“Really, a karaoke bar?” I laughed, walking through doors at Cassie’s choice.

“Oh, whatever. It’s my first night out after not being able to drink for the past nine months. Suck it up,” Cassie said, leading the way to the bar in the back.

She had given birth to the twins a little over a month ago. Jayden and Josselyn—a boy and a girl.

Liam’s parents were in town helping out with grandkids. Apparently, having two infants was a lot more work than one. If anyone could do it, Cassie could.

My eyes moved around the room. The place was packed, and the crowd was a little on the young side, but if this is what Cassie wanted, then who was I to say no.

I leaned my body against the wood bar and threw my hand up to get the bartender’s attention.

Cassie was scanning the room, looking for a place for all of us to sit. “Why don’t you go scout out a table? I’ll get your drink,” I offered.

“Okay. I’m going to try to find something with a good view of the stage.”

Once I ordered the first round of drinks, Nick grabbed an empty barstool and dragged it next to me.

I stared down at my phone while he leaned back in the chair. “So how’s the single life treating you?”

My fingers paused on the email I was just about to send. I’ve been in a dark place since I got back from the Carolinas. Nick has been constantly riding my ass, giving me a dose of his tough love, reminding me what a selfish idiot I was. He was pushing my buttons, and I was getting sick of his bullshit.

“Don’t you have better things to do than ask about my relationship status on a daily basis? It’s starting to get a little old.”

He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, looking all smug. “It depends. Are you ready to admit that you’re a dumbass for walking away from the best thing that’s ever happened to you?”

What a fucker he was. He was taunting me about owning up to my stupidity. “You’re a persistent son of a bitch. I’ll give you that.” The server set our drinks down in front of us. I picked up my tumbler and paused. “If this is your genius plan on trying to be a good friend and helping me work through my shit, you suck.”

He laughed. “Hey, that’s what friends are for.”

I stared at him, resisting the urge to punch him in the balls. “You really need to find a hobby, Dr. Phil.”

“No, you need to get your head out of your ass. You had a good thing going, and you just threw it all away because your ego was too big and bruised.” I rolled my eyes as he continued his rant. “You know, you weren’t always the sharpest tool in the shed, but, somehow you managed to find a woman who put up with your shit.”

I pretended to ignore him while I snapped my fingers, signaling to the bartender to hurry up with the rest of our order. “I understand your need to protect yourself. And I know in that small pea-sized brain of yours, you think you’re doing the right thing.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. One of the things I hated about Nick was that he gave advice more than he listened. And his advice meant shit to me. It wouldn’t change the fact that Chloe lied to me. It wouldn’t change the fact that Tanner would never be mine. It wouldn’t change the fact that her ex wanted her back. And it certainly didn’t change the fact that I didn’t trust her anymore. “It’s not just about that, damn it,” I tried to explain. “Everything has fucking changed. I feel like the rug has been swept out from under me.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I get you, believe me, I do, but brother, I am here to tell you that your time for thinking and sulking is over. I never saw you as happy as when you were with Chloe. If there is the slightest chance that you could forgive her, I would suggest figuring your shit out before it’s too late.”

My whole body locked up at his words. I was seething thinking about how I practically shoved her into Brogan’s arms. Didn’t he know how fucked up I was feeling over all this? Did he have any idea how hard it was for me to walk away from her?

“You done getting everything off your chest? Or are you going to stand here all night and be a dick?

He shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve said my piece, got you in a shitty mood, now it’s time to get you wasted.”

The bartender came over and placed the rest of our order on the counter. “Anything else I can get for you?”

I smirked, fetching the drinks off the bar. “Nope, but you can put everything on his tab.”

I turned my back and gave Nick the finger over my shoulder as I walked over to our table.

Cassie scooted over in the booth to make room for me. She snatched her Cosmo out of my hand. “It’s about time. I’m thirsty. If I had known it was going to take that long, I would have ordered two of these babies.” She tipped her glass back and chugged half the drink. If she didn’t slow down, she was going to feel like shit tomorrow.

“Easy there, lush. You haven’t had any alcohol in almost nine months. I don’t want to have to worry about you throwing up all over my lap when I carry your ass to the car.”

She set her Cosmo martini glass down and wiped her lips. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

I bumped her shoulder. “That’s what friends are for, but remember this isn’t Sutter’s Mill. And we aren’t in college anymore.”

