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He lifts a brow.

“Dad was fucking right.”

“About what?”

“Hawthorne men do fall hard, deep and fast when they meet their one.”

Dex whistles. “You’re sure she is?”

“Know it in my bones.” I sigh. “Just like I know she may never open that door in her heart for me again.”

Dex looks pensive. “What if you meet someone else?” He turns to look at me.

“It’s her or no one.” I say it, and I know in my heart it is true.

Dex shakes his head.

“You two fuckers had to fall in love with the same woman.”

I laugh. “Fuck you.”

Dex smiles sadly. “Sorry, bro.”

I sigh. “Me too.”

***

Two hours later, another knock on my door. This time, I know who it is before I even open it.

Nora is standing there, her hair down, a simple purple summer dress hugging her curves. Then I see her face… dark bags under her eyes, eyes that look tired and sad. Even like this, she steals my breath away.

I don’t say anything as I step aside and let her in. I take a seat on my hotel bed and she sits too, not close, like touching me might burn her.

We’re both staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sea beneath us.

Several minutes pass in silence as I brace myself for impact.

Then she turns to me.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

I see tears fall from her eyes, and knowing I put them there is killing me. Everything in me wants to reach out, pull her into my arms and make it all better, because that’s what I’ve done every time she’s hurt since the day she got here. But I screwed it all up. I can’t pretend to just be her friend anymore, not when I’m the reason she’s crying. Not when I fucking love her. And yet, every part of me still wants to be the person she turns to when she’s hurting.

Fuck!

“Jude.” Her voice is broken.

“I know.” I stare into her dark brown eyes and try to memorize them, tattoo them on my soul…

“As soon as we arrive in Lander, I’m leaving with Chiara.”

I nod. My throat closes up.

“I…” She begins, then shakes her head.

“I’m not ready to stop loving him.”