Stepping off the airplane I knew this would be the trip of a lifetime. The plane ride had been long and stuffy and full of strangers, but as I stepped out into the carpeted airport terminal, I felt instant relief. Strangely, this town still felt like home. I remember leaving for college, feeling excited about what was in store for me in a new place, away from my parents, and my overprotective brother.

I walked through the airport and with every breath I took I felt the expectation I'd set for myself long ago slowly melt away. I'd gone to college, fallen in love, and had my first successful job as a graphic designer. Shortly after, I'd had my heart shattered and crushed. I fell into a two-year long pity party. I wondered what it had been about me that Derek, the man I'd fallen for, hadn't loved. I wondered what I could have done differently, how I could have been differently. I wondered if I could change myself to make him want me again.

"Hey!" A tall woman was waving erratically as she came running towards me, jarring me out of my thoughts.

"Katie! I can't believe I'm here!" I said as I hugged my best friend. I hadn't seen her since she came to visit me two summers ago, just when the Derek breakup had happened. Even though it had been over two years seeing her now wasn't weird, or awkward. We could easily fall back into our friendship as if no time had passed at all.

"I know, right? The great Ainsley Reed back in Blaine, Virginia. Did you get your bags already?" she asked as she gave me a once over, a big smile still on her heart-shaped lips.

"Yeah." I glanced down at the carry-on that I'd wheeled to a stop beside me.

"Just this one?"

"Yeah. You promised me a makeover before the reunion so I only brought the necessaries."

"Good. Very good." She smiled at the mention of the makeover. I wasn't sure who was more excited about the prospect of having myself refashioned, me or her.

She was the kind of woman who made people's eyes pop. Katie, whose long curly blonde hair was dyed every color of the rainbow, had almost every inch of her exposed skin covered with ink. I'd made a pact with Katie on Skype one night, and yeah, perhaps I was a bit drunk when I'd said if I was still single by the time that the ten year high school reunion came she could do what she wanted with me. And here we were. I flew out early so she could have her way with me. "So... I have something to tell you..."

"Oh no. Don't tell me you deleted your Pinterest account..."

"No, it's not that," she said.

"Is it worse than a fire brand on the ass?"

"Maybe?" she said, her face scrunched up as if envisioning the fire brand approaching her skin.

"That sounds potentially terrible. Are you all right? Are you sick?" I asked, assuming the worst, as I had a habit of doing. Katie wasn't one to mince words. She was usually forthright, sometimes brutally so.

"No. I'm just going to come right out and say it. I'm living with your brother."

We were leaving the airport, and I stopped in the middle of the crosswalk as the news rocked me to my core. My best friend since first grade was living with my older brother? How did this happen without me knowing about it? Why had they been keeping it a secret? How long had they been living together? Did they talk about me at night when they were lying in bed together? I'd told her some of my deepest secrets over the years thinking she was separate from those whom I confided in her about. "You what?"

"I'm living with Scott. But it's not what you think," she said, grabbing onto my arm, pulling me to safety as a car horn blasted to our left.

"It's not?" I was still in shock, still trying to take it all in, but my feet were now moving. She was in the middle of saying something but my thoughts came jetting out of my mouth before I had time to filter them. "You and my brother invited me to stay with you? Are you getting married?"

Katie smiled, her famous patience settling onto her shoulders. "Ainsley, were you not listening? I just told you that we're not into each other."

Not into each other? How could they not be into each other? He was my brother, sure, but I knew he was an attractive guy and funny, and really smart. "Does my mom know?" No doubt if she had she'd be wondering when the babies would start popping out. She'd been eager to be a grandmother since her best friend Faye's daughter started her family five years ago. My mother was part of the reason I hadn't returned to Blaire in all these years. She was constantly making threats, always mentioning one sweet, nice man after another that she'd like to set me up with.

"Yeah, your mom knows, but she thinks our relationship is different than it is. We have a lot of ground rules we need to cover. Number one is... do not spill the beans to your mother about Scott's true living arrangements." That wasn't going to happen. The money I'd spent on an all-expenses paid fourteen day cruise through the Caribbean had been well worth it. I would have no opportunity to talk with her about my brother, or anything else for that matter. "And number two is don't bring boys to the house. Scott has strongly expressed his disinterest in hearing your sex life."

If only I had a sex life to gross my brother out with. I hadn't had sex since Derek. I cleared my throat, hand on my bag as we approached her car. "So if I find out that Mike is single I'll have to make sure he takes me to his truck or his trailer?" Mike Trainor was one of two guys I'd had a major crush on in high school.

"Correct. Or maybe some tonsil hockey with James. That one might be more attainable since he's still friends with your brother."

I felt my cheeks flush at the thought of James. I hadn't mentioned him in years and I had hoped that no one would remember my slight obsession with him, especially Katie. No such luck. Desperate to change the subject I said, "Let's not rehash any of that, it's all history. So, how did your date go with that guy?"

"Who?" Katie caught her keys as she flipped her key chain wristlet over.

"Lee?"

"Oh, right, Lee. Um... things went okay."

It was weird she wasn't saying more about Lee. She'd sounded really excited about the date the other night on the phone. Perhaps this thing with Scott wasn't as it seemed. Why else would she be acting so weird and not spilling details?

"That's all you're going to give me?"

"Yeah. For now. I don't kiss and tell," she said with a smile as we both climbed into the car. I shoved my bag into the backseat and buckled up. "Ready to go?"

"I was born ready." I was excited, and it showed, a huge smile on my lips which Katie mirrored as she started up the engine. I couldn't believe I would return to Vegas in two weeks a completely new me. A new me who would finally get the thing I desired the most -- another chance at love.