Hope’s POV
The terminal was bustling, the loudspeaker announcements echoing overhead as I approached the check-in counter. My heart pounded with a mix of excitement and anxiety. This was it.
Agent: Good afternoon! Where are you flying to today?
Hope: Los Angeles.
Agent: May I have your passport, please?
I handed over my passport, the weight of it strange in my hand, like the decision I had made just days before. Moving to Los Angeles wasn't just about starting fresh—it was about shedding the past, stepping into something bigger.
Agent: Are you checking any bags?
Hope: Just this one
I said, sliding my suitcase onto the scale.
The agent smiled politely as she printed my boarding pass. "You're all set. Your flight departs from gate 15A. Boarding starts at 3:20. Your seat is 26E. Have a nice flight."**
I muttered a quick thanks, taking the boarding pass and tucking it into my jacket. The truth was, I didn't feel quite ready to say goodbye to the life I'd known—yet here I was, standing at the edge of something completely unknown. My best friend, Mya, had been urging me to move out to Los Angeles ever since she'd landed her job at her father's company. I resisted at first, but after two years of distance and endless FaceTime calls, the pull to be close to her again had finally won out.
I glanced at my watch. Time to head to the gate—no turning back now.
---
The ride from LAX into the heart of the city felt dreamlike, a haze of sleek buildings and sun-drenched streets passing by in a blur. I stared out of the car window, watching as palm trees swayed lazily in the breeze.
"Ms. Miller?" a voice said, gently pulling me from my thoughts.
I turned to face the woman seated beside me, who I assumed was Mya's assistant.
"Yes, that's me."
"Ms. Anderson sends her apologies for not being able to pick you up personally. There was an urgent board meeting that couldn't be avoided. I'm Emma Brown, her assistant. I'll be taking you to her penthouse, where you can rest. She'll join you later," Emma explained as the chauffeur held open the car door for me.
"Thank you," I said, climbing into the car, feeling a strange nervous energy buzzing under my skin.
The city flashed by as we rode in silence, the soft hum of the car's engine lulling me. I could feel the fatigue from the flight settling into my bones, but I resisted the urge to close my eyes.
"Any idea when her meeting will end?" I asked, more to break the quiet than out of any real need to know.
Emma checked her watch. "Probably in about an hour,"she said, her tone polite but distant.
I nodded, sinking back into my seat. The drive wasn't long, but by the time we arrived, I was fighting to stay awake. We pulled up to an ultra-modern building in the heart of the city. The kind of place that screamed exclusivity and wealth. A far cry from the cozy, modest home I had left behind in Stowe.
---
The doors of the penthouse slid open, and the first thing I saw was Mya standing in the doorway, her face lighting up the moment she saw me.
"Hope!" she squealed, rushing towards me with open arms. "Oh my God, it's really you!"
She enveloped me in a tight hug, the kind only a best friend could give, the kind that said everything we hadn't had time to say in the last two years.
"Bitch, do you want to kill me before I even get a chance to pop my cherry?" I gasped, half-laughing as I wriggled out of her iron grip.
Mya stepped back, giving me a once-over. "Still as old school as ever, I see," she teased.
I rolled my eyes. "One of us has to stay pure."
"And what does that make me?"
"A man-whore," I deadpanned, grinning.
Mya's laughter rang through the penthouse, infectious and wild. It was like no time had passed, like we were back in college, trading insults and secrets over late-night snacks. This was what I had missed the most—Mya's energy, her irrepressible spirit.
"I missed you, Hope,"she said, her voice softening. "It's so good to finally have you here."
"Missed you too," I said, feeling warmth creep into my chest. "But right now, all I can think about is finding a bed and getting some sleep. I swear, if I don't lie down soon, I'll crumble ."
She smiled . "You'll find the bedroom down the hall. I've got to get back to work, but we'll catch up tonight. Seven o'clock."
"Don't be late." I said sleepily
"As if I'd dare." She replied as she headed out the door.
---
I awoke to the sensation of something cold and wet splashing across my face. I shot up in bed, blinking in shock.
"Mya!" I yelled, throwing a pillow in her direction as she stood by the bed, grinning with pure mischief.
"Rise and shine, princess," she said, clearly amused by my outrage.
"Can't a girl get a little sleep around here?" I groaned, wiping my face with the back of my hand.
"Not when when I've missed you this much," she said, her grin turning sly.
I sat up, glaring at her. "If I don't get my sleep, I'll have more than dark circles to worry about and am starting work tomorrow"
But then her smile faltered. She shifted on her feet, suddenly nervous. "About that...there's something I need to tell you."
My heart sank. "What is it?"
She hesitated. "You got the job, but...you're not starting tomorrow."
I exhaled, the tension in my shoulders easing a little. "Okay, so when do I start?"
"Next week. I just thought we could use the extra time to hang out. You know, before you get buried in work at the hospital."
"Fine," I said, brushing it off for now. "But only because you get to tell me what you've hiding."
She winced but quickly recovered. "You'll understand soon enough. For now, let's enjoy this. Breakfast?"
---
Breakfast was simple—bacon, eggs, coffee, and a sense of ease that settled over us as we talked. Not about anything heavy, just the light stuff. Mya filled me in on her life here—how she'd found her soulmate, of all things, and how she'd finally left behind her wilder days. It was surreal hearing her talk about commitment. I never thought I'd see the day.
As we laughed and swapped stories, I found myself looking at her, really looking at her. There was something different about her. She'd changed, matured in ways I hadn't expected, and yet...there was something she wasn't telling me. Something big.
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it briefly before dismissing it.
"So, I was thinking we could go shopping for your work clothes today," she said with a smile.
"Mya, I don't exactly have that kind of money right now. Moving cross-country isn't cheap."
She waved me off. "Who said anything about you paying? This is on me. Consider it a welcome gift."
I sighed, giving in. "Fine. But only because you owe me after that water stunt."
---
Later, as I rifled through my suitcase to find something appropriate to wear for our shopping trip, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Mya was hiding something—something big enough to make her nervous around me. And yet, she was still the same Mya I had always known, laughing, teasing, and being impossibly generous.
I pulled out a dress that hugged my curves and revealed just enough of my back to be intriguing. If we were going out, I might as well have a little fun with it.
Time to see what this city—and whatever Mya was hiding—had in store for me.
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