Carly and I met Kina and Lacey for lunch. Since the dinner at Carly and Brad’s house, the football women had all tried to make contact with me, to pull me into the group. I wasn’t sure why they were doing it. I was leaving again soon, but I appreciated the effort. Carly was part of an amazing group here in Miami, and a part of me could see why she didn’t want to come back to Colorado.

“How are you enjoying Miami?” Lacey asked after we had placed our order.

“I’m loving it,” I admitted. “Carly is showing me around, and I’m sure that helps. I wouldn’t have known where to start if I were here alone.”

Lacey nodded. “Miami can be great if the right people are showing you around,” she said. “And with us, you’re in great hands.”

I nodded. I agreed. I was having the best time, and Lacey and Kina, as well as the others, were going out of their way to make me feel at home and connect with me.

“I heard you went on a date too,” Lacey said.

I nodded, unable to hide my blush. “Nick asked me out at the dinner party. I didn’t have a reason not to accept.”

I glanced at Carly who nodded imperceptibly, telling me my secret was safe. The group of friends Carly belonged to now, all the football players and their wives, had no secrets from each other. I didn’t mind it, but I didn’t want them to know I’d already known Nick, that we had gone to school together. I was scared that if they knew, and Nick was a part of the group, he would hear it from someone other than me. But Carly had kept my secret as I had known she would. She was a friend in a million.

Which was why I missed her so much when we were apart.

“When are you headed back to Colorado?” Kina asked.

“In two weeks,” I said. “At least I could fit in a long visit.”

“Pity. The season will start then, and it’s a blast.”

The women started talking about preseason, how the games built up and generated excitement for the football season starting in early September.

It sounded like a lot of fun, the way they talked about it. They talked about spending time together watching games and going to parties afterward. I had to give it to Carly. She might have ditched me to come all the way to Miami, but she was living the life. It was a pity, like Kina had said, that I would be leaving it behind.

“Sometimes, we get to watch games with the guys,” Kina said. “The second-string games are a lot of fun, too, and then our husbands and boyfriends can join us. It’s such an experience to watch football with a pro player. They speak a different language.”

Lacey nodded, agreeing. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance to watch it with us before you go,” she said. “Nick might have a preseason game coming up. The second-stringers are always trying to prove themselves to the first-stringers to see if they can get onto the team.”

It sounded great, but I felt a little embarrassed that it kept going back to Nick. Yes, I liked the guy. I had been crushing on the guy for a long time. But everyone was talking about him now like he and I were a sure thing, and I wanted to be sure I felt that way. I didn’t know what I felt, but he didn’t know who I was.

“Why don’t you stay here for the semester?” Carly asked, turning to me.

I shook my head. “I can’t miss an entire semester. This is my last year. You know that. I’m not giving it up now.”

Carly shook her head. “You don’t have to. I didn’t. I’m studying online.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“There’s still time to apply for online classes,” Carly said and looked at me expectantly. The other two were also looking at me, expecting an answer. I pulled up my shoulders.

“I’ll have to think about it,” I said. “I don’t know if I can.”

Staying in Miami sounded great, though. Everything was different here, and I had a glimpse into the life of the rich and famous. But this wasn’t my life, I reminded myself. And this wasn’t my home. I had family back in Colorado, and my life was there. I had come to Miami because I had hoped I could convince Carly to come back home with me. Instead, she was asking me to stay, and I was in danger of agreeing. I wanted to be here, I realized. This world was magical, and I could see why Carly was so happy here and why she wanted to stay. But I couldn’t get sucked in, even if I failed to bring her back home.

My studies, my family, and my future were in Colorado, and I couldn’t give all that up to live a life here in Miami.

But Nick was here too.

No, I told myself. I couldn’t build a future on a maybe with a man. He didn’t know who I was, and I had no idea how he would react when he found out. Because I couldn’t keep it a secret from him forever. Even if he was fine with it, one date with the guy I’ve always liked wasn’t enough to make me change my mind and give up everything I’d already built back home.

No matter how enticing this life was, I had to keep focused. I had to remind myself that I had a goal, and I couldn’t get distracted by people who lived a life I would probably never have.

When Nick came to pick me up at eight, I was ready. I had dressed in jeans and a cute blouse I had borrowed from Carly. I’d tied up my hair and applied neutral makeup, nothing as fancy as the first date. This time, it would be casual. Nick had already impressed me. Now we were getting to know each other.

