“Whoever she is, don’t let her go.”
“It’s not that simple, Alex...”
“Don’t care. Fucking figure it out. I’ve known you for eight years, and I’ve never seen that look on your face when you thought about someone.”
“What look?”
“The look of a man in love.” She sighs as she glances up at the darkening sky. “I’m a bit jealous of her, though. Maybe one day I can meet this mysterious woman who stole your heart.” She jokingly slugs me in the shoulder.
“Good night, Alexandria.” I shake my head as I step back inside.
“Night, Myles.”
I wait to make sure she gets to her car safely and drives away before I close and lock the door. Her words keep running through my mind on repeat.
“A man in love.”
Fuck. I need sleep. Tomorrow will be better. I just need a good night’s rest to clear my head.
I kick off my clothes and strip down to nothing before climbing into bed. My phone dings with another notification. It’s 1 a.m. here, which means it’s 3 a.m. there. What the fuck is she doing up?
I open the app to discover her coming home. I knew she left the house, but I assumed she would have come home earlier. In her arms are tons of folded-up boxes, rolls of tape, and a canvas tote bag. I zoom in and see a few bottles of wine poking out.
She drops everything in the living room before climbing the stairs. She goes to her parents' old room and lies on the bed. I lie in bed on my side, watching her. She tosses and turns before finally flopping onto her back and hitting the bed with her fists.
She leaves the bed to walk back down the steps and out the back door. She's wearing a pair of short black shorts and a copper-colored tank top that makes her eyes pop. Her feet are bare as she walks across the grass to the pool house.
I follow her on the cams into my old home. She walks through the kitchen and down the hall to the bedroom, then goes into the closet. She comes out a few minutes later with one of my old high-schooljerseys on and only that. Her bare legs are fully on display.
She climbs into the bed and snuggles one of the pillows. I watch as she turns over a couple of times before getting comfortable. She picks up the photo that was magnetized to the fridge and holds it to her heart as she slowly falls asleep.
The longer I stare at her sleeping form, the worse I feel. I zoom in and can see the trails left running down her face from crying herself to sleep.
I close the app, then press and hold the little icon until the red X pops up. I press it and watch a second notification pop up asking if I’m sure.
Am I sure? Do I want to cut off the only tie to her I have left? My thumb hovers over the button that says yes. I close my eyes and press it, deleting the security app completely.
“Goodbye, my beautiful Sunshine.”
CHAPTER 19
Mina
Six Months Later
“Holy shit! Is that the last box?” I sit on the floor and lean against the bedpost. Jaz walks in carrying the smallest cardboard box. I huff as I flip her off.
“Yeah, this is the last of it.” She flops onto the bed and kicks her shoes off.
“Alright, roomie. How are we celebrating?” I ask.
“Pizza, ice cream, wine, and slutty movies?” she asks without raising her head. “But first a shower.”
“Agreed. You smell like ass.” I laugh, and she flings the pillow off the bed and into my face.
“Bitch,” she laughs.
I moved to Vegas five months ago. After everything that happened with Declan and Myles, I needed to get out sooner. I rented a cheap extended stay motel until my twenty-third birthday, then once I had access to my trust fund, I was able to get a decent house on the outskirts ofthe city. I work at one of the psychiatric hospitals in Vegas. Eventually, I want to have my own private practice.
