“That sucks, my friend. Too bad that this isn’t some kind of fun ménage book where you get to keep both.”

That makes me laugh. “Yep, and now I don’t have either.”

“Screw them. We’ll get you a nice rebound. As long as you promise me that you won’t go self-sabotaging another relationship of yours, we should be good.”

We’re laughing when Alessandro comes into the house with his hands full of groceries. We get up and go help him, the subject dropped.

It is now past midnight and I’m still awake. After tossing and turning for countless hours with sleep evading me, I push the sheets to the side and get up. I walk over to the window and drag the curtain to the side, allowing the moon to fill the room with silvery light. Worrying my lip, I mull over Elly’s words.

“Yeah … self-sabotage would be putting it mildly,” I whisper into an empty room.

I decide to go for a walk to calm down after we’re done with breakfast. I’m jumpy and exhausted after a sleepless night and I feel like I’m going to lose my mind if I remain indoors for another second. I put my jacket on, open the back door, and walk out of the house.

Shivering, I stop on the wooden deck. The majestic view and the tranquility of my surroundings steal my breath away and invigorate me. As I climb down the stairs, I remember Alessandro mentioning the existence of a creek behind the house. I make up my mind to go in search of it.

Upon my return, there’s laughter coming from inside the lodge. The rest of the guests must have arrived. I’m about to open the door when I hear someone approaching the house from my left. Instinctively, I turn my head in that direction, and the air is sucked out of my lungs. The tall form of the man approaches me, completely unaware of my existence. As my eyes devour him, taking in his familiar features, the scruff covering his jaw and framing his luscious lips, the endearing (and mega-hot) way that he looks wearing a navy blue beanie …

I know with complete certainty that he’s the only man for me.

And even though he shares my love with another, I will only belong body and soul to this man. I just pray that I’m not too late.

I let go of the doorknob and spin on my feet until I’m facing the direction that he’s coming from. I take a deep breath like it were my last and throw caution to the wind, gambling my heart away. “Hello, Ronan.”

Ronan stops dead in his tracks the moment he hears my voice, a rainbow of emotions flashing in his eyes as our gazes meet.

“What are you doing here?” he utters with so much hate it stuns me momentarily. “Fucking Elly.”

Flinching, I move toward him. “I—”

The door opens then and a woman whose face I could never forget walks out. Her arm brushes past mine as she goes to him. She extends both of her jeweled hands for Ronan to take. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you.”

Ronan places two overnight bags on the floor before taking her hands in his and pulling her toward him. He pretends that I don’t exist as he smiles a slow, seductive smile. “Missing me already?”

Rachel laughs airily, and it consumes me with jealousy. God, even her fucking laughter is graceful. She says something to him, but I can’t hear past the ringing in my ears. Suddenly feeling dizzy, I recline my back on the wall behind me.

Letting her go, Ronan laces his fingers with her, picks up the bags with his free hand, and walks inside the house. As they pass me by, Ronan’s eyes lock with mine and I see nothing in them but hard indifference. “Excuse us,” he addresses me in a voice so cold it freezes me from the inside out.

When they disappear inside the house, I lean my head back and close my eyes.