Seven years is a long time to live in fear. It’s an even longer time to exist without really being alive.

But it’s what I’ve been doing for most of the seven years since I fled Italy and the Carini family. I’ve been running, afraid. Never staying in one place too long.

Today is the day I stop running.

Today, I start living for the first time in seven years.

Knock, knock, knock.

I grin as I get up from the balcony chair of my hotel room that overlooks the ocean and walk toward the door. I’ve been waiting to hear that knock for the last half hour. When I get to the door, I don’t unlock it right away. Instead, I look through the peephole to verify that my best friend, Eden, is on the other side and hasn’t been followed by anyone.

She’s alone.

I take a deep breath and slide the chain over on the top of the door. Then, I slowly undo the deadbolt. It’s a habit I’ve developed these last few years. My door is always locked, and I always check who is behind the door before I unlock it.

I open the door, and my face lights up as Eden steps into my hotel room. We automatically hug each other.

She raises an eyebrow when she pulls away. “What is going on? I get a cryptic text message after over a year of not hearing from you, and a plane ticket suddenly appears at my office.”

I cringe. “Do you want a drink first?”

“Do you even have to ask?” she says as she rolls her suitcase into the hotel suite.

“Margarita okay? Or do you want something else?”

“If it has alcohol in it, then it’s a yes,” she says, still eyeing me as I walk to the kitchenette to get the premade margarita mix out of the mini fridge.

Eden’s dressed in a suit. Dark navy pants paired with a light-blue jacket. Her hair is up in a perfect bun. She looks like a lawyer. Not at all like the Eden I used to know.

She must think I’m a slob who doesn’t even have a job from the way I’m dressed. I glance down at my gray sweatpants that have a hole in the right knee. I’m wearing a black tank top, and my hair is up in a messy bun.

She must think I’m in danger. That I’m desperate, and she’s going to have to give me money to bail me out of my troubles.

I wish my life were that simple. I wish that money were all it would take to fix all my problems.

I pour each of us a margarita into the two glasses.

Eden watches every movement I make. Judging me, trying to figure out what is going on. I hand her one of the glasses.

“Want to sit out on the balcony with me?”

She chuckles. “No, I want to know what the hell I’m doing here, Nina. But, if you want to sit out on the balcony, then I will go out there with you.”

“I’m getting married. Today.”

As the last word leaves my mouth, Eden’s eyes widen, and she drops her glass.

My eyes fall with the glass as it hits the floor and breaks into pieces, spilling sticky lime margarita mix all over the hard carpet.

I find the small trash can in the corner of the room and pick it up. Then, I carry it over to where the broken glass is on the floor. I bend down and begin putting the pieces into the trash can, just needing something to do while Eden deals with the shock of what I just told her.

She slowly bends down and grabs my hand before I can pick up another piece.

“What do you mean, you are getting married? You didn’t even have a boyfriend the last time I talked to you a year ago. How could you be getting married? I haven’t even met the man! I mean…this is just crazy. Who summons their best friend to a hotel room and then tells them they are getting married?” Eden stands and starts pacing as she continues to ramble nonsense, trying to make sense of me.

I pick up the last piece of broken glass, leaving behind the margarita goop on the floor as I stand up.

“Sit outside with me. The ocean air will calm you down. I’ll answer all of your questions then,” I say, walking outside, hoping that Eden is going to follow me.

I take a deep breath when the air hits my face. I should move to the beach. I’d have a lot less anxiety if I lived here.

Eden takes her time in coming outside. We both stand, leaning against the railing, as we look out at the view of the ocean.

“This is better, isn’t it?”

Eden looks at me seriously. “No, it isn’t. Now, spill, Young.”

I sigh. “I’m eloping. I’m tired of running, Eden. I need a fresh start. I need to fight. I need to live again.”

“You should stop running. I told you, you were crazy for running in the first place. Arlo wasn’t going to fly thousands of miles to come after a woman he slept with one time. I don’t care that he saved your life. Anyone who does anything like that is just crazy.”

“Arlo’s crazy.”

Eden shakes her head. “No, he isn’t. He scared you. He messed with your head because he knew that you were easy to mess with. He knew that you had obsessive tendencies and that you would fall for it. That’s it. Arlo Carini is not coming after you. He isn’t going to kidnap you. He isn’t going to hold you captive. And he definitely isn’t going to kill you.”

I nod. I don’t believe her, but there is no reason to worry her.

“I know. That’s why I’m going to start living now instead of running.”

“Good. But why are you getting married? Do you even know the guy you are marrying, or is this just another one of your obsessions?”

“Of course I know the guy! Geesh, Eden, who do you think I am?”

Eden takes my hands and turns me to look at her. “You are my best friend. I love you, and I would do anything for you. But you’re also a little messed up. You’re obsessive. You grew up without a mother. You watched your father die a slow, torturous death. You’re fucked up, Nina, and I just want to protect you as much as I can.”

I laugh to keep from crying. “You know me so well.”

“I want to know what the hell you are doing, getting married, Nina.”

“I love him. Isn’t that a good enough reason?”

“For normal people, yes. For you, no.”

I sigh and then slump into one of the two plastic chairs outside.

Eden takes a seat in the other. “Who is this guy, Nina?”

“His name is Heath. He’s an artist. He’s tall, blond, and handsome. He understands me. He knows that I have obsessive tendencies, and he loves me anyway. The sex is amazing. And he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. He wants to marry me. We are going to travel the world together.”

“Why haven’t I met this wonderful Heath before?”

“Because I was scared. I was running. I didn’t want Arlo to find out.”

“I don’t believe you. When did you and Heath meet?”

“We met at an art gallery. We both loved the same painting. It was the first time I’d been to an art gallery in years. It was like a sign from the universe that we were meant to be together.”

“Stop stalling, Nina. I don’t care where you met. I want to know when. How long have you and Heath been together?”

I should lie. But Eden always knows when I’m lying.

“We met six days ago.”

Eden doesn’t even react. She knew. Somehow, she knew that Heath and I hadn’t been together for very long.

“You aren’t getting married today, Nina.”

“You’re not my mother, Eden. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“Yes, I do. I get to tell you what to do when you are being crazy!”

“I’m not acting crazy. People elope all the time. What’s the worst that could happen anyway? A couple of years down the road, we will get divorced. At least we can be happy and do something spontaneous now.”

Eden shakes her head. “Divorce isn’t as easy as you think it is. It’s messy. You have to divide everything. Fight over everything. Money, possessions, pets. Not to mention, if you decide to have a baby together because you are married. Marriage is meant for people who love each other and know each other well enough to at least know things like how he takes his coffee, where he grew up, and who his family is.”

I frown. “Those things don’t matter. I love him.”

“No. You are obsessed with him. There’s a difference.”

“I just met him. Give him a chance. I’m getting married no matter what, and I’d love it if my best friend in the whole world was there.”

Eden rolls her eyes. “Fine. But you can’t use the best-friend thing as a reason ever again.”

I smile. “Deal.”

* * *

I take Eden to meet Heath by the pool at the hotel. When I point him out to her, her mouth drops.

“If you aren’t going to marry him, I am,” Eden says.

I smile. “Nope. He’s taken,” I say as we both ogle Heath as he swims toward us.

He flips his shoulder-length blonde hair back as he climbs out of the pool and starts walking toward us, revealing every ripple of his abs and hard muscles of his biceps.

“How old is he?” Eden asks.

“Twenty-five.”

Eden raises an eyebrow as she looks at me.

“Okay, fine. He’s twenty-one,” I say, throwing my hands up like I give up. “But look at him! He’s gorgeous. He doesn’t act twenty-one. He’s a man through and through. Trust me.”

Eden laughs. “You don’t know him well enough outside of the bedroom to know.”

I grin. “Well, he’s definitely a man in the bedroom, so that’s all that matters.”

Eden’s face scrunches up as she judges me for marrying a man eight years younger than me.

“Just talk to him. He’s perfect for me.”

“I’m here. I’ll talk to him. But I’m never going to think that marrying him is a good idea. It can’t lead to anything but heartache.”

Heath stops in front of us, dripping wet. He sweeps me into his arms and kisses me, getting me soaked in all the right places.

When he’s done kissing me, he turns his attention to Eden. “You must be Nina’s best friend, Eden. I’ve heard a lot about you. I know you think this is crazy, and it is. But just know, I will never do anything to hurt Nina. I love her too much to ever hurt her. I promise that, no matter what happens, I will always protect her, just as you would.”

He pulls Eden into a wet hug even though she is still wearing her expensive suit, which I’m going to have to ask about later.

Eden looks to me as Heath hugs her. “Okay, I approve.”

My face lights up, and I wrap my arms around both of them.

“I still think you are both crazy, but if I’ve learned anything from my years with Nina, it’s not to fight when she gets a harebrained idea. She’s going to do it anyway, so I might as well go along for the crazy ride.”

Eden pulls away from our group hug, so it’s just Heath wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

“But, if you hurt her or don’t do everything possible to protect her, I will come after you, Heath. You will be a dead man. You understand?”

Heath smiles and looks down at me. “I’ll protect her, no matter who or what comes after her.”

I can breathe a little easier for the first time in seven years. Because I’m no longer running alone. Now, I have a partner I love, who will fight with me, no matter what happens. I have someone on my side, and I plan on fighting anyone who stands in our way.