“You look amazing,” Nick said when he came to the door. He kissed me on the cheek and butterflies erupted in my stomach. It was still hard to think this was the guy I’d been in love with for so long. I was going on a date with him. Again. It was surreal.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I said, smiling. Nick wore black jeans and a teal blue shirt that made his blue eyes look like the ocean, and they were as deep. I could get lost in those eyes.

“Ready?” Nick asked and walked me out to his car.

He drove us to an Italian restaurant called Scarpetta on Mid-Beach. It was owned by a celebrity chef, Scott Conant, and the restaurant looked across the Miami Beach Boardwalk and out over the ocean.

“This place is amazing,” I said when we sat down.

Nick nodded. “The pasta is freshly made every day. It’s the best Italian food you’ll get outside of Italy.”

I smiled, and we ordered. I watched Nick, his comfort in public, how he carried himself with confidence. When we’d been in high school, Nick had been popular, but it had gone to his head and made him arrogant. I had found it attractive because he had been hot from the start, but the way he was now was so much more attractive.

When he saw me looking, I blushed.

Dinner went well, and we slipped into comfortable conversation the same way we had before. Everything about being with Nick was as if we had known each other for a long time, even though we barely knew each other at all.

After dinner, Nick took me out to the beach. We crossed the boardwalk and took off our shoes. My toes sank into the sand when we stepped onto the beach, and the wind whipped my ponytail back and forth. The sound of the ocean was a constant rustle in the background. Nick took my hand while we walked side by side.

“I’ve never been to the beach before,” I said.

“What? Are you serious?” he asked.

I nodded. “I’ve never been to the coast.”

“Well, you’ve been missing out. Out here, with the air as fresh as it can get and the sea spray in your face, you feel alive.”

I could imagine that.

“Where are you from that you’ve never been to the coast?” Nick asked.

I hesitated. How much could I say to him? I wanted to tell him everything, but I was terrified that if he knew who I was, he wouldn’t want to see me again. But there were many people back home, right? I wasn’t the only one. It could be a coincidence.

“Colorado,” I said. “Fort Collins.”

Nick stopped, and I turned to look at him.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“I’m from Fort Collins,” Nick said, his hand on his chest. “Can you believe it? What are the odds?”

I forced a laugh. “Can you imagine?” I said meekly.

Nick carried on walking, and I walked next to him in silence. I had to tell him. I had to get it out there and get it over with or this stupid secret would consume me from the inside. How bad could it be, right? What could happen? It wasn’t like it mattered who I was then. It mattered who I was now.

Didn’t it?

“Actually,” I started, ready to tell him, but Nick’s phone rang, cutting me off. Nick pulled his phone free of his pocket and glanced at the screen.

“It’s Ryan, a good friend of mine. Do you mind?”

I shook my head. Why would I mind that the call had stopped me from sharing something important with him?

“You’re such an idiot,” Nick said after Ryan had spoken for a while. “No, stay there. I’ll come get you. The last thing you need before the season starts is a DUI charge.”

Nick hung up and turned to me with a sigh.

“Ryan’s drunk. He plays on the team with me, and we’re fitter than we are offseason. He had too much faith in his abilities, and he’s much too drunk to drive. I have to cut the evening short and pick him up.”

I nodded. “I understand,” I said because even though I didn’t like that Ryan was taking the time I had with Nick away from me, I would have done the same if Carly had called me.

“Do you want to drive with me?” Nick asked. “You’re welcome to tag along. We can spend time in the car.”

I hesitated.

“But I know it’s awkward, so I can drop you home if you prefer.”

I smiled. He was being nice, trying to save the situation, and I appreciated it. But I wanted to go home. I had nearly told him who I was, and even though I hadn’t gotten around to it, I felt a little freaked out.

“Can you take me home?” I asked.

Nick smiled, and he didn’t look upset about it at all. “Of course,” he said and kissed my knuckles.

After he dropped me off, Carly came to my room.

“You’re back early,” she said. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “His friend drank too much, and he had to come to the rescue.”

“Oh, a hero. So sexy.” Carly laughed.

I laughed too.

When Carly left again, my smile faded. I had nearly told Nick who I was. It could have ended our little fling, and then it would have been over before it really started. I couldn’t believe how close I had gotten. I would have to tell him at some point, but I was scared it would ruin everything.