our food. "Mark my words, Tess. You're going to marry that man one day."

I laugh as I pick up my fork to dive into my meal. "I'm taking it slow. He's a great guy but I'm not rushing into anything with anyone."





Chapter 21


"Did you know that Ansel is in New York?"

After we ate, our conversation shifted to Haven and all the joy that Lilly's found in every moment of being a mom. Her face softened when she talked about wishing her mother and siblings could meet the baby. It was the same sorrow that I've seen in Landon's expression when he's talked about his dad.

"I heard that," I say quietly. "I don't think he'll contact me. I made it clear the last time I talked to him that I never wanted to hear from him again."

"You know men," she begins before she tips the wine glass to her lips and finishes the last few drops. "You can tell them to get lost and it makes them try even harder."

I do know that. It's something I've experienced with not only Ansel but other men I've dated. Games don't help when it comes to matters of the heart and I have no intention of ever doing anything to trick Landon. I see potential in our connection and I want to nurture that in the healthiest and most honest way I can.

"I'm sure that Ansel got the hint," I breathe. "I don't want to look in the past anymore. I want to focus on the future now."

"That's the right attitude." She taps her hands on her lap. "Let's go celebrate your future with a drink."

I gesture towards the now empty bottle of wine. "We did have a drink, or three."

She giggles loudly. "That was wine. We need to go have a real drink somewhere."

"You need to get home to your baby," I remind her. "Please tell me you're not going to breast feed tonight or I'll feel horrible for insisting on the wine."

"I pumped." She playfully grabs the bottom of her breasts through her dress. "I stored enough milk in the refrigerator for a couple of days."

She may be the best mom I've ever met. "How can you have it so together, Lilly? I don't have a baby and I can barely keep myself functioning."

"That's the trick," she says proudly. "When you have a baby they're the most important person in your life. You get it together for them. I want Haven to be proud of me when she grows up."