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I act indifferent, though I’m far from unaffected. “I’m not judging. Everyone is free to be who they are.”

He nods. “I know. I just want you to know. You might see me tagged with someone on social media, but that doesn’t mean anything has or will happen.”

I hate this conversation. It’s like he’s preparing me for when itdoeshappen. When I head back home in a few days, I know I’ll want to hide under a rock. I don’t think I can stomach any of the images or videos, innocent or not. His lifestyle is a far cry from mine.

“You know that, right?” he clarifies.

“Yeah, of course.” I try to sound as convincing as I can.

But he can be with whomever he wants, and technically, so could I, even if the thought alone makes me want to rip my heart out.

He rubs a palm over his face.

I quickly change the subject. “Luke messaged me earlier. He apologized for going off at us last night. He said it sucked, but he was out of line. Did you speak to him or something?”

Zach downs the rest of his water and nods, replacing the cap. “I stopped at his place on the way to the airport.”

“What did you say?”

“In short, what I told him last night. That he doesn’t have any hold over you. I was sorry he saw what he saw, but you two were over a long time ago.”

My heart rate picks up—he defended me. “Thank you. But he didn’t see anything last night. We were just messing around in the ocean.”

A disbelieving smile traces his lips. “You really believe that Luna?”

No. “It’s what I have to believe.”

He nods and leans down, pulling at the lace on his sneaker and then retying it as he clears his throat a couple of times. I know he’s buying a minute to gather himself and push back our reality. This summer is almost done, and somehow, someway, we have to move on with our lives, just as we did before.

I feel my eyes sting with unshed tears, and I blink rapidly to push them back.

Grabbing a menu card from the pocket of my seat, I throw him my best teasing smile. “They have a frittata on thebreakfastoptions.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

LUNA

Wow.

Zach’s place is crazy. Coming away from my tiny town and arriving in Seattle is change enough, but this, this is so much more. He even has his own frickin’ elevator.

His entire penthouse apartment is a huge open-plan expanse of monochrome and solid dark wooden flooring. I’ve never once considered how much money Zach makes, beyond what’s thrust in my face by the media. Standing here though, I realize why certain women come after him in the way they do. But in their pursuit of his fortune, they miss everything that truly makes him rich: his kind and beautiful heart.

“All okay, Rocket?” Zach emerges from the hallway, where he took my suitcase and put it in one of his spare bedrooms.

“Yeah.” I grip the strap of my purse tightly, feeling slightly overwhelmed as I glance out of the vast floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown Seattle.

“Hey, it’s just me.” He comes to stand in front of me, running his calloused palms over my shoulders.

I tip my chin up at him and smile. “I know. I just...I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is. Wow, Zach. You really did good.”

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine, my body pulsing with need at his proximity. “I know what we said on the plane, but I really want to take you to bed.”

My heart skips. I want it too, so badly. “I can’t.”

Slowly, he nods against me. “I know. I just need to be honest; this is killing me too. More than you could imagine.”

Maybe coming to Seattle was a mistake for both of us. Attending the gala is one thing, but staying in his apartment like this can only lead to more than both of us can handle. “I can stay in a hotel if it makes it easier?”