I’d let her walk away. When I should have run after her, barricaded the door, and fought tooth and nail for every single second, I’d sat there like a man defeated and let my future bleed out all over the floor. When I’d promised myself I’d never let her go, I’d done the very opposite, choosing to believe she deserved better.

I couldn’t help but wonder, Am I too late?

It had been four days, and I hadn’t heard a single word.

But then again, I hadn’t said any either. Call after call had ended the moment that familiar voice came alive on the other end, asking me to leave a voice mail. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

What could I say to the woman I’d failed?

I missed her more than I could put into words. Somehow, in the short time she’d been in my life, Cara had managed to permanently etch her name into my damn soul.

And knowing I might never see her again?

The very definition of hell.

Well, fuck that.

I might not have fought for her then, in that moment, but I would now.

And forever.

Until my last fucking breath, I’d do everything in my power to show that woman why we were fated to be together.

Turning on my heels, I took a single step, determined to take back my life, but I found myself frozen in my footsteps by a curious intruder.

“You’re the talk of the office today,” Lauren said, taking a confident step into my office.

I’d been so used to leaving the door open for Cara that I hadn’t even noticed the wide gap I had left when I returned after the board meeting.

I hadn’t noticed much of anything since Cara left.

“Haven’t you done enough lately?” I said gruffly, walking toward my desk rather than the door, still bitter over her involvement in all of this.

“Me? You’re blaming this on me? Figures. You’re all alike.”

I raised my eyebrow at the last comment, looking up at her with a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

“Who’s you all? Men? Because, if you sabotaged my relationship with Cara just because I wouldn’t sleep with you, then—”

“Oh, please. Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, moving forward once again.

I took that moment to assess her. While I hadn’t taken a general interest in Cara’s friend Lauren, I wasn’t blind. I had seen her around the office from time to time, and there was that one night.

The night she’d basically thrown herself at me.