The twenty-seventh of April arrived and Luciano did not report into the shop. He’d taken a day trip out to Henderson to meet up with the guys from Prismatic Ink. They’d been nice enough to come see him on short notice, and Luciano had arranged the meeting in Henderson under the guise of getting away from the glitz of Vegas.

He still felt miserable.

This year, the pain was different. Cassandra’s passing still marked his heart, but he found himself mourning a different loss. Melanie, who’d served him dutifully and who only wanted the best for him, was gone. He’d forced out the one woman who’d taken the time to get to know him. More than anything, he wanted to save her, but was this really the right way?

Luciano zoned out through much of the meeting with the executives from Prismatic Ink. It sounded like they were interested in collaborating with him on a new line of inks. Luciano nodded and made the minimal effort. He’d help them out. The ink they’d sent was good quality, and the company seemed reputable. He didn’t mind partnering with them.

But his mind was elsewhere.

By the time the meeting was finished, there was still daylight to burn. Luciano hadn’t had time to book a hotel, and he wondered if he should bother. If he avoided the strip, he imagined that he could head home without issue. While his heart mourned Cassandra, it was preoccupied with his break from Melanie.

What was she doing now? Would she go back to live with her parents, wherever they were? Would she abandon modern life, get married to someone like her sister had, and start a family?

Luciano scrubbed at his eyes as he headed back to his bike. It was a big disaster, and he wished he’d had the clarity of mind to think things through.

There was no changing what he’d done, though, and he’d have to live with it.

Before he could mount his bike, his phone rang. Luciano answered it without thinking. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. DeRose.” Luciano’s real estate agent, Skylar, was on the phone. “I tried calling Ms. Noel, but she informed me that she no longer works for you, and that I’d have to call you directly. I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting anything.” Luciano sat on his bike and let his vision lose focus. “I was just about to start driving. What’s up?”

“There have been several offers made on the house since the new pictures were uploaded,” Skylar said. “I was hoping I could meet up with you to deliver them? You can either decline or counter. Some of them are quite generous.”

Luciano blinked. There were bids on the house? “Are you serious?”

“Yes. The redecorating helped more than you could ever imagine. The showings have been going so well everyone’s been commenting on what a lovely space it is.”

Melanie was right. Luciano smoothed a hand down his face and shook his head. He wasn’t expecting the results to come in so quickly, but he guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised. It was seldom Melanie was wrong about anything.

“No shit. Well. What’s your schedule like?”

“I’m available in an hour from now to meet up at the house,” Skylar said. “Would that work for you?”

“Sure.” Luciano would make it back with plenty of time to spare. Even with traffic in the city, he was confident he could honor that schedule. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“I’ll see you then.”

The call ended. Luciano slipped his phone back into his pocket and started his bike.

It wasn’t the kind of distraction he’d been banking on, but it would work well nevertheless.

* * *

Luciano hadn’t been back in the house since Melanie redecorated. He let himself in, eying the furniture placement and how she’d set up the paintings and other pieces of art. Tall potted plants used sparingly brought pops of life and color to the rooms. Sleek, modern furniture made the place sparkle as it never had before. Even without Cassandra’s glitter curtains, the place looked fantastic.

Mature.

Luciano had been so reluctant to see it changed, but now that he witnessed the transformation in full, he knew that it had been worth every penny. Not only had Melanie given the house a new lease on life, she’d turned it into something beautiful. It was a lot more like a home than it had ever been before.

He walked silently through the living room, remembering what it had looked like under Cassandra’s influence. The bright colors and immature choices were all her but then again, she’d only been twenty-three when the accident happened. At twenty-seven, would she have hated the bright colors and the sparkle she’d picked out? Would she go for something more like Melanie had chosen?

It bothered Luciano that he didn’t know, and that he would never know. He’d always thought they’d party forever and that the good times wouldn’t end. He’d been mistaken.

The party was over.

Somehow, he still managed to have fun.

Luciano digested that thought as he moved into the kitchen and took inventory of what was there. Cassandra’s rack of hot sauces was gone. He mourned their loss quickly and internalized the memory of her laughing face as she struggled with how hot she made some of her meals. She was always looking for an adventure—looking for something to spice up her life and to keep her memory stagnant and frozen in time was wrong of him. He understood that now.

The kitchen looked good. Cute. He could see why someone would want to buy the house already, and he hadn’t even been upstairs yet.

There was a polite knock at the door, then the click as it opened. Luciano exited the kitchen to find Skylar standing by the door, wiping her shoes carefully on the welcome mat. Beneath her arm was a folder stuffed with papers. “Hello, Mr. DeRose.”

“Luciano is fine,” he said. He stood a respectful distance away. “Are those all the offers?”

“Some of them are. Some of them are other documents. If we make a counter offer, or decline an offer, we’ll need to inform the other party.” She opened the folder and removed a stack of papers sectioned off by a paper clip. Skylar extended them to Luciano, and he accepted them silently. “Take a look and tell me what you think.”

The bids were all incredible with a couple over the asking price. It looked like those interested in buying the house were serious about their purchase. Even though Luciano felt like life had him beat, he smiled. “These are great.”

“It’s a pleasure to see so many roll in at once. I attribute it to the interior design update.”

Luciano leafed through the offers until he came across one that made him stop. Melanie had put in a bid for the house. His mouth dried, and he stared at the application form. Melanie Noel. How long ago had she made the offer? His heart tightened.

“Oh. Right. That offer has been rescinded.” Skylar plucked the paper out from the stack and folded it in half. “The rest are all still interested. It looks like you have quite the pick, Luciano. I’ll be happy to go over your options with you and assist you in choosing a buyer.”

Melanie. Just like that, he was back in Thorn Tattoo, watching through his own eyes as he broke her heart. As he’d fired her and told her to get out, she’d dropped her gaze. He’d seen the misery in her expression. The dejected way she slumped her shoulders said more than words ever could.

Then she’d turned and ran from him, exiting the shop and his life.

He was losing her all over again. Luciano couldn’t think, couldn’t speak.

All he knew was that he needed to make things right before he lost the second love of his life.