Two hours later, Anthony stood outside the bathroom door and assured Samantha he would get Cassidy home.

“But we can’t leave her in there,” she said overdramatically. She knocked on the door. “Cassidy!”

No answer.

Tired of this interaction with Samantha, Anthony crossed his arms and put on his “back off” look. “Go. I got this.”

Samantha frowned. “Okay.” She shrugged and took off down the hall toward Tim and Tom, who were waiting for her all too eagerly. “Wait up, you guys.”

Sighing, he stared at the door to the bathroom, a myriad of thoughts running through his mind. This was his fault. He shouldn’t have kissed her. So he leaned on the doorway next to the bathroom. It didn’t matter if the club shut down, locked its doors for the night; he wouldn’t be leaving without her. He thought about how it’d felt to dance with her, of how the laughter and the freedom had let loose from inside of her. He thought of that amazing kiss, the kind that reached into two people’s souls and brought out the best in both of them.

Long gone was the sixteen-year-old who blamed her for kissing his brother after prom. No, now he just wanted another shot with her. It was all he could think about. And that kiss had proved, in his mind, they were meant to be together. Softly, he knocked on the door. “Poe, come out and talk to me. It’s getting late.”

Several painful seconds dragged on before he felt the door start to open. Her head was high, no sign of tears, and she didn’t even meet his eyes. “I would appreciate a ride home, but I don’t want to talk.” Brushing past him, she quickly walked down the hall. “And don’t call me that.”

He fell into step beside her, unsure of what to do. As much as he wanted to demand she talk to him, he knew that wasn’t the right course of action at the moment. They walked out of the club and to his truck, where he opened the passenger door for her again and helped her in. The ride back to the ranch was quiet.

When they got to her father’s house, he cut the engine. She began opening her door, but he reached out and put his hand over hers. “Cass wait… please.”

Whipping to face him, she stuck a finger hard into the center of his chest. “Listen up, I’m … my fiancé is dead.” She said it so forcefully it felt like she was accusing him.

“I know,” he said quietly.

“I know you know.” She broke off and blinked. “I … I can’t do this with you. I mean, I don’t hate you anymore. I did. Then.” She threw her hands into the air. “Ten years ago.” She let out a laugh and shook her head. “It’s stupid, I’m even talking about ten years ago.”

He waited a beat. “It’s not stupid to me.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, she wiped beneath them. “You hurt me.” Her eyes flashed open.

The way she said it so matter-of-factly left him breathless. “I’m sorry.”

“You wouldn’t even talk to me,” she said, her eyes shining.

He thought of all the years between them because he wouldn’t listen to her. “Kade told me it was his fault, that he’d lied to you.”

She nodded, leaning back. “He told me you were sick and you wanted us to go to prom. Then, after prom, I thought we were going back to your house to check on you. I didn’t realize he wanted to kiss me in front of you.”

Anthony grunted, wanting all over again to deck his brother in the face. “It caused an almost-ten-year rift between us.” He let out a sigh.

“What?”

Anthony let out a breath. “Cass, I was a fool. I should have listened to you. I should have let you explain. All I can say is, I’m sorry for back then.”

Turning away from him, she stared out the window.

He thought about seeing her at sports camp and what he’d said to her. He’d been such an idiot. He took a chance. “Maybe you could forgive me.”

She let out a breath. “I … I’m really not still mad at you. I mean, I guess I was, but I hadn’t even thought about you for a long time until the other day.”

He wished he could fix this. “Can we start over?”

Both of them sat there for a few moments. She bit her lip. “Ya know, I used to just … wish you’d show up.”

“What?”

Pinching the bridge of her nose for a second, she let out a long breath. “I would just wish that you would show up. Like out of the blue and …” she trailed, then laughed. “Like some stupid prince in a fairytale.” She let out a derisive laugh. “Never mind, I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

His heartbeat kicked up a notch and he didn’t know what to say. “Cassidy—”

She cut him off, turning to face him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” She sighed. “I don’t know what ‘starting over’ means to you, but all I can tell you is I’m a mess at the moment.” She sputtered. “If my meltdown back there didn’t show you that.”

All he wanted to do was take her into his arms and hold her, but … he wasn’t sure if she would want him to. “We’re all a mess, Cass.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you?”

The truth was what he wanted to give her. He wanted to tell her, just start from when they’d stopped talking and tell her every detail up to this moment. There were things he couldn’t tell her. He swallowed. “I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other every day.”

She was quiet for a second. “With your accident, I guess that makes sense.” She sniffed. “I was sorry to hear about that.”

