“You can’t just end things without telling me why,” she whispered, using every scrap of strength she had to hold off the tears. “That’s not fair to me.”
“I know, but—”
“No. No buts.” Finally, her feet worked, and she crossed the distance between them. “You said you loved me. You said we were going to buy a house together. Build a future together. And today, I came home to tell you—”
“We can’t do this right now!” Lock shouted. “I’ll stay at Nylah’s place until I can get a flight out. I don’t want you to contact me. No calls, no emails, and no texts. Weneedto be separate.”
Separate. The word was heavy and ugly and hurt so much that she almost grabbed her chest.
There was the smallest flicker of sadness in Lock’s eyes, then he whispered two words. “I’m sorry.”
The door closed behind him…and suddenly there was silence. It rang in her ears, settling deep in her bones.
Gone. He was gone. And she was alone.
CHAPTER 1
Present Day
“Why doyou insist on torturing me?”
Callie’s lips twitched as she glanced up at her friend from behind the desk. “Some call it torture. Others call it Pilates.”
Aspen scoffed, pushing a lock of blond hair off her face as she sprawled across the yoga mat. Anyone would think the woman was dying. “I call it a special kind of misery.”
“I don’t mean to state the obvious, but you do realize youchoseto take this class. Signed up and everything, and I don’t think anyone held a gun to your head.”
“I know that, but how else am I supposed to bond with my fitness-loving long-lost best friend?”
“First of all, we live together, so there’s plenty of bonding being done. Secondly, I was only away from Misty Peak for two years, and we spoke and texted every day. I’d hardly classify that as long or lost. Besides, you’re a romance author. Don’t you believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
“Absolutely not. My readers would kill me if the characters were absent from each other’s lives for years. Not that I have many readers these days.”
Callie tilted her head. “You have readers. You just need to release your next book.”
“I know, but I’m uninspired.”
She was tempted to tell Aspen that her boyfriend might have something to do with that, but she bit her tongue. Callie had never liked Dylan. She wasn’t entirely sure why; there was just something about him that was…off-putting.
Her friend climbed to her feet. “Even though your classes resemble a bit of a torture chamber, I do kind of like the six-pack I’m getting.”
“So this place isn’t all bad?” Callie signed out of her laptop and closed the lid before glancing back over at her friend, who was now cringing as she stretched her quads.
“No, not all bad. And you know I’m ridiculously proud of you for coming home and opening your own studio.”
Callie’s heart gave a little kick. She was ridiculously proud of herself too. For the last two years, she’d been living in Bali, running yoga retreats, and she’d loved it. Lived and breathed it. She hadn’t planned to return to Misty Peak and open a studio, but she knew better than anyone that plans changed. Sometimes for the better, but not always.
“Thank you.”
Aspen’s smile softened. “Did you see Hamish looking at you today?”
“Hamish wasn’t looking at me.”
“He was. And I’m pretty sure he does your classes just to see you. He’s cute. Weird, but cute.”
Cute? She supposed he was kind of cute. He was tall and broad-shouldered, but there was also an awkwardness about him. “He doesn’t do the classes just to see me.”
“Whatever you say.” Aspen tilted her head. “How’s your dad?”
