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“It felt good. For those couple of hours, I felt like myself. My younger self when I was focused and felt safe.”

Emmaline twists her lip, mulling over something I said or my expression. “Safe? So, you felt safe with John?”

Nodding, a tear slips from the corner of my eye.

“That’s a good thing, right?” Emmaline asks. “Oakley, can I have a moment alone with Becca? I’ll be back in just a minute. I’m sure Corbin and Bryce are worried about us.”

Oakley reluctantly walks back into Pier Pressure, and Emmaline grabs my hand, guiding me to a bench. We listen to the waves lap against the poles holding the pier afloat.

“Do you want to talk about anything from your past?”

“No.”

She lifts her chin, gazing at the midnight moon. “You know, you can’t move forward if you don’t know what’s holding you back. We’ve only known each other a couple of years, but my job is to listen and help sort out thewhybehind your feelings.”

I stick my finger in my mouth and chew on my nails. Slipping into the past, I shake it off. It was fourteen years ago when I was eighteen, but I don’t say it aloud.

“When did you meet Dennis?”

“About a year after I moved to Nashville.”

“What attracted you to him?”

I lift my shoulders and let them fall.

“Was it his looks? His job? The activities you did together?”

“I guess a combination of all three. He’s nice looking in a corporate kind of way. We were constantly going out with a group of “cultured” people. Fine wine. Intellectual conversations. It was a combination. I liked the fact that he didn’t have to travel for his job, that he would be around.”

“Hmm.”

What the hell does that mean?

“So did you date anyone before him?”

“Where’s the black couch I’m supposed to lie down on?” I hop up. “I appreciate your helpfulness, but I don’t need a shrink. Tell Corbin I went back to the resort.”

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I go into counselor mode. If you need to talk, I’m here to listen or whatever you need.”

Emmaline and I have many things in common. We both have brothers who play in the NHL, and we’re natural nurturers. Where we differ is Emmaline is an open book, and I prefer to hold my emotions close to my heart.

There are some things about me that even my brother doesn’t know. Things he couldn’t protect me from. Scars that I’ve buried so deep, I rarely think of them, but I know how they drive every decision I make. I often walk alone in the city, and the mistakes I’ve made creep into my thoughts. I’ve wanted to share my pain with Corbin, but some truths are better off unspoken.This is one secret I’ll keep buried deep in my core under lock and key.

Because what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.

“I need to talk John intonotfinding another place to crash.”

“Okay, but my offer always stands.”

“Thanks, Emmaline.”

After a brief hug, Emmaline and I go our separate ways. The sharp scent of sea salt grabs me on a deep breath, and the pier sways as I make my way to the resort shuttle. Back at the resort, I walk instead of grabbing a golf cart.

My sandals brush against the stones layered with a fine mist of sand. Hibiscus bushes line this part of the path. I stick my nose in a peach-colored bloom, and the fresh fragrance soothes me in an instant. But with each step I take, my mind drifts to John, and my heart pounds as I see the walls of my villa peeking through the resort’s landscaping.

I take a deep breath and keep moving forward. Hoping he’ll forgive me for hiding from my feelings and worse hiding him.

Using my keycard, the door opens, and I’m relieved to hear him rustling around. Then I see him, shoving clothes into his duffel. I tap on the wall to make sure he knows I’m here. He looks up, and our eyes collide. His eyes rimmed with red.