He looked at me. “Please, let me do this and then I’ll leave you alone. I promise.”

I half smiled. “Fine. Breakfast, but then I need to get home, okay?”

He took me to The Vine, a fine dining restaurant near the beach. I had to admit, it was a welcome distraction from worrying about my argument with Heath. It also gave us a chance to clear the air regarding our break up. And if I was honest, it was nice to wrap up the loose ends of our relationship.

When breakfast was finished and Colton paid, we left the restaurant. He opened the wrought iron gates for me to step through and followed me down the short pathway towards the street.

As we stepped out onto the pavement, Colton surprised the hell out of me by pulling me to him and crashing his lips onto mine. Caught off guard I fell against him, allowing him—not by choice—a moment longer to kiss me. His mouth worked to open my mine and he thrust his tongue in. From a distance I’m sure we looked like two lovers embraced in a loving and mutual kiss. But it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mustering up my strength, I pushed free, but not before he had given me a long, passionate kiss.

I shoved him with the palm of both hands. “Get off me!” Then, without thinking, I drew back my arm and punched him hard in the jaw. He collapsed like a house of cards.

Stunned, I glared down at him sprawled on his ass on the pavement.

Colton’s eyes crinkled into slits and he burst into laughter. “You should see your face.”

“You should see yours!” I reproached him.

He rubbed his jaw. “You can take the girl out of the south … but not the south out of the girl …”

“You deserved it,” I snapped. “You promised you wouldn’t bite!”

“But I said nothing about kissing you.”

He planted his palms flat on the concrete and tilted his head back in laughter.

“Oh come on Harlow—two years we spent together. You can’t blame me for trying to get one last kiss in.” He grinned and extended an arm for me to help him up.

I couldn’t help but smile and offered him my hand. I pulled him to his feet. But I was ready to deck him again if he tried anything foolish like kissing me again.

We stood across from each other. Colton’s laughter faded and he looked serious, his good looks softening into a reflective smile. “Do you love him?”

I didn’t have to think about the answer. “I do.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because I’m a stubborn fool. And a stupid teenager who needs to grow up,” I answered honestly. “But I love him, Colton. I love him more than I could have ever imagined.”

He nodded resignedly. “Can I at least drive you home, to say sorry for my behavior?”

“You can do me one better,” I said.

“What?”

“You can drive me to the airport.” I looped my arms through his and laughed as we descended the steps to the sidewalk below, suddenly excited by the afternoon that lay out before me. “Because I’m heading to Vegas to see my boyfriend.”

I hated that Heath and I had fought and that he’d left angry at me. If I flew out to see him … the gesture might repair some of the damage to our relationship. It would reassure him that he had nothing to worry about.

Further along the sidewalk, Colton paused to rub his chin.

“Jesus,” he muttered, “You punch like Tyson.”

I smiled, but it quickly faded when I saw the swelling at the corner of his mouth and the red mark on his cheek. I reached up but stopped short of touching him.

“Oh Colton … I didn’t mean to—”

He raised a hand and his lips curled into a swollen, but friendly smile. “You kiss it better and we’re even.”

I raised a brow, not wanting to kiss anyone but Heath.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine!” And on tiptoes, I quickly kissed the red mark on his cheek.

He didn’t try to turn his face so his lips met mine; he simply kept his cheek turned, and then grinned.

I took his chin, turned his head to face me, and said, “Our last kiss, okay?”

His eyes grew serious and he nodded. “I know it’s over, Harlow. It has been for a while. Thanks to my stupidity. And now you’re in love with another guy.”

I nodded, our faces still close. “Very much.”

He smiled and gently rubbed my arm. “I’m happy for you. You deserve someone who is going to make you happy. He does make you happy doesn’t he?”

“More than anything.”

He looked disappointed, but nodded and offered me a closed-lip smile.

“Come on,” he said taking my hand, “Let’s get you to the airport. I’ve kept you from your beau long enough.”

Chapter Fourteen HEATH

The pain was unbearable. Like nothing I had ever felt. It started at my toes and overcame me, not stopping until it exploded out of my ears. I flinched.

Anger followed not long after, chasing it through every nerve and fiber of my body. I wanted to break every bone in his goddamn body. I wanted to scream at him to get his hands off my girl.

I wanted him to feel the same agony I felt coursing through me as I realized Harlow no longer wanted me. That she had chosen this asshole over me.

Christ it hurt. And I had no idea of how to handle it.

I thrust my fist against the dashboard, the pain shooting up my wrist but barely registering against the heartache in my chest and the storm in my mind.

I tore my eyes away from them and buried my face in my hands. The scream inside my head was overwhelming. It fractured me, allowing my grief to spill free. I became aware of my rapidly beating heart and the quickened pulse in my neck.

Harlow didn’t want me. She wanted him. And when she knew I was back in town, she would break up with me and tell me she was going back to him.

My heart tripped on that last thought and I felt frantic.

My girl didn’t want me anymore.

Minutes passed with my head in my hands before I finally raised my face again. I tried not to look at them but my eyes sought them out before I could stop.

They were off the pathway now and descending the steps to the sidewalk below. They were laughing. In fact, Harlow looked highly amused. She had her arm looped through his and looked like a woman in love. She was beaming with it.

Goddamn beaming with it!

Was she really that relieved to be back with him?

Self-preservation kicked in and I briefly wondered if what I was seeing was true. Perhaps there was a perfectly reasonable explanation? No, there was no perfectly reasonable explanation for some guy to put his lips all over my girl.

As much as my heart wanted me to, I couldn’t deny that they looked like reunited lovers. And as if to confirm my fears, when I looked up they had stopped further down the sidewalk and she was kissing his mother fucking cheek and he was gently rubbing her arm. Jesus, the way she was looking at him as they spoke broke my heart and a part of me began to die.

I didn’t need to see any more. It was already taking all my strength to stop myself from ripping off the car door and tearing down the street to knock him off his feet. And two months ago that was probably what I would have done.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply, fighting off the heartache that was spreading through me.

The moment I’d always dreaded but had somehow expected, was here; Harlow had finally realized I wasn’t good enough for her and had gone back to her rich prince.

Even with my mind crazy with hurt, I realized it was much better to be angry because anger was much stronger than heartache. If I could hold on to my anger, I reasoned, this was going to hurt less. And watching them walk away in the Californian sunshine, it wasn’t hard to focus on my anger.

On autopilot, I drove back to the airport and like a zombie, purchased a ticket back to Vegas.

Suspended in a daze, all I could see was Harlow in Colton’s arms. Even the not-so-subtle interest of the flight attendant as she greeted me barely registered on my radar.