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kissed the top of my head. “No, you’re not. But you know how Collins is. You can never trust a guy like that.”
    I buried my face in his chest. “I know. I thought he would change for me.” I felt ridiculous thinking it, but I had believed he would.
    Grayson stepped back and wiped away my tears, yet more kept flowing. “You’re a beautiful woman, Lara. You need someone who’ll treat you like the most important being in the world.”
    I snorted. “I’m not lucky enough to find one.”
    “Yes, you are. All you have to do is look at what’s right in front of you.”
    I stared up at him, never once realizing that he harbored feelings of any kind for me. Thinking back on our recent encounters, it seemed so obvious now. How could I have not seen it before?
    Taking my hand, Grayson shut off the lights and we walked outside to the parking lot. “Let me take you home and you can cry on my shoulder, all night if need be. I’ll stay as long as you want.” He opened the door to his car and I slid in. “But if you want my advice, don’t let him see your pain. Pretend that nothing ever happened and let it go.”
    “Easier said than done,” I whispered regretfully.
    He bent down and squeezed my hand. “You’re Lara Jacobs, strong and as stubborn as a mule. You can do this. The next time he comes in to see you, put on a smile. I’ll be right there with you. Trust me, it’ll screw with his head. Karma can be a bitch.”
    A laugh escaped my lips and it felt good. “Thanks, Grayson. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I had no clue if I could pull it off, but I was going to try. Luke wasn’t going to see me heartbroken anymore.

Three Months Later
    I felt like I was in the twilight zone. One day, Lara was crying, and the next, she was walking around as if nothing had happened. It’d been three months since our night together, and I’d even brought different girls into her bar to get a rise out of her, yet still, nothing.
    Pulling out my phone, I texted her.
     
    Me: Congratulations on the magazine article. Will you please come out and talk to me? I’m in the parking lot.
     
    Me: Please, Lara. I’m so sorry for everything I did. I want to work this out.
     
    Heart racing, I stared at the back door of the restaurant, willing it to open. When it did, I had hoped the blonde walking out to greet me was Lara, but it was Summer.
    “Let me guess, she didn’t want to talk to me?” I asked, leaning against my truck.
    Summer shook her head, her gaze sad. “Can you blame her? You’ve flaunted around here with a different girl every week for the past three months, basically throwing it in her face.”
    I threw my hands up in the air. “I only did that to see how she truly felt. She hasn’t said anything, so I figured she was over it. Why is she pretending everything’s fine when it’s not?”
    Dropping the tailgate on my truck, I sat down and Summer joined me. Seeing her face only made my heartache worse; it was as if Lara was sitting there with me. She placed a hand on my shoulder, showing me sympathy I didn’t deserve.
    “It’s her way of coping with it all,” she murmured.
    “Will she ever talk to me again?” I asked.
    She shrugged. “I don’t know, Luke. For now, you’re just going to have to live with the consequences.”
    “Please let me go in there. I won’t cause a scene. I just want to tell her I’m sorry, that I fell for her and it scared me.”
    The door to the restaurant slammed shut and Evan marched over. “You can’t,” he answered harshly.
    Summer gasped and slid off the tailgate. “I didn’t know you were coming out here.”
    His jaw tensed. “Lara told me where you were. I thought you might need some help.” Evan hadn’t talked to me much over the past couple of days; especially after he found out Lara and I had slept together. He was protective of those he cared about, and Lara was one of them.
    I slid off the tailgate and faced him. “Why can’t I go in there and tell