“I’m so sorry. I brought you something to let you know just how much I mean that.” He stands up and in his haste he knocks over his bag—that ridiculous, stupid, obnoxious, holier-than-thou, upcycled bag that makes my heart clench to look at because it’s so very Miles and even when I hated him, I missed him.

He gets on the floor to clean up his stuff and retrieves a thumb drive which he holds out to me, still on one knee. “I hate that I might have ruined the city for you, so I put together some new walking tours for you to have. I got Jude to record them because, let’s face it, that accent. And in case you never wanted to hear my voice again,” he finishes in a rush.

From far away, it probably looks like the world’s most ridiculous high-tech proposal. I look at the thumb drive but I don’t take it. If I take it, does that mean he’ll walk out the door, and we’ll be done for good? I’m paralyzed, uncertain what to say or do. He stands up awkwardly, sets the drive on the table, and glances over at my laptop, the screen open to my airline ticket purchase.

“You can’t leave New York,” he blurts.

I glance between him and the screen. “Why?”

“For the same reason I turned down Jordan. I’m in love with the girl I’ve been speaking to for these past couple of months. I think about her all the time. What she says. The way she thinks. She makes me laugh. And someone once told me that a relationship is all about finding that person who makes you laugh on the worst, most god-awful days.”

My pulse jumps and I find it hard to speak. In love with . . . “Who told you that?”

“It . . . it was my dad, okay?”

I can’t help it; a smile pulls at my lips. “A life without lows makes the highs meaningless.” In love with me. He chooses me. “Was this a recent heart-to-heart with your dad or was this a Brady Bunch moment of yore?”

“Listen, I promise you can tease me about my parents all you want,” Miles says heatedly. “Only keep teasing me. Don’t stop teasing me. Don’t leave.”

“I took a new job in LA. . . .”

He slumps forward, rests his head in palms. “You did?”

“But I’m not moving back. I told them I’d only accept if I could telecommute.”

“So what’s the flight for?”

“They agreed to an in-person meetup every six weeks.” I shut my laptop and suddenly there’s no barrier between us.

He looks chagrined. “I just confessed all that for nothing?”