“It was your fault,” she accused, and we both started to laugh at the memories of playing Give or Take in her dorm before we would hit the bars on Marshall Street. Give or Take was a card game where you had to do a truth, a dare, or take a drink.

College life was simpler days filled with cheap booze, great friends, and doing stupid shit whenever you got the chance. Why did being a grown-up have to be so damn difficult?

“Well, if it isn’t Jack Jenson,” a voice said from behind me. I titled my head to the side to see Rachel Reynolds swirling her hips toward our booth. She leaned in, making sure I got an eyeful of what she was putting on display.

I scrambled out of the booth to greet her. “Hey, gorgeous.”

Rachel was blonde, with big tits and an easy vagina. I should know because I was quite familiar with it. Her office used to be three floors down from mine, but then she got engaged and changed jobs. Our afternoon copy room fuck sessions came to a screeching halt.

“How are you?” I asked, pulling her in for a hug. She was unquestionably hot in all the right places, not to mention she knew exactly what to do with her assets.

She ran her pink painted nail down the length of my chest; I noticed her ring finger was now bare. “I’ve missed you, Jack. I’ve had a lot of photocopying to do and no one to help me with it.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. I’ve been busy,” I said, easing back slightly. In another place and another time, I would have been all in, but I just wasn’t there yet. “What happened to what’s his name?” I asked in an attempt to halt her flirting.

She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “Who the hell cares, but last time I saw him he was banging his sister’s best friend over our bathroom sink.”

Cassie snorted behind me. “Must have decided it was time for an upgrade.”

Rachel folded her arms across her chest and glared at my friend. Apparently, motherhood hadn’t supplied her with a filter for her mouth yet. “What did you just say?”

I turned Rachel away from Cassie, directing her gaze on me and hoping to prevent a cat fight. “Don’t mind her, she’s a little buzzed at the moment. Sorry to hear about your ex.”

She grinned over the top of her glass while looking me over. “I’m not.” She licked her lips in a move that I guessed was supposed to be a turn on. “I just wanted to pop over and say hi,” she purred with a suggestive tone that was so obvious I wanted to laugh. This little encounter made me realize how shallow and meaningless my life had been before Chloe. Was this really how I spent all those years? They felt wasted now. Meaningless.

I spotted Nick getting closer to our table.

“Well, thanks for stopping over. It was great seeing you.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek, not wanting to be a complete asshole. She looked disappointed when I slid back into the booth next to Cassie.

“Sure.” She took a step back. “I’ll be over there.” She gestured to the small table on the opposite end of the room. “Come find me later if you feel up to hanging out.” And with that, she sashayed out of my line of vision.

Nick dropped into his seat and peered at me over the rim of his glass. “Not in the mood tonight?”

He was fishing for a reaction, but I wasn’t taking the bait. “Why, do you want her number? She’s got a hot friend that likes to join in on the action sometimes.”

He barked out a laugh and tilted his head to steal a glance of Rachel’s ass. “I might take you up on that.”

Cassie pushed her drink toward the middle of the table. “You guys are so gross.” She picked up her phone and started typing away. “My husband better hurry up and get here. I’m not sure how long I’m going to last with you two.”

I shifted in my seat and stared off into the distance.

For the next half hour, I pretended to focus on the wannabe rock stars who were butchering some of the best eighties music that ever existed.

It felt good to sit back and pretend that my life wasn’t a complete mess.

I was in the middle of listening to the worst version of Sweet Home Alabama I ever heard when I spotted Liam making his way toward our table. I scooted out of the booth so he could slide in next to Cassie.

“Thanks for keeping my seat warm,” he said, placing his arm along his wife’s shoulder. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. When I looked at him, he tried to hide it like he was guilty for some reason. Cassie picked up on it and glared at him. She shook her head in a silent warning.

I caught a number of odd exchanges between my friends. They appeared to be doing some nonverbal communication like they were all in on a big secret and I was completely out of the loop.

“What the hell is going on with you guys?” They were all acting weirder than normal. I knew I had a few drinks, but I wasn’t that drunk.

Liam held up his phone to show us all a picture his mother just sent him of the sleeping newborns. “This is what’s going on.” He passed the phone around so we could all get a better look at the photo. “I get my wife all to myself tonight.”

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. I wasn’t sure if I bought that excuse, but they were married, and this was their first night alone, so what did I know.