Seeing the sincerity on her face, once again, he had to resist pulling her into him. He nodded.

A couple of seconds passed.

He reached for her hand. “Cass …”

“I miss Kyle and I’m terrified my dad is going to die.” She blurted.

He saw the pain in her eyes and couldn’t stop himself: he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I know.” He thought of his mother.

Hesitating, she nodded. “I know you know.”

Another moment passed and he didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t want her to leave yet. “What book are you writing?”

The question seemed to take her by surprise, and she sat back into the seat. “What?”

“You were always writing a book.” He yearned to know more about her.

A smile played at her lips. “I haven’t written my ‘Great American Novel,’” she said tentatively. “I thought I’d have a dozen books out this point in my life.” She pulled her hand away. “I guess life doesn’t turn out the way we think it will, does it?”

His heart hammered inside his chest and all he could think about was how he used to see himself married to her. He would daydream about this woman for hours. He tried to re-focus back to her books. “You always had great characters. What was that one … Harry Simpleton, a man caught between two women? I remember how you always quoted him with a British accent.”

“Oh, I say, my good chap, I’m still knocking around in this brain, but the woman won’t let me speak, I say.” She did the exact British accent from back in the day.

He roared out a laugh, loving the way she did that. “Yes.”

When she grinned, she looked more like herself in this moment, just like the girl he’d loved. Their eyes stayed locked and a Cheshire cat kind of smile stayed on her face.

“Do Harriet,” he urged.

He could swear she was blushing as she shook her head. “No.”

“Poe … c’mon, please.”

She looked like she wanted to.

“C’mon.”

“Well.” This voice was a bit higher, still British. “Harry can’t figure out what kind of date I would like; therefore I shall continue to date my other beaus.” She fluttered her eyes.

He laughed again, and they both stared at each other, smiling.

Unexpectedly, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and he could see a text.

“Everything okay?”

Looking a bit dazed, she turned back to him. “Yeah, my … my old boss heard about me doing this interview on you and he asked if I wanted to come back to Florida and work for him again.”

He hadn’t thought of her going back to Florida. “Oh.”

She waved a hand into the air. “Obviously, my dad needs me, so I’m staying here.”

Even though he hated that her dad was in this predicament, he wouldn’t lie: he wanted her here.

Turning her attention back to him, she asked, “How is your song writing going?”

Instantly, he felt sheepish.“Ya know, haven’t really done that much with all the other stuff in my life.”

“You were good.”

“I’m friends with Sloane Kent. I don’t know if you remember him, but he’s in Texas Waters’s band and sometimes he’ll come over and we’ll mess around with lyrics and stuff.”

She grinned. “I’d love to hear a song sometime.”

The way he’d felt when he’d kissed her earlier flashed into his brain, but he pushed it away. She obviously wasn’t ready to kiss him again. Wanting to know more about her, he took his chance. “Tell me about your life.”

“What?” She looked disoriented.

“After you left Dallas.”

She looked out the window. “We moved, and it was like I was just stuck. I ended up graduating early and going to Florida State, but I was different. I am different. I met Kyle two years ago doing an article on the elite military and …” She trailed off, pinching the top of her forehead, and then dropped her shaking hand into her lap. “I don’t know why I kissed you like that back there.”

This took him by surprise.

“It’s fine, Cass.”

She turned to him. “Is it? Can I really do an unbiased exclusive on you?”

He thought of the way Mr. Knight had threatened to ruin all of them if the article went bad. “Of course you can. You’re good. I’ve read your work. You are a professional. Plus, Mr. James Knight is fixated on having Dallas understand me. I need more transparency,” he said a bit sarcastically.

She laughed. “Sorry.”

His heart raced and he unexpectedly wanted so much with this woman. “So, can we start over?”

“Start over, those words again?” she questioned, looking at him like he’d just landed on earth and wanted her to leave in his spaceship with him.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you like that,” he said, not really meaning it, knowing he would totally do it again if he had another shot. “How about we do this article as professionals?”

Her eyes turned determined. “I’ll be getting the truth on you, Anthony. That’s what I’ll be looking for.” She sounded not at all British and every bit the professional she was.

He nodded. “I’d expect nothing less.” He promised himself she wouldn’t find the truth. She couldn’t, and he wouldn’t put her in that position either.

“I better go.” She opened the truck door and then turned back to him with a smile. “Go Titans.” She pointed at him. “And I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Go Titans!” he yelled as she shut the door.

As she walked to the porch, she turned back and sent him a little wave. His heart clenched and his mind spun with memories of the past and he wished he would have just shown up in Florida all those years ago … and been her prince.