“The Palace isn’t going to be the same without you, sweet thing,” Coralee said, her large plastic earrings swinging as she spoke.

“You remember you gotta job here any time. Got it, kid?” Fat Tony patted my shoulder.

“Are you sure you’ve got to leave?” Leo asked quietly as he hugged me, “I’ve heard education is totally over-rated you know.”

“Yeah, but I heard it helps avoid law suits if you actually practice medicine with a degree and a license.”

He pouted. “Well I’ve heard Georgia is nice in the spring. Maybe I’ll come for a visit.”

I grinned. “You’d better.”

My heart stalled when Heath appeared in front of me.

“Listen, I have to go. We start in the studio tomorrow, so there’s a few things I need to do—”

“Of course.” I smiled but it was awkward. So was the hug he gave me.

When he stood back, his eyes finally found mine. “Thanks,” he said.

“What for?”

He smiled softly. “We sure had some fun, huh?”

I licked my lips to stop my damn chin from quivering, and nodded. Despite the agony in my chest, I smiled brightly. “We sure did.”

He went to say something else but stopped himself. Instead, he smiled resignedly. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.”

I nodded.

“Take care Harlow.” He grinned, all white teeth and dimples.

And then he turned and walked out of my life.

* * * * *

HEATH

Not once.

Not one fucking time.

During her entire speech, not once did she look at me.

Those beautiful eyes of hers cast over everyone there except me. Like I had been just a small, insignificant moment in her life.

She avoided looking at me.

We are over. So why not look me in the eye? I’m doing exactly what she asked me to do and still it’s not good enough for her.

I thrust my fists into the bag, harder and harder. Thump! Thump!

We have moved on. Just like she wanted. I had deliberately avoided any unnecessary glances at her direction just to prove to her that I was over her. That I was okay with our relationship being over. What more could I do? I don’t phone her. I don’t ask about her. I don’t contact her. I haven’t done anything but move on. I fucked up. I get it. But goddamn it. Why wouldn’t she look at me?

Thump! Thump! Thump!

I know I should be grateful that she even acknowledged me after what I did to us. But goddamn it, how long am I going to have to pay for it? It made it easier to understand why we are moving on from one another. But I thought we were at least going to be friends.

I had left Fat Tony’s with a swift goodbye not long after her speech. Hell, I think I even patted her on the back as I gave her a quick farewell hug. But I had to get out of there before I cracked and fell apart.

It was all still too raw. Harlow. Armie. My head was a fucking mess. I’d hung in there for as long as possible but felt myself begin to unravel when that fucking song came on the jukebox. I just can’t shake this fantasy … that I want her.

So I left and hit the gym, hard. I didn’t want to think about her anymore. I didn’t want the reminder that tomorrow she’d be leaving California and turning her back on me for good. She would resume her old life back home in Savannah. Go to college. Get back with Colton. Probably get married and have a family with him. It wouldn’t take long and I would become nothing but a faded memory to her.

I shoved the boxing bag away from me and slumped against the wall. My skin was slick with sweat and my heart thundered against my chest as I tried to calm my breathing. I didn’t want it to be over. Goddamn it. I was so crazy in love with her I could barely see straight.

Everything was falling apart around me. I slipped to the floor and my head fell back against the wall. Armie was gone. Dead. And tomorrow Harlow would board a plane to Georgia.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Please stay,” I whispered into nowhere.

But I knew there was no hope. Tomorrow she would leave. Because even after all this time—after all the apologies, after everything—Harlow didn’t want me anymore.

* * * * *

HARLOW

God was mocking me. To signal the sad end to my Californian adventure, he made my last day a cold, uncharacteristically cloudy, grey day.

To make it worse, I think I woke up with a cold.

With a little bit of PMS thrown in for good measure.

I packed my bags with absolutely no enthusiasm. I didn’t want to leave. But it was time to move on. College would be starting soon and I had a life to resume in Savannah.

To make myself feel better I grabbed my iPod and hit shuffle. When ‘Dreamweaver’ by Gary Wright came on I sat back on my bed and looked out the little window to the beach in the distance. My heart sagged low in my chest. Grey clouds gathered over a bleak ocean and suddenly everywhere seemed completely devoid of warmth and sunlight.

Summer was well and truly over.

I stood up and hit stop play. It was time to go.

“Let me get my keys,” Bridget said as I stood by the front door with my suitcases and carry-on bag.

As she looked for her keys I glanced around the little apartment I had called home for the last five months and wished desperately my summer was just beginning, and not ending. How was it possible for my life to have changed so much in such a short amount of time?

I wished I could transport myself back in time to the old Harlow when she arrived for the summer. She’d had no idea just what a brilliant summer lay ahead of her. Would I change any of it? Yes, I would make sure I appreciated every moment just that little bit more.

“Ready?” Bridget asked, appearing with her keys.

I nodded but she paused and fixed me with those knowing Montmarte eyes. “Are you sure?”

Feeling my face stiffen with unshed tears, I looked away. With a nod I bent to pick up my carry-on. “Of course. Let’s go.”

She opened the front door but closed it suddenly and swung around. “You still love him, don’t you?”

“What?” I asked startled.

“Heath. You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”

Now my face well and truly threatened to crumple. Damn it!

“Don’t go without telling him,” she said, looking me directly in the eye. “Don’t leave without letting him know exactly how you feel.”

“It’s time to go home, Bridge.”

She shook her head and then looked up at me. “At least let me take you past his house to say a final farewell. He at least deserves that, doesn’t he?”

“He is over it. He is fine. He said goodbye to me last night with a pat on the back.” I adjusted my carry-on over my shoulder feeling a jolt of disappointment at the memory. “He said his final farewell to me a long time ago.”

I’m not sure if it was a last ditch effort to break me into staying, but Bridget drove slowly to the airport. She took the longest route possible. And it was torture. Taking in the sights that had become home to me for the last five months. The beach. The Pier. Fat Tony’s Pizza Palace. And Epic—where I had first laid eyes on a performing Heath.

“Bridge.” My eyes filled with tears behind sunglasses.

“Yes?” She turned to me hopefully.

“I don’t want to miss my flight.”

She looked defeated, but nodded and put her foot down.

When we made it to the airport, my flight was boarding.

Bridge hugged me tightly at the gate.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she said, holding me tight. I didn’t want to let her go and my face was so frozen with sadness I was afraid it would shatter. “You come back to me whenever you want. There is always a room for you.”

We broke apart and my eyes scanned the airport. Searching for what? Did I really think he was going to show up to say goodbye? Really?

Really…?

“I will, I promise. I will come back soon.” I kissed her and hoped the bright smile I wore was convincing. “You helped give me the most amazing time of my life, Bridge. Thank you.”