“Let me get this straight, you slept with her, she ran off, you see her again, and she walks away—again?” Randy asks with a shit-eating grin. “Man, you really have the touch.”

I regret coming here. After my run-in with Heather, I took a drive to Sanibel Island where Randy lives. I don’t know why I thought it was going to help me in some way. I should’ve known my brother and sister-in-law would be all too happy about this story.

I’ll get her, though.

It’s just going to take some finesse and a lot of patience. Plus, I still have the ace up my sleeve.

“Yup. It was fucking unbelievable.”

“You got out of the bathroom, and she was . . . gone?” Randy keeps pushing as he laughs.

“It was ridiculous. I couldn’t find her, and then realized she took off. Who the fuck does that?”

Savannah giggles. “Umm, you!”

Exactly. That’s my deal. I’m the one who runs out or finds someone to escort the stage-five clinger off the bus. I don’t go searching for the girl, and I definitely don’t go back for more when a girl brushes me off—twice.

“I never thought I’d see it happen.” Vannah leans back in her chair.

“See what happen?”

“A girl has you all twisted in knots. For once, you’re the one seeing what it feels like.”

I shake my head. She has no idea what she’s talking about. My sister-in-law is oblivious to the issue. It isn’t about her, it’s about how she seems not to care about me. I have feelings, too. I was in love before, but they forget that. “I’m not in knots. I’m goddamn confused. Why the hell would she push me away?”

“Oh, don’t even, Eli. You’re not some God. You’re a spoiled shit who has had everything handed to you on a silver platter.”

“The fuck I have.”

It’s her turn to give me a stare that would make any grown man cry. She looks around to make sure the kids aren’t near and then her face softens. “Watch your mouth. It’s bad enough Adriel told the teacher to kiss his ass the other day, we don’t need the F-word thrown around.”

Savannah is a great woman. She deals with a lot, but my seven-year-old nephew is a little shit. Adriel is the oldest, and he’s beyond overindulged. Randy was gone a lot when he was a baby and then overcompensated when he was home. I feel bad for her since she’s the one dealing with the fallout.

I put my hands up and flash her a smile. “Sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

“Good.”

“I’m just saying that we didn’t have it all that easy. There were no silver platters.”

Randy laughs. “You were eighteen when we were signed. Since then, have you had any issues?”

“Have you?” I gesture toward the walls around us. They act like they’re struggling. This nine million dollar mansion they’re living in doesn’t seem to be roughing it if you ask me.

“I remember Mom having to work an extra job for us to eat and take music lessons, do you?”

It always comes back to this. Of course, I remember. When our father passed away, everything changed. Yes, I was young, but that doesn’t mean I have no memory of it. My mother was great at hiding things, but no matter how hard you try, some things show through. When his child support stopped coming, we stopped doing a lot.

“Why do you think I took care of her when we got money?”

“Because you wanted to be her favorite,” he tosses back and chugs his beer.

“I already was, I didn’t need to buy her that house to solidify it.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Randy laughs and shakes his head at me.

“Okay, boys. Back to my point. You’ve had a pretty easy adulthood, Eli. Girls flock to you, the band succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations, and then you landed the role on A Thin Blue Line without having any acting experience. Things fall in your lap, but this time . . . not so much.”

She has a point, but it doesn’t mean I don’t bust my ass. Sure, I was scouted and asked to join A Thin Blue Line, but I immediately started taking acting lessons. I hired the best coaches to make sure I earned my money. I can’t say anything about Four Blocks Down, that was a guy who promised us we’d be huge if we signed with him and a shit ton of luck.

Heather, though. She’s something completely different. For the first time, I don’t have someone chasing me because of who I am. Hell, she fucking ran.

I want to know why. I want to know what she’s hiding behind her tough-girl exterior. I’ve never spotted a girl in a concert like that. It took every ounce of self-control not to stare at her all night. There’s a pull between us, and I know she felt it.

I mentally scoff. It’s absolutely ridiculous that some girl is having this effect on me. But yet I keep wanting to go back which only proves that there’s something different. Why is this girl the only thing I can think about? The truth is, I wasn’t going to kick Heather out of my bed that night. I wanted to hold her in my arms, breathe her perfume through the night, and feel her skin against mine. Instead of getting any of that, she bolted. The worst part is then, I fucking chased after her, and I’m debating doing it again.

