Aidan scrolled through his phone’s most recent playlist, tapping on the fifth or sixth song he’d started so far. The first few riffs of a guitar filled his trailer, thanks to the speakers he’d already hooked the phone up to, and then he changed the song again.

“Come on, man,” Mikey groaned from the couch. “Pick a song.”

“Here. You do it.” Aidan tossed Mikey his phone and went into the little bedroom area to get dressed in the morning’s costume.

“You don’t look like you slept much, by the way,” Mikey commented from the front end of the trailer.

“Wow, thanks,” Aidan called back dryly. He pulled off his T-shirt and put on the Fresh Wear one, looking out the window as he did so. They were at the beach that day and the crew milled around the parking lot right next to the shore, setting up.

Aidan’s father was nowhere in sight, but he couldn’t be far off. Their fight the night before might have led to Rick not saying more than four words to Aidan so far that morning, but nothing would stop him from taking his job seriously. Aidan had nearly forgotten about the reality show offer. He didn’t want to do it and that was final—no matter what his dad said.

He closed his eyes and remembered the dance he’d shared with Nicole. He could still feel the warmth of her hands in his and her breath against his neck. She’d been on his mind all night and all morning. He finally had her number. But that didn’t mean he could call her. Someone else had given the digits to him, not Nicole herself.

With only a few days to go before he left Florida, Aidan was running out of time to convince Nicole to give him a chance. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything, though. He wanted her to want him, not just go out with him because he wouldn’t leave her alone.

Sighing, he dropped down onto the bed and opened the box of fresh shoes wardrobe had given him. It was weird that the trailer had a full bed when he could have just relaxed on the couch, but at least it had gotten some use from Mikey, who took naps like it was his hobby.

There was a knock on the trailer door and Aidan caught a glimpse of Mikey as he went to open it.

“Aidan has five minutes,” someone said. Mikey closed the door and came down to the bedroom.

Leaning in the doorway that barely fit his frame, Mikey crossed his arms and looked at Aidan. “Still thinking about her, huh?”

Aidan didn’t say anything.

“Why does it feel like that girl is suddenly half of what we talk about?” Mikey asked.

“You’re the one who brought her up.”

“Only because I can practically see her in your eyes.”

When Aidan didn’t answer again, Mikey’s face softened. “You’re really into her,” he said.

Aidan looked down at his hands. “I told her last night about where I’m at in life and she finally realized who I am. She got my last name and connected the dots.”

“How did she take it?”

“She left. How’s that for an answer?”

Aidan looked up in time to see the pained expression cross his friend’s face.

“Ouch,” Mikey said. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Aidan answered honestly. “It feels like I was supposed to meet her. Like whatever is happening between us, even if it’s uncomfortable or I don’t like it—it’s supposed to be happening. Do you know what I mean?”

Mikey shook his head. “Sorry. I can’t say that I do.”

Aidan nodded. He couldn’t expect anyone else to understand when he didn’t himself. The feelings rising in him were ones he’d never experienced before. But it wasn’t only feelings he was talking about. It was also an intuition that couldn’t be explained. A deep knowing that this was the woman he’d been waiting for all his life.

Three days. That’s all he had before he left Haven Sound for good. Unless he did something about it.

Another knock came on the door. “Aidan,” the familiar voice of the second assistant director called. “We’re ready when you are.”

“Just a minute,” Aidan called back.

Mikey stepped away from the doorway, but the look on his face said he had something else to say.

“What?” Aidan asked.

Mikey studied him. “Are you going to do that reality show?”

Aidan balked. “You know I’m not.”

“Okay. What are you going to do after we leave here, then?”

“Does it matter?”

Mikey’s eyes squinted. “If you have nothing else going on, it might be easy to fall into doing something you don’t really want. Don’t let your dad bully you into that show. That’s all I’m saying.”

“He won’t. Trust me.” Aidan wasn’t sure what direction he wanted his life to take. But the idea of Nicole Carson being part of it made his heart expand in his chest.