chapter 8

Ryan

This place hasn’t changed a bit.

After seven years away, I was back in my hometown for the first time, and it was like I’d never left.

I drove along the main street, checking out all the downtown shops I remembered from my childhood. It was so strange, and I felt on edge. Like I didn’t belong there anymore.

I supposed I really didn’t. I was not the same person I’d been when I’d left.

The town may not have changed much, but I had. I’d gone out into the world and made a name for myself. I’d built an empire and dominated my profession. I’d taken my father’s small shipping company and grown it into a multi-billion-dollar international conglomerate, all by the age of twenty-nine.

Yet, as I drove through my hometown, even after being away for so long, I somehow felt like a kid again.

Jason was the only person I’d come back to this place for, which was ironic since he was also part of the reason I’d stayed away for so long.

I’d considered turning down the invitation to the wedding, even