“A wife. Kids. The whole fairytale ending. That’s not you, Mags. You don’t want that.”

That was the old me––the me who thought love was something to keep at arm’s length.

“I wouldn’t push you into something you don’t want. But that’s what Sebring will do.”

His words don’t shake me or plant the doubt he’s hoping for. If anything, they solidify what I already know. Because the thing is… he’s got it all wrong.

It’s true what they say… you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

“I thought I didn’t want marriage. But when you love someone, and you lose them, it changes things.”

“Sebring is still the same person he was before. What he wants hasn’t changed.”

“My heart aches for Alex. I never want to live without him again, and I’m not fool enough to believe that doesn’t lead to marriage.”

A muscle tics in his jaw, the first sign he’s beginning to piece it together—and he doesn’t like where it’s leading. “So you’re saying⁠—”

I cut him off before he can try to twist my words. “Like I said… things have changed.”

His jaw clenches so tight I’m surprised his teeth don’t shatter.

He shakes his head, as if he can will my words away, rewrite them into something else, something that doesn’t rip his hope to shreds.

But it’s too late. He’s lost. And he knows it.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

I shake my head. “I’m not. Not even a little.”

His bruised and swollen face twists with frustration. “So that’s it? Sebring gets the girl? He wins again?”

“It was never a competition between you and Alex. I am his. I have been from the moment we met.”

Before Tyson can respond, a familiar presence sends a shiver down my spine. The hairs on my arms stand on end, and I swear I sense the shift in the air before I even turn.

Alex.

I jolt, my pulse spiking as I glance toward the doorway. He’s standing there, broad shoulders rigid, dark eyes locked on Tyson with a look so sharp it could slice through steel.

Shit. This is about to go downhill fast.

Alex steps forward, his voice dripping with irritation. “Jesus Christ, McRae. You’re like a fucking pest that won’t go away. “

His swollen lips curve into a smirk. “It’s not in my DNA to give up on something I want. And I want her.”

“Did you not take that ass beating as a hint to leave us the hell alone?”

“You call that an ass beating?”

“Have you seen your face, motherfucker?”

Alex’s body is taut, like a predator just waiting for an excuse to strike.