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Am I? Nope. I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Just enjoying the evening. Music. The view.”

“Thinking about Emilio?”

Is it that obvious? I lowered my chin, and nodded slowly. “I’m just thrown off-balance.”

“Why don’t you call him?” She placed her hand over my aching heart. “You won’t rest until you do. Don’t let this fester and become a problem. Whatever it is he wants or says, we’ll deal with it.”

My heart sank into my stomach. No doubt she questioned whether I wanted a second chance with him. I hated that for a split second, tiny cracks had appeared in my concrete resolve, but I’d been quick to reseal them. I wasn’t like her ex, Rhett. There was no going back to Emilio. But so much had been left unsaid. “Em hurt me too much. I’m not sure if I could ever forgive him.”

“You have a new life. You’ve moved on. You have me.” She kissed my forehead. “But you need to do this to move forward.”

I smiled and puffed air through my nose. “You are much wiser than your years.”

“I don’t want you to have any regrets.” Concern loomed in her eyes.

I caressed the side of her neck then pressed my lips to hers. “I’ve had many, but you aren’t one of them.”

That was the truth.

After crawling back into bed with Tia, I still couldn’t sleep. As she slept beside me, her eyes fluttered behind her lids. This beautiful, broken girl had wound her way into my heart. She’d changed me. Every day, I fell for her more and more. But how deep did my feelings run? Did I...no, could I love her? Maybe she was right. To answer that question, I had to put closure on my past. Then I could move forward.

Mid-morning, I slipped out of bed and pulled on my pajama shorts. I grabbed my cell phone, ambled downstairs, and headed outside. Nausea and nerves swayed in my stomach as I glanced at the time on the screen and did the quick calculation. It’d be near midday in Miami. Fuck. I had to get this over and done with.

My hands shook as I found Emilio’s number and called him.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Crap.

Then, he answered. “Lewis?” Emilio’s voice shook with controlled excitement.

“Hey.” Wincing, I rubbed my eyebrows. “I got your text. What’s up?”

“Babe. I miss you so freaking much. Are you good?” His sweet tone churned my gut and hurt my heart.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you in LA?”

“Yep.”

“Shit, Lew, so much has happened over the past several months. I hate to admit it, but Miami hasn’t been all it’s cracked up to be. It’s tough out here. There are too many DJs competing for gigs. Many have established names and regular bookings. I’m up and down each week, working my ass off to get hired for events and shows.” His tone softened. “But since I left, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I fucked up so bad. I love you, Lew. Turning down your proposal was the biggest mistake of my life.”

My ribs constricted and cracked. “I haven’t heard from you for eight months, Em.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? I needed time to make sure we were meant to be together. I’m sorry. I want to marry you.”

A sharp pain sliced through the center of my head. If he’d said he’d made a mistake a day or two after he’d left, maybe things would’ve worked out differently. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t returned any of my calls or texts until now. “You can’t say shit like that. I’ve moved to the other side of the country and have gotten my life on track.”

“I’ve seen you on the news. You’re with The Flintlocks. That’s so freaking cool.” The fervor in his voice set off a warning bell in my head. He’d be jealous of the celebrity circles I now walked in. The envy would be killing him. Tough.

I paced the length of the pool, staring at the glistening surface. “They’re great guys. It’s not all smooth sailing, but we’re getting there.”