He pulled Cassie tighter against his side and kissed her bare

shoulder. It made me realize how much I missed Chloe. How I missed the simple things, like her touch, the sound of her voice, just being able to do something so simple like put my arm around her.

Liam lifted his drink in the air. “Here’s to a night of uninterrupted sleep.”

Cassie’s mouth lifted into a roguish grin. “Who said anything about sleeping? The doctor just cleared me for sex yesterday.”

Liam laughed, angling his beer toward his lips. “Babe, I love you, but I’m not going all night. You’re going to have to let me rest in-between.”

“It’s been a while, so you will perform as many times as I need you to. You can sleep when you’re dead.”

Liam groaned, and Nick and I chuckled. These two usually bantered back and forth like an old married couple, but their affection for one another was obvious. I caught myself staring at them and missing what I had.

The crowd around us started to get quiet right before a roar of cheers took over the bar.

Cassie’s eyes locked on something behind me. She didn’t seem surprised. I swirled my head to the side and looked toward the stage. My eyes landed on the last person on the planet I had expected to see.

Chloe was here. In New York. Standing in the middle of the stage holding a microphone in her hands.

My mouth fell open in shock.

She was decked out in a sexy, little red dress that would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. She was breathtaking, probably the most beautiful woman alive.

She tossed her long, wavy hair over her shoulder. People were coming and going, some standing, some sitting, but my body couldn’t move.

“How is everyone doing tonight?” She spoke into the microphone and her gaze found mine. She seemed to falter for a moment when she realized all the attention was on her. I tried to steady my heartbeat, and I wondered for a quick second if my eyes were betraying me. Was this really happening?

“My name is Chloe, and I came all the way here from South Carolina.” The crowd erupted in cheers, causing her to smile. “I’m up on this stage to prove to the man that I love that I would do anything, give anything, suffer through anything for him to take me back. Jack, this is for you.”

The music started playing, and I recognized the song immediately. She was singing the lyrics to “Breathe” by Faith Hill. She sounded incredible. I had no idea she could sing like that. Her sweet voice echoed inside my heart, as I soaked in words that comforted me and touched me all at once. I sat there mesmerized by the power of her voice and the meaning of the song. She sang about being wrapped up in my arms and the whole world fading away. How there was nothing left to prove that we just needed to be. God, I loved her.

Once the song was finished, the room erupted into cheers. She placed the microphone back in the stand and hopped off the stage with a purpose.

She didn’t run to me, and I didn’t run to her, but my heart still pounded with each determined step she took in my direction.

“Hi,” she said.

It was such a simple word, but it was the first time she’d spoken to me in weeks. Our bodies were so close, I wanted to reach out and touch her. I knew I missed her, but I didn’t realize how much I regretted my decision until then.

I stared at her intently, allowing myself a moment to take her in. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for you,” she said, cutting right to the chase.

“You did?” I asked like a stupid idiot.

She smoothed her hands down her dress that was way too short. It was a fire engine red that had all my blood pumping to the lower extremity of my body. I gave her a quick once-over. All I could think was MINE.

“Yes.” Her voice was strong, yet filled with emotion. “And I’m not leaving until you hear what I have to say.”

I felt Nick nudge me out of the booth. The realization of where

we were was finally sinking in. I quickly stood up and placed my hand on the small of her back. “Okay. Let’s go outside.”

“No.” She stuck her chin out with defiance.

I arched my eyebrow in confusion but kept my hand on her. I wasn’t allowing any space between us. I didn’t want to let her go.

“I want everyone in this bar to hear me.” She reached out and pulled my hands in hers. I stared at her, feeling the curiosity get the better of me. This was so unlike her. She seemed strong and confident and so damn bold. While I, on the other hand, struggled to gain my footing. The ground might as well have been shifting beneath my feet.

“You’re the one that I want. Only you.” Her small fingers tightened around mine like she was afraid I would pull away. “I know you’re scared, but I refuse to let you go. No matter how hard you try to push me away, I will still fight for you.” She looked at me with such clarity that it freaked me out. “Now we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way, but whatever way you choose, I will chase after you. You can build your walls and throw up whatever roadblocks you want, but I will knock down every single one of them. You belong to me, and I won’t stop until you realize that. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

I tightened my grip on her hand and yanked her against me. I didn’t want her to move. I wanted her to stay like this forever. This is where she belonged. In my arms. “That sounds like a lot of work.”

