Page 52 of Second to None

I snorted to myself.‘You’re not a lawyer, bro.’

‘Got one on speed dial, though. Point is, Levi’s secrets are safe with me. Just like yours.’

Which… yeah. I knew and appreciated that about him, about all of them. In a way, it was how we’d worked as a band—among ourselves, we gossiped like fishwives at the market, but we drew our lines and protected each other. Otherwise, we never would have lasted as long as we did.

I was still considering how to reply when my assistant reacted to my earlier note.‘Lovely. I expect a handwritten thank you, though. Preferably on a check.’

Sassy bitch. Honestly, it was part of her charm.

‘How about a spa weekend at the Fairmont?’ I asked.

‘Sold.’

That settled, I returned to my chat with Mason. I could ignore his question—his attention span wasn’t that great, and he might forget. But my chest felt ready to burst like a balloon that flew too close to the sun.

‘I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.’I didn’t send it just yet, turning my face into the breeze that rushed through an open crack in the window. The space behind my lids was filled with dizzy spots of light, and I clutched my phone, took a couple of deep breaths that carried a hint of rosemary and something briny from the coast.

I’m still in love with him. I don’t think I ever stopped.

A golden-hour glow hung in front of my eyes when I blinked them open. So, yeah. That was a thing. It didn’t feel like a massive revelation—more a shift in perception, like cresting a mountain and catching sight of the sprawling fields beyond.

I unlocked my phone, erased what I’d already written, and replaced it with,‘I just know I’m still in love with him. The rest? No fucking clue.’

‘That’s my boy,’Mason replied, which really wasn’t helpful, yet somehow made me feel a little lighter all the same.

‘You gonna pat me on the head next time we meet?’I asked.

‘It’s under consideration.’He was still typing, so I waited for the rest of his message.‘But seriously, man. You’re overdue for a vacation. So I’m glad Lee convinced you to take one.’

Should I tell Mason how it had come about? The hesitant softness in Levi’s eyes, morning painting a strip of light across his shoulder.‘You could come?’And the night before that—God. It still felt too big, too precious to put into a few simple words.

‘Not sure how relaxed I’ll be with his parents there,’I wrote instead.

‘You’ll charm them just like you used to,’Mason responded.‘It’s what you do.’

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’

‘Anytime. Love ya, bro.’

I sent a‘Right back at you’before I put my phone aside and sank lower in my seat to drink in the island’s evening colors. The tires hummed in my bones as the roads grew ever smaller, each minute taking me closer to Levi.

Six days. I didn’t know how, but I wanted to make them count.

* * *

Porto Cervo,Sunday, August 24th

The villa looked…

It looked like home. My home, specifically. The one Levi and I had shared. Warm terracotta walls, a tiled roof, and plants sprawling over the arched entrance. What was it he’d said about this place here—it was too big, but he’d fallen in love with the pictures?

The car rolled to a bumpy stop on the cobblestone pathway. I got out and stretched, a small give of my spine, while Frank popped the trunk. He’d stay in a nearby apartment, ready to act as my parachute in case I needed him. When he offered to carry my bags inside, I waved him off with “Thank you, I’m good,” just as Levi walked out, his parents right behind him. I straightened.

All right. I could do this. Even if Geoff and Cecily likely had reservations about me being here, definitely had some reservations about Levi helping me plant some rumors—he’d said they didn’t hate me. He’d said they wereproud. So. I would win them over again, right along with Emily, and maybe somehow, that would convince Levi that he loved me, still or again, and our lives were compatible.

Solid plan.

“You good here?” Frank asked.

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