I tried to push aside the emotional fatigue. Today was an important day, and I didn’t want to sound upset or worried or anything when I talked to Kiera later. It was our anniversary. One year together, officially, cleanly.

Thoughts of that night were in my head as my day trudged forward. Spotting Kiera in the crowd, thinking she was a dream, our painful conversation in the hallway…finally kissing her again. Feeling undone and whole, all at the same time. Our reunion had been much like our relationship—intoxicating and torturous. But after that night…when we’d honestly tried to be a couple, that was when my life had truly begun. God, I missed her.

It was painful to wait to call her. I’d wanted to talk to her the moment I’d woken up, and then I’d wanted to call her every hour after that. But I held off, wanting to talk to her after she got her flowers at Pete’s. I wanted to hear the surprise in her voice, the happiness, the joy…the longing. I watched the clock all night, waiting for just the right time. I gave her forty-five minutes into her shift, then I called her. My smile fell when the phone rang and rang and then went to voicemail. It is a Saturday night…maybe the bar is already slammed. Damn it. I should have called her earlier.

“Hey, Matt’s ready. He wants us to meet him in his room to go over some songs. He really wants to do Kiera’s song.”

Evan smiled at me, like he was happy about that. I frowned. I wasn’t sure if I wanted the entire world listening to me recounting the worst night of my life. But, on the other hand, Kiera loved that song…maybe she’d like it to be on the album. “Maybe…I don’t know. That one’s kind of…personal.”

He nodded, then tilted his head. “Are you feeling all right?”

I forced a smile to my face. “Yeah, of course. Why?”

His expression twisted into confusion as he shook his head. “I don’t know, you just seem…I don’t know. Off, I guess.”

There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I stared at him. I was off. Very, very off. Not that I could tell him that. “I’m…” My phone chirped with a message, and I automatically lifted it to look. It wasn’t Kiera…it was fucking Gavin. Of course. My jaw tightened as I lowered the phone. “I’m fine.”

Even I could hear the annoyance in my voice, the weariness. Evan certainly heard it. He frowned at me. “Maybe you should pass on this. Go back upstairs, lie down or something. I’ll tell Matt you’re sick.”