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Lewis grimaced; heartache darkened his eyes. “He misses me.”

Oh, shit.

With each passing second, the grooves in his brow deepened. A gazillion emotions swam through his clouded gaze. He let out a sharp breath then tossed his cell phone aside. “Tough. I’m not interested in anything he has to say.”

But there was anguish in his voice. I understood heartbreak. And I knew sometimes, it didn’t heal. I didn’t want him to regret anything or always wonder if he’d made the right decision. Despite the doubts circling through my mind, I couldn’t let him ignore the text. We had many bridges to cross if we were going to be together. Dealing with the past was part of the process.

I sucked in a deep breath, keeping a tight hold on my emotions and uncertainties. “I think you should call him. You haven’t spoken to each other since he left. What if he has something important to return to you? Or he just wants to check in to make sure you’re okay? You haven’t had full closure on him walking out. Maybe this will give you that.” But what if Emilio wants him back?

“You want me to call my ex?”

“I trust you.” Fuck. Do I?

Hot sex was one thing but playing with my heart was an entirely different matter. I was falling for him, but did Lewis feel the same? What if he still loved Emilio and wanted a second chance?

My ribs ached and constricted. Crap. Was Lewis another Rhett? Destined to return to his ex?

Chapter 27

LEWIS

Emilio’s text unhinged me. All through dinner at the local Italian restaurant and a movie at home with Tia, I couldn’t get his message out of my head. Sleep evaded me. Just after midnight, I eased out from underneath the covers in Tia’s room and ventured downstairs. I grabbed my acoustic bass from the music room and headed outside to sit by the pool. As I struck and strummed the strings, a million thoughts pounded my head. Why, after eight months of silence, had he finally contacted me? Memories bombarded me—the moment we met after one of my gigs in Brooklyn, lazing in the living room as we made music, the hot lovemaking after a wild night out...then the fights we’d had.

He’d vented. “When are you going to record another album, Lewis? When are you going to tour again? We should be hanging out with your celebrity friends, like Everhide. We should be going to premiers and fancy restaurants, not eating slop at your pop’s bowling alley. I’m tired of traveling to Boston. Leave The Saylors and help me DJ. Write more music for me.”

I’d fumed. “But I love playing with my friends. It’s not about the money. I love what I do.”

Despite my issues with my former band, I’d always loved playing. Emilio had never understood that. Our relationship hadn’t been perfect, but God, I’d loved him. The good had far outweighed the bad. That moment, when I’d gotten down on one knee and proposed, flickered behind my eyelids. The words were still clear in my head.

“Em, the moment we met, my life changed for the better. Your smile captured me. Your love of music sealed you into my soul. I love that you put up with my crazy friends and band, and my dysfunctional family. You make me feel loved and cherished in a world that is often against us. But no one can deny how much I love you. I want to spend the rest of my days making more incredible music together, have a family, and spend my life with you. Will you marry me?”

“No!”

My heart shuddered and hurt my ribs. Now, after all this time, he wanted to see me. I plucked my fingers slowly across the strings and closed my eyes. The turmoil in my head tumbled from my lips.

I was lost, in a daze, going nowhere,

The sun and the moon were my only friends.

There was nothing left in my heart to care,

The loss of your love hurt me beyond repair.

Hearing your voice after so long is too hard to bear,

Why, after all this time, are you messing with my head?

I’ve tried to move on, thought I was doing just fine,

One word from you and I’m falling off the line.

“Hey?”

I jumped at Tia’s voice behind me.

“Oh. Hey.” I put down my guitar and drew her onto my lap.

She swiped my hair back off my face, cupped my cheek. “You okay?”