“Guilty,” I said, raising my glass. “Also the ranch dressing. Because, let’s be honest, England’s version tastes like betrayal.”
“You’re lucky I love you,” she said, grinning. “You’re so dramatic.”
“Pot, meet kettle,” I said under my breath with a smile, but my chest tightened as I looked at her.
I set my wine down and leaned back on my hands, the floor hard beneath me. “I know it’s not the same,” I muttered. “It’s not like me moving to London for you after Austin... after everything.”
Her smile faded, but she didn’t interrupt.
“I don’t think I ever told you how scared I was. You were crumbling, and I didn’t know how to fix it, but I knew I had to try. I packed my life into two suitcases, and I stayed because I needed you to survive.” I blinked back the heat in my eyes. “And now... now you’ve done the same for me. You didn’t just say ‘I’ve got you’—you showed up. You got on a plane with your kid, you left behind the life you built and, temporarily, the man you love, because you could see I was unraveling.” I sighed. “I didn’t want to admit it, Nova. I hate needing people. But I need you. I need my person.”
Nova stared at me with a look that said she understood—down to the bone. Without a word, she scooted closer andwrapped her arms around me, pressing her forehead against mine.
“We always save each other,” she whispered. “That’s who we are.”
We leaned against the wall like we used to when we were teenagers, the wine buzz fading into the kind of clarity I hadn’t wanted.
“When are you going to see him?” Nova pulled away and studied my face.
“Dunno.”
“Does he know you’re back?”
“Not exactly. I was thinking of showing up at his apartment. Surprise him.”
Nova raised an eyebrow. “How, exactly, do you know where he lives?”
I tried not to smile, but the corners of my mouth betrayed me. “The company I collaborated with is also the sponsor for the Ravens jerseys this year. My business manager reached out, said they wanted to create a ‘love connection’ between me and a player. They don’t know we dated before. He handed over Dirks’s address like it was fate. He never moved.”
Nova’s mouth dropped open. “You sneaky bitch,” she said, grinning as she smacked my arm.
I laughed, but it fizzled fast. My smile cracked under the weight of what I wasn’t saying. I stared at the half-empty wineglass on the floor and said it out loud before I could second-guess myself.
“I’m scared.”
“Of course you’re scared, Lune. You wouldn’t have moved back here unless something felt unfinished.”
I swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared I’m trading one version of safe for another. Like... maybe it wasn’t only Dirks I loved. Maybe it wasthem, the three of us...together. I don’t know if what I’m chasing is really him or just the memory of it all.”
Nova stayed close, her arms still loosely around me.
“Have you heard from Jeremy?”
I shook my head slowly.
“Did you ask Dirks if he had?”
“I did. He said he tried reaching out, but Jeremy never responded.” I paused. “That was years ago.”
Nova hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. “H-have you told him I’m here?”
I pulled back to look her in the eye, my response firm. “Absolutely not. It’s not his business. I know he’s friends with Ledger, but I didn’t—and won’t—mix the two. I love Scarlette too much for that.”
Nova blinked hard and mouthed, “Thank you.”
I gave her a half smile.
“Now, back to the Jeremy dilemma.” Nova picked up her wine again and studied the glass. “You ever think that maybe he got better?”
