She hands me the plate, and I pluck the Post-it note off the top. In pen, all it says is, “I’m sorry.”

Shaking my head, I toss the note to the ground, place the éclairs on the nightstand, then lie back down on my pillow.

“Care to share what that’s about?”

“Ryot realizing that maybe he’s not as perfect as he likes to think he is.”

“Something happen while I was gone?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay.” She pauses. “Want to go for a walk? Or a drive? We can go down to the beach for the sunset, have dinner on a blanket, real romantic shit?”

I chuckle. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I do. You can’t stay in this room when you’re feeling like this. Let’s get some fresh air, get you moving, and get you out of his shirt because I can’t imagine that’s helping the situation.”

Tears well up in my eyes as I say, “I miss him, Nichole. I miss the old Ryot. The one who used to wake me up in the morning by pressing light kisses all over my face until my eyes opened. I miss the guy who would come home wearing a giant smile just because he saw me. I miss the man who would control me in bed, but then treat me like the most precious thing he’d ever held in his hands afterward. He’d scoop me up, take me to the shower, and wash me himself. He was gentle, caring, and loving. He’s just . . . cold now.”

“I know, sweetie.” She lies down on the bed behind me and puts her arm around my waist. “I miss the old Ryot, too.”

* * *

RYOT

“Did you know Myla was taking classes?” I ask Banner as I let him in the house. After Nichole and Myla snuck out, I invited Banner over because . . . hell, I’m lonely.

“Classes? What kind of classes?”

Great question.

If only I knew.

“Not sure.” I pull on the back of my neck. “Just classes.”

“Uh, no, why would I know that?”

“I don’t know,” I say with a sigh as we head toward the backyard.

“Seems like something you should know. Oh hey, éclairs.” Banner walks over to the counter, where I see the plate of éclairs I left in front of Myla’s bedroom door. “Why is there a note on them that says ‘no thank you’?”

“There is?” I step up next to Banner and take the note. “Fuck,” I mutter.

“Uh-oh.” He lifts an éclair to his mouth and takes a bite. “Am I guessing these were for Myla, but she didn’t accept them the way you wanted her to?”

I lean against the counter and fold my arms over my chest. “I made them for myself after frustrations from yesterday, and when she tried to grab one, we got in a fight, and then she claimed I don’t listen to her. I told her I did—”