Standing behind my office window, I stare at the city light of Manhattan. I've been back from Europe for only twenty-four hours, barely recovered from the jetlag, yet here I am when I could have gone back to my hotel room and chilled out.

I haven't returned to my house since I left the States three years ago, even during my occasional visits to New York for business meetings. How could I when the memory it carries was still too painful to bear? The house was like a reminder of the ultimate deception in my life. I know I will have to deal with it sooner or later. I need to decide whether I will sell it, rent it, or burn it down to the ground. But not now.

Blair looked after the house during my absence, doing the basic maintenance to keep it livable, in case I decided to move back in. I admire her optimism, but that's highly unlikely.

The sound of my phone vibrating on my desk pulls me out of my somber thoughts. Speaking of the devil, the devil shall arrive. Blair's caller ID blinks on my screen.

"Hey, kiddo," I say as I pick up the phone call.

"Where are you?"

"Not in my hotel room, for sure." I smile and plop down on my office chair.

"I know, duh. I'm here in the lobby, but they said you weren't back yet. Don't tell me you're still at work."

"Uh." I clear my throat.

"Seriously, Xandie? The world is still in a coma from the New Year hangover, and you're already burying yourself with work? You need help, bro."

I loosen up my tie and chuckle. "Why are you here this late?" I ask, glancing at the building across the street, the hotel where I'm staying.

"Bringing over Mom's box. She'll never stop bugging me until I give it to you. So I thought I'd just bring it over after the dinner with the girls. Should I drop the box at the receptionist's desk, then?"

I turn off my screen and grunt loudly as I get up. "Hang on there. I'm coming your way. Go to the bar on the top floor and order a beer for me, will you?"

***

In ten minutes, I stride into the hotel building, my temporary home for now. As soon as I settle in with my homecoming at work and get in sync with life in this city once again, I will check a few apartments in the area. At least a place that doesn't require driving for work.

In the span of three years, I executed a couple of retail and hotel projects in two different cities, Paris and Brussels, which introduced me to living arrangements from one hotel to another. It was different, but quite refreshing because it was as though I kept moving and didn't need to be stuck in one place and felt trapped. And the best advantage of staying in a hotel is being very close to my project location. I haven't missed driving in the horrendous morning traffic through the city.

My dear sister is sitting by the bar counter when I arrive on the top floor, hair red hair tied into a high ponytail. She's in her second year in her Master's program in art and culture, but in my eyes, she's still my kiddo sister.

"I was expecting you were still wearing your blue hair," I say.

Blair swivels in her seat and squeals. "Xandie!" She gets up and literally jumps on me, squeezing me into a bear hug. "This is going to be the first time and the last time you'll hear from me. I've missed you so fucking much!"

I grin and give her a peck on the cheeks. "I should've taped it then. You look great with red color, by the way."

"Thanks." She shakes her head, causing her ponytail to sway. "It's burgundy. But yeah, a new year, a new color."

We pick up our drinks and move to the table facing the city view. As soon as we settle in, Blair retracts a box from her shopping bag and hands it to me. 

"Here. Your special package."

"I hope it isn't another winter scarf," I say, but I know it's exactly what I will see when I unbox it later.

"You just jinxed it."

"Dammit."

My sister laughs before folding her arms on the table, leaning forward to take in my figure. "Europe must have done you good. You look much better than the day you left three years back. But I still haven't seen your usual smile." Blair, with her on-point observations and straightforwardness, always amazes me. She has turned into a stunning young woman, ready to embrace life's challenges as an independent adult. I'm glad she finally left that stupid Flitz boy; nothing is holding her back now. "I know it's been tough, but you deserve more, Xandie. Does that new chick of yours make you happy?"

I sigh at her question. "Trisha is amazing. She has been...amazing." I find myself having a hard time finding a word to describe Patricia.

Blair frowns. "So... Just amazing? Come on, Xandie, give me something else. You haven't told me much about her."

"There's not much to tell, really." I pick up my beer and take a swig, trying to find a line to dodge my sister's investigation. "We've only been seeing each other for three months, and it's not that serious. I want to take things slow this time."

She raises an eyebrow, her eyes burning with questions, but she doesn't push further. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Uh. I'm not sure. Do you want to meet her?"

She shrugs. "Sure. I mean, if you want to."

In truth, I don't want to introduce Patricia yet to her, or to anyone significant in my life. Knowing that letting my date enter other aspects of my life can lead to disaster, I want to be careful this time. Plus, as much as I find her beautiful, kind, and smart, I still can't say I want more than what we have now. However, I made a stupid mistake by agreeing to visit her family ski resorts, which means to meet her family. But again, I've been interested in the ski resort business and saw the offer as an excellent opportunity. We're going in a group, anyway. It's not supposed to be anything intense.

"Maybe later if we're progressing into something more serious," I say, playing with the handle of my pint glass. "Right now, it's nothing more than going on a date on weekends, spending the nights, and then going back to our routines on Monday. We barely talk during weekdays."

"I see. Well, at least she keeps you company, huh?" she says before taking a gulp of her margarita. "Mom has been so worried about you. She even thought of reconnecting you with your beloved ex."

"Huh. What? Emma?"

"Yep." She pops the p. "You know she was always fond of her, which I never understand why."

I shrug. My thoughts travel back to the dark moment when my mother started to drag herself into a battlefield that was not hers. I shake my head to push it back to the back of my mind. There's no point in thinking about it now. "Emma could be lovely if she was determined to impress someone. And we can't blame Mom. She likes who she likes. Right?"

"I guess." Blair purses her lips. "But if you ever think of seeing that bitch again, consider to unsister me first."

I laugh at her feistiness. Her hatred for Emma is eternal. "Got it."

Blair takes another gulp and checks her phone. "I need to go home. We have an exhibition to prepare in the morning."

"You're not driving, right?"

"Of course, not. I'll grab a cab." She stares at me for a few more seconds. "It's good to have you back, Xandie."

I can't say that it's good to be back, but I don't want to make her mood drop. "You're one of the reasons I was looking forward to going home."

She flashes me a sad smile and gets up. "You should get some sleep."

We hug again to say goodbye before we walk to the elevator. We still have a lot to catch up on, but since I'm now home, the siblings' talk can wait because we have all the time we need. And secretly, I want to know if she's heard about Hayes' whereabouts. After dumping me, Parker disappeared into thin air, leaving me with a torn heart.

Maybe, just maybe, I can move on once I know what happens with her. Perhaps I want to witness that her life is as empty as mine.