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This time, no such luck.

No. This time, when I have the strength, an inkling I can grow differently, and finally have some of the needed mindset that life might have a better trajectory than me bleeding out on the stage—thisis when she appears out of thin air.

“Jerod . . . humor me,” I toss more liquid fire down my throat, monitoring Natalie’s slow, drunken progress.

“I’m listening.”

“What are the odds of taking your new girlfriend on a short getaway to Mexico and running into your ex-wife, who’s vacationing at the same resort?”

Jerod barks out a sympathetic laugh and pours another shot. “So slim those odds probably don’t exist. Damn, man,” he mutters, pushing the brimming glass forward. “This one is on me.”

“Appreciate it, but help me think this through,” I toss another bill on the bar as Natalie stalls in the middle of the sand, halfway to the beach. “Mexico is a popular vacation spot.”

“Agreed,” he says quickly.

“This resort is one of the highest-rated.”

“True, probably first to pop up in the search engine.”

“That’s how I found it,” I fire back, clinging to that lifeline.

“Narrows it down a lot,” Jerod agrees.

“So, we’re getting warmer?” I ask.

He doesn’t at all look convinced as he pours one more shot. “Possibly.”

Chuckling dryly, I lift my brimming glass. “To the inherited luck of mymother.”

He pours his own and taps it with mine, and we both drink.

Taking my eyes off Natalie for a second, I meet his amused gaze as he lifts the bottle in offering. I cut my hand through the air to stop him from pouring another, my mother’s voice screaming in my head about signs and fate and magical nonsense I never believed for myself, until I met the woman currently stumbling through the sand. A woman who landed into my life, seemingly as lost now, as she was then. A woman I heavily pursued—and married—that eventually led me down the narrow path of self-destruction and premature aging.

“Since we’re being honest,” Jerod speaks up. “I’m having a bit of a moment, man. I’m a huge fan.”

“Thanks for that, but my question for you right now is, are you anhonorableman?” I ask him, not taking my eyes off Natalie as fear starts to circulate. She’s headed toward the dark, unlit part of the beach. “Because that’s all I care about right now, and I’m willing to do just about anything for you, if you’ll keep what I just told you in confidence.”

“We all signed NDAs before you got here, and I swear to you, I won’t utter a word.”

“You will eventually,” I say, knowing it to be the truth. “Eventually, you’ll tell someone, but can you do me a solid and wait until I leave?”

“Swear it, man.”

“Thank you. Can I ask one more favor?”

“Anything.”

“Can you please dial my room and let my girlfriend know I’ll meet her at the restaurant in an hour, because I’m going to have to go keep my ex-wife from drowning?”

“Is that how you want it worded?”

“Fuck no, throw a shitload of finesse into that and completely leave out the ex-wife part. I’ll break that to her myself,later.” With that, I start stalking after Natalie as she heads straight toward the water.

“Wait, man,” Jerry speaks up, stopping me. “The restaurant closed ten minutes ago, but you can still order room service.”

Knowing it in my gut, I force myself to search for and find an inch-tall digital clock next to Jerry’s register, just as the minutes on the hour tick over.

11:11.

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