“Mmm…this one.” He looked up at the tall newly constructed building. “Yeah…this one.”

“Great.” I released his arm and left him at the front door. Breathlessly, I offered, “Do yourself a favor—get over that article and stay away from the magazine. I didn’t see anyone snapping photos but next time you might not be so lucky.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, scanning me head to toe as if seeing me for the first time. “You came all this way, the least I can do is offer you a dry t-shirt.”

“I’m good.” I held up a hand and turned back to my car. The fucking nerve. Probably wanted to strip me naked and take off with my clothes.

I heard Nic’s voice in my head that he probably wouldn’t have let me keep my underwear.

I started back to my car and heard him call behind me. “I’m not, you know?”

I sighed and turned. “Not what?”

“A sophomore slump.” He stepped out from under the awning. “I was never good to begin with.”

Oh dear.

He dropped onto the step, splattering a small puddle.

The doorman pushed out the door for us. Concern etched on his face. “You need help?” He looked down at Troy, then at me.

Thank goodness. “Yes. Please, if you don’t mind. Can you help him to his apartment?”

“Sure thing.”

There were no questions asked and Troy didn’t fight it when the man helped him to his feet and walked him to the elevators.

Thankfully, the rain slowed down as I walked back to my car in the dark. It was nearly nine o’clock by this point and I’d had an exhausting day. But I was by Main Street Park for the first time in years and knew the view of the Brooklyn bridge was just up the block toward the water. Rather than heading home to get dry, I found myself following the path of the cobblestone street until I reached the tiny beach with the glorious view.

I’d only been here once with my parents when dad wanted to use the background for one of his sketches and I remembered asking my mother how long it would take to walk the length of that bridge.

She’d told me we’d find out one day.

When it was becoming too late to stick around the dark park and the painful memories started flooding back, I walked back to my car.

Reaching for my car keys halfway up the block, I frantically double patted my empty pockets. “Oh no.” The keys…and everything else I had with me, was in my car—locked.

No no no.

I walked back to the building and asked the doorman to use his phone. Shit, what was Nic’s number? Five-four-one, no five one four…