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“We had a fight, and I just need to think, Reece,” I grumble and turn to walk back up the stairs and head for the nest I’ve made on the couch.

He puts a forceful hand on my shoulder. “Nope. Don’t sit down. You need to shower, shave, and eat. You go do the first two, I’ll order breakfast, and we can eat while we talk.”

I hate being told what to do, but after being stuck in this holding pattern of inaction, I’m grateful for the kick in the pants.

I can feel his eyes on me as I leave the kitchen, and I can only imagine what he’s thinking.

I’mthinking about Jules. I’m afraid to turn on my phone. What if she hasn’t called?

I try not to let that worry me as I shower.

But it’s like trying not to breathe.

I keep replaying the scene when I left. I’m ashamed that I left her crying like that, but I didn’t know what else to do.

The door’s buzzer sounds, and I finish getting dressed and go join Reece in the kitchen. He’s on the phone, listening more than he’s speaking. I grab a steaming cup of coffee and two croissants and take advantage of his preoccupation to eat. When the flaky warm pastry hits my tongue, I groan. I haven’t eaten in…I don’t know how long.

Reece puts his phone down and grabs a cup of coffee. “So what sank theLove Boat?”

“It’s not funny.”

“Sorry, just trying to add a little levity.”

“She’s been lying to me about something. I found out.”

“I see,” he drawls. “What did she lie about?”

“I trust you with my life. But it’s not my story to tell.”

“No need to explain. I’m glad to hear it, actually. It means as mad as you are, you’re not ready to turn your back on her.”

“You know me. By now, I’d be done. I don’t want to be done with her. She’s genuinely sorry. I love her, so fucking much. I just don’t know how to live with the truth.”

“Okay, so we have to fix this. Can you give me an idea of the severity of her lie? Like on a scale of ‘these aren’t my natural breasts’ to ‘I’m married.’ Where would you say it falls?”

I choose my words carefully, telling him as much as I can without saying too much.

“She has a criminal record. She never said a word about it, made up a whole story about her background. I only found out because someone from her past showed up and started blackmailing her. She still tried to hide it all.”

“Woah, shit. I see.” Reece’s expression is grim. I can’t imagine what he’d think if I told him the whole thing.

“She pled guilty, but only because her lawyer advised her to.”

“Do you believe her?”

“Yes.”

“And she’s the one?”

“Yes. If she’s not the one, then there isn’t a ‘one’ out there for me. She’s perfect. A little messy, a little less than punctual, but fuck, Reece. Yes. I was sure, so sure. And then I wasn’t. And she was crying. I didn’t know what to do.”

“So you ran.”

“I didn’t run.”

“You always run when you don’t want to deal with something.”

“No, I don’t.”