Her hands started to move up my arms slowly. “You’re worth it.”

It would be so much easier for me to hate her. To continue to push her away. To take all the broken pieces that were between us and scatter them so far apart that they would never be able to be put together again. But if these past few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that I didn’t want to live in a world without her. I’ve had enough time to process and enough time to think.

I never realized how alone I was until she was gone. And I knew that I didn’t want to go back to my life that existed before.

“Kiss her already,” I heard someone call out from the crowd.

Her gaze landed on my mouth. My body heated from just one look, and that’s all it took. I leaned forward with a grin. “You heard the man.” The second my lips captured hers, I was lost and found all at once. Nothing had ever felt so right. My fingers gripped her hips tighter, and I kissed her with everything I had. It was filled with promises and apologies, of love and hope and everything that was us. It was perfect.

When I pulled back, she looked up at me. Her eyes were blinking with tears. I caught one with my finger. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart.”

Her hands grabbed onto my shirt like she was afraid to let go. “Tell me you’ll take me back. Promise me that you’ll never leave again.”

Walking away from her when she begged me to stay was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I let her go thinking I was doing what was best for everybody, but I was an idiot.

I held her face in my hands and allowed myself to take her in. She was so goddamned beautiful, and I was done. Done pushing her away. Done trying to live a life without her because a world without Chloe didn’t make sense. My thumb caressed her cheek. “After that grand gesture, you leave me with no choice.”

“Her soft eyes stared back at me. “I know we have a lot to work through, but as long as you believe in me, believe in us…”

I stopped her with a kiss. “I know I’ve put you through hell these past few weeks. If you can find a way to forgive me for being such a selfish asshole, then I can forgive you for not being honest with me.” I shook my head, still trying to digest everything. My brain was still reeling from the shock of her being here. “I pushed you away out of fear because I was scared. I was scared of the unknown. I know in the beginning you fought your feelings for me, but what you don’t understand is that I never planned on falling in love with you. And now that I know what your love feels like, there is no way I can live without it. I need you in my life, Chloe—more than I thought I did. If I could go back in time, I would do so many things differently. I’m so sorry for walking away.”

Her hands landed on my chest, resting over my beating heart. “I love you so much.”

I dipped my head to hers. “And I never stopped loving you, not for one second. We’ll find a way to make it work.”

“It’s about time,” I heard someone call from behind me. I turned to see my friends smiling and not looking surprised.

“Wait a minute.” I pointed an accusing finger at the guilty party. “You guys knew about this?”

Cassie chewed on her lower lip, all of a sudden going mute. Nick rolled his eyes and just ignored me. And Liam didn’t look the slightest bit sorry. In fact, none of them did. They looked pleased.

Chloe placed her hand on my shoulder and grinned up at me. “Why do you think Liam was late?”

I pretended to grumble under my breath when in reality I couldn’t be happier. The fact that she went to all this trouble, got up on that stage and sang her heart out in front of all these people made me love her even more—if that were even possible.

I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her nose. “I never knew you could sing.”

She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Me either, but I had a good teacher.”

I lifted my eyebrow, then she jerked her head to the back of the room where Brogan stood in a pair of washed jeans, a white T-shirt and a baseball cap that looked two sizes too big for his head. He leaned against the wall and waved.

I staggered back, but Chloe grabbed onto my hand. “You can thank him for all this. It was his idea.”

“What?”

She waved him over, and I watched him walk across the bar with a swagger that only someone in his profession could pull off. He stopped in front of me while I eyed him cautiously. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel. Was I supposed to feel grateful and appreciative, or was I supposed to feel threatened and jealous?

I ran my free hand through my hair, not having a clue about what to say or how to act.

Chloe gripped my arm, and I tilted my head to look at her. “Brogan gave me voice lessons so I could win you back.”

Before I could make sense of her words, he extended his hand and I had no other choice but to shake it.

We would never be best friends, but he was Chloe’s ex and Tanner’s father. He was going to be in our lives one way or another. After a quick and awkward handshake, I drew Chloe to my side. I had this overwhelming need to keep her there. To keep her close and never let go.

I heard clapping all around us as my friends and complete strangers came up to give us hugs and well wishes. Some even bought us drinks to celebrate. Never in a million years did I see this coming. But like they say, some of the best things in life are completely unexpected.