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I look up at him, biting my lip. “Seriously?”

“Legally, I cannot reveal your secrets, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir. Makes me feel old.”

“You are old,” Bryce, who’s barely twenty-five, chirps, and I kind of want to hit him.

“Haha. You swear that?—”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” His words are firm, his eyes earnest.

“Meredith and I–we're having issues.”

“Well, You told me you dumped her, right? Back then?”

“It wasn’t like that?—”

“Youdumpedher. And she let you back in, and now she’s feeling bad about herself. Makes sense.”

“Does it?”

Bryce scoffs. “You straight men really know very little about the women you chase.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I’m more frustrated than angry.

“Regardless of your past reasons, what she knows is that you rejected her. Of course, she’s feeling some type of way about letting you back in. Wouldn’t you feel bad if someone dumped you, spent years on radio silence, and when they popped back in your life you just took them back?”

“Yeah. I guess it would make me feel hesitant and afraid of hurting again.”

“So, she feels terrible. Give her some space.”

I frown. “Did she call in today?”

He nods. “And yesterday, too.”

“Maybe I should go and check on her.”

“What did Ijustsay, Logan? Give her some space.”

I’m already putting on my jacket. “I've been giving her space. I’m just going to check on her. If she’s okay, then she’s okay.”

“I want it noted that this is the absolute opposite of my advice,” Bryce calls as I leave, but I ignore him.

If Meredith’s really sick, then she’ll need someone to take care of her. I know from keeping in touch with Grayson that her mother is out of the country, so she’ll be at the mansion alone.

I know that Bryce is right. I should probably give Meredith her space. But space is all we’ve had, for years, and maybe some part of me wants to change that.

I’ve spent the past few years trying to be the man she deserves.

I’m not sure if I am, but I know that I sure as hell can’t let her go, not after that weekend. It was heaven, having her in my bed, my arms, being inside of her.

I’m not ready for it to be over yet.

It’s strange, driving through the gate of her mother’s mansion.

She hasn’t changed the code since we were teenagers. I thought she might have changed it sometime over the years, but it works just fine.

I drive slowly up the driveway. The last time I was here, I crept into the back and scaled the trellis up to Meredith’s room. This time, I’m going to walk right through the front door.