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My chest tightens and nose burns, and when I open my mouth to talk, my voice is choked with tears. “Katie.”

“Carry On”—fun

“WYATT—”

“Come on, Katie,” he says, cutting me off, “I’ve been your best friend for years. And I was your fiancé, for cryin’ out loud!” Doesn’t he realize that this isn’t going to change anything?

Looking at my watch, I notice the time. “Wyatt,” I say, sighing, “can we talk about this later? I’m going to be late for my appointment.” Pushing the driver’s side door open, I step out of my car, shut the door behind me and click the lock before heading toward Dr. Perry’s office.

“Just say yes,” he says before giving a muffled apology for raising his voice. “Hell, you’ve already said yes, you just haven’t followed through yet. It’s dinner. One dinner. Give this to me, please.”

“Fine,” I relent, mostly because I’m getting tired of hearing him beg, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to prove to him—once and for all—that we are over.

“Really?” I almost laugh at the shock in his voice. “Okay then. How about Friday night?”

“Friday night is fine.” Pulling on the door to the building, a gust of wind catches it and I grunt, trying to get it open.

“What time should I pick you up?”

Blowing a chunk of hair out of my face, I shrug out of my jacket and drape it over my arm. “You ar

en’t picking me up. This isn’t a date. I’ll meet you at Bobby’s at six.”

“Bobby’s?”

“Yes, Bobby’s.” I knew he wouldn’t like that. Bobby’s is a bustling café that is usually packed full of college students. It’s not a good place at all for someone who wants to have a nice, intimate dinner—which is exactly what Wyatt wants. “Now I have to go. I’ll see you then.” I hang up before he finishes saying goodbye.

Walking up to the building, I pull open the door and step into Dr. Perry’s waiting room.

“Good morning, Katie.”

“Morning.” I smile, signing in at the front desk before taking a seat against the wall.

“You can actually head on back. Dr. Perry is ready for you.”

“Thank you.” I drop the magazine I had just picked up and weave my way to Dr. Perry’s office. She’s already sitting in her plush chair, waiting for me with a giant smile on her face.

“Long time, no see, Miss Devora.”

“Yes, well, it’s been a long week,” I say, hanging my jacket on her coat rack before walking over to that beautiful floral-print couch that I love so damn much. Not.

“Tell me about it.”

I can’t stifle the laugh as I drop onto the worn cushion. “How did I know you were going to say that?” Dr. Perry laughs too, and without a second thought, I tell her absolutely everything that’s happened. We talk about Devin, and how I not only forgave him but let him back into my heart. We talk about Bailey and Wyatt and Mama, and when I’m finally done telling her everything about everything, she leans back in her chair and simply stares at me with a huge grin plastered to her face.

“What? What’s that look for?”

“I’m speechless.” She laughs again. “I don’t really even know where to go with all that.”

“Well, you could start with Devin. Do you think I’m stupid for letting him back in?”

“Do you think you’re stupid for letting him back in?”

“Nice deflection.”

“Thank you.” She nods, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“I think it feels right. I think it’s the most right I’ve felt since before my dad died … hell, it’s probably the most right I’ve felt since before Devin left ten years ago. It’s like as soon as I opened my heart up to the possibility of letting him back in, all the remaining resentment and sadness over what happened with him just went away. Suddenly, the gaping hole in my heart wasn’t so empty anymore, and I like that feeling.” My shoulders relax as though I needed to get those words out.