Page 72 of Forbidden Intent

“So are you going to finally answer his texts?”

“He’s got a charity concert thing tonight.”

“So text him and ask if you guys can get together tomorrow.”

Sitting up, I reach for my phone on the coffee table and pull up his messages.I stare at his last message, and my heart aches a little more at those three beautiful words at the end.

Me: Let’s talk tomorrow.Dinner at my place.

I press send and lie back down.Rikki squeezes my hand in solidarity at the same time that my phone vibrates in my other hand.I hold it up and see his response.

Miles:I’ll be there, but I’m warning you now, if you try to break up with me, I’m going to fight like hell to prove to you that I deserve another chance.

I drop my phone to my stomach and let out a sigh.He has no idea how much I want to give him another chance.

“Okay, we’re on for dinner.”

“I saw,” she says with a smile.

I bump her shoulder with mine and nibble my lip.“I don’t want to throw what we have away.I love him.I don’t doubt that for a second, and I don’t doubt that he loves me.”

“But it’s how he showed his love.”

“Yes!”I say, sitting up in a burst of energy.“That’s exactly it, but just this one time.I mean, normally Miles can read me like I’m an open book.Which is maybe why I was so thrown that he’d do something like this—something I wouldn’t want in a million years.”

“Explain that to him.I think if he gets you back, he’s never going to make this kind of mistake again, but you should definitely explain so he understands why it hit a nerve like it did.”

I nod my head because once again she’s right.“He’s going to get me back.”I lie back down.“He never really lost me.I just needed time to process, and I was too mad at him to process and be around him.It would’ve slowed everything down.”

“You should tell him that too, for next time.”

I twist my head to stare at her.“You think there’ll be a next time?”

She busts out in laughter and then wipes fake tears from her eyes.“Oh my dear, sweet Tam.