I struggled through the day as I thought about Peyton. I still questioned whether I’d told him about my past too soon. He normally stopped in before going to work each morning, but it was well after two now. I knew he wasn’t coming. Something about him seemed to change after we talked, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Was it possible that he just needed more time?

“Do some grand romantic gesture for him,” muttered Mary. “Men always appreciate that kind of crap.”

I rolled my eyes as another customer left happily with their food. “What are you talking about? Men like sex, beer, and football, and Peyton is no exception.”

“That’s not entirely true. I mean, I’m sure he likes all of that, but food is the way to a man’s heart. Cook him a big romantic dinner and force-feed him until he tells you what’s on his mind.”

“I think I moved too fast with him. Do you really think making him dinner will fix all of that?”

She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you, but at least you’ll be well-fed and get one last romp in the sheets. Then, even if it is over, you are still a fat, happy cat.”

“Oh, my lord,” I muttered. “That doesn’t really inspire confidence.”

“Confidence isn’t my game. You want to talk about sex and night life, I’m your girl. I think that a nice hot meal is just what the two of you need. Why don’t you text him?”

I frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t want to bother him at work.”

“Bother him, honey. Find out if he can make it to your place tonight and see where it takes you.”

I sighed, knowing she was right. I had nothing to lose at this point. If he was done with me and my crazy past, I could know without a doubt. It was the waiting in limbo that was killing me. I needed to know what he was thinking. I’d already given him my heart without knowing it. Somehow, in just a few short weeks, I’d fallen in love with Peyton, but then like a fool, I’d gone and risked it all.

“Go,” Mary said as she stepped behind the counter. “I can watch the shop and close up.”

I looked at my friend. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve done it before—shouldn’t be a problem. You need to go get started on your big romantic gesture, okay?”

“What if he doesn’t even want to come over?”

“Then you have your answer and you aren’t moping around here wondering what to do next. Either way, you need to know what the next step is going to be.”

“Thanks, Mary, you’re a great friend.”

She winked. “I know. You never did tell me what you said to him that has you so worried.”

I shrugged. “We can talk about that later. I have a big date to plan, remember?”

“Avoidance, but I’ll let it go this time. Go get him, tiger.”

* * *

My heart had settled down a little bit after Peyton texted back and said he’d love to come over for dinner. Though he seemed a little surprised since dinner together was nothing new. I let him know it was something special and dashed to the store, ready to make him an amazing feast. After four hours in the kitchen and another two making everything in the house perfect, I lit the final candle and waited for him to get there.

He was right on time, as always. I had bought a new sundress for him, since they seemed to be his favorite, and let my hair down over my shoulders just like he liked. His eyes lit up as soon as he walked through the door, and once again, my heart started to race. He leaned down and kissed me briefly on the lips before going to the table and looking around at the meal.

“This is fancy. What’s the special occasion?” he asked.

I shrugged. “No occasion. I just thought after the bombshell that I dropped on you, it would be nice to relax and see that I’m not all crazy.”

Sitting down, he grinned at me. “But your craziness is one of my favorite things about you.”

“You know what I mean. I just wanted to do something special for you. Isn’t that allowed?”

“Oh, definitely,” he said as he dug into the mashed potatoes.

I watched him for a few minutes before starting on my own plate. He seemed genuinely happy with the meal and at peace. My fears started to fade into the background. Maybe it had all been in my head and he wasn’t being distant at all. The more we sat in the silence, though, the more I realized that he seemed a little distracted. Like he was waiting for someone or something to happen.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He nodded. “It’s great.”

I frowned, and he took notice. Moving his chair back and coming over to me, he took my hand. “I told you, Rosa, that everything is wonderful between us. I just have some drama going on at work that I need to sort through. It has nothing to do with you, Rosa.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, feeling needy.

Peyton nodded and went back to his chair. “Everything is going to be fine. Everything is fine with us. I just need you to trust me for a bit. Can you do that?”

I nodded, doing my best to have faith in him. As we finished up the meal and I started to clear away the dishes, he took my hand to stop me.

“Let them wait until morning. I’ve had a long day, and all I want to do is be in bed with you.”

Biting my lip, I nodded my head and followed him up the steps. He was back to his old self if he wanted sex. To my surprise, he didn’t pin me against the wall as soon as we walked into the bedroom though. It was part of our routine. He took control in the bedroom and I loved every part of it. Instead, he went to the bed and stripped down to his boxers before climbing in and smiling at me, patting the bed next to him.

It was the first time we were in bed without being naked since we’d started dating. My mind raced. Maybe he wanted to try something new? I stripped down, taking my time and hoping to catch his eye, but he was already looking down at the phone in his hand and scrunching up his face. There was definitely something distracting him and it wasn’t me.

With a deep sigh, I climbed into bed next to him and turned off the light. It was an early night to go to sleep, but I was tired. I’d been nothing but tired, it seemed, all week. I let my mind drift away, and before I knew it, the alarm was telling me it was time to wake up. Feeling well-rested and alive, I rolled over to see if Peyton wanted to make up for the night before with a little morning sex.

My heart sank as I felt the bed next to me in the darkness. There was nothing there. Peyton had snuck out sometime in the night without telling me, and now he was gone. It felt like a tire had been set on my chest as I struggled to control my breathing. After everything he’d said and after everything we’d gone through together, he had left. I quickly picked up my phone, ready to rip him a new one, when a message flashed across the screen.

Early morning meeting—didn’t want to wake you. See you later.

The words were there, but there was no heart in them. I’d done everything that I could to save the relationship with him, but it was all pointless if only one person wanted it. Refusing to let myself wallow in self-pity, I slammed my phone down and jumped out of bed. If he wanted to end things that way, then it was his problem. I wasn’t a docile wallflower anymore. I was an independent woman.

I furiously started to message Peyton back before deleting it and starting over. For a few minutes, I kept doing this until my alarm went off again. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I simply typed Okay before putting away my phone. I still had a business to run even though my heart felt like it was torn into a dozen small pieces. Peyton wouldn’t get me down. I had to be strong like always. As I stormed past the messy kitchen and table, I slammed the door and stomped out to my car.

Cranking up the music loud, I made myself a promise. No man was going to control how I felt. I would never tell anyone my secret again.