Savannah waves her hand in my face. “Well?”

“I think you’re wrong, Vannah. It has nothing to do with the thrill of the chase.” And it’s not, it’s her.

“Oh?” she asks with surprise. Shit, I said that aloud. “What is it then?” Vannah pushes.

“I don’t know,” I admit and take a drink. “It was something in her eyes. I’m sounding like a pussy, but I’m serious. It was like there was this . . . thing . . . and I just want to figure out what it was.”

Savannah does her best to hide her smile, but I see it. The eternal believer. She laid eyes on Randy and knew they’d be married. I’ve heard the story a million times, and each time, I fight back the need to puke. She swears that when it happens, you can’t go back.

“I’m not in love with her,” I quickly defend.

Randy elbows me. “Sounds like the first time I laid eyes on Savannah.”

“You were an idiot. Hell, you still are.”

“As is every man when he falls in love.”

“For fuck’s sake!” I throw my hands up and stand.

“Mouth!” Savannah yells.

“Sorry! But I’m not in love with anyone.”

I can’t believe these two. How does thinking about some girl equate to falling in love? It doesn’t.

It means I need one more time with her to prove that it’s all in my head.

That’s it.

I grab my wallet and keys, grumbling as I walk off. They’re wrong, and I’m not going to sit around with them as they try to convince me otherwise. All I know is her name, that she’s a cop, and her address, that’s it. How do you fall in love with a name? It isn’t realistic, and I have no intentions of ever loving another woman.

Been there, and I’d rather be broke than give anyone that kind of power over me again.

The last bitch wrecked me and almost destroyed everything I worked for.

“Hey,” Randy gets to his feet, “don’t be like this.”

“I’m going to prove you all wrong.”

His brow raises, and he grins. “Eli, stop being an idiot.”

“Untle Eli!” My niece runs over and leaps into my arms. “I missed you!”

“Hey, beautiful!” Daria is the only girl I’ll ever love. She’s three and owns my heart. I pity any asshole who ever tries to come near her. I don’t give a fuck if I’m in a wheelchair, I’ll kick his ass. “I missed you more.”

“You and Daddy sing me a song!”

I look over at my brother and see the same adoration in his eyes. Adriel may be spoiled, but Daria . . . she had him wrapped around her little finger. There’s nothing Randy won’t do for Daria.

“I need to get home, pretty girl.” I try to explain, but she crosses her arms and pushes her lips into a pout.

“Untle Eli, you don’t love me.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“Puuuuuleeeeeease,” she begs and grabs my cheeks. “I lub you.”

I’m just as screwed as Randy. “I love you, too. One song.”

“Yay!” She claps her hands and wiggles for me to put her down. Three years old and has this whole world domination slash manipulation thing perfected already.

Eleven songs later, I’m finally standing at my car with my brother. “Listen, I know we gave you a load of shit in there, but you’re not the guy who has ever been hung up on a piece of ass.”

My blood pressure spikes a bit higher with each word, and I clench my fists. Heather isn’t a piece of ass.

Fuck.

What the hell am I even thinking?

That’s exactly what she is.

Randy smirks as if he expected this exact response and knows what I’m thinking.

He claps his hand on my shoulder and chuckles. “Go talk to her. If it’s nothing, then come here and we’ll tell Savannah how wrong she is. If nothing else, you’ll know for yourself.”

“You know that I refuse to do this again.”

“Because of Penelope?”

Just her name makes me want to punch something. “Yes.”

“That’s sad, man. You and her were a lifetime ago, and you’re older and wiser. No way you fall for another gold-digging whore like her.”

“This is a moot point anyway. I’m not in love with anyone.”

“Good.” Randy nods in agreement. “It should be no problem seeing her then.”

With that, my brother walks back up his drive, and I flip him off. I should’ve been an only child. It would’ve made life so much easier.

I start the car and turn all my focus to this Heather situation.

My eyes catch on the plastic card sitting in my cup holder, and I know exactly what I’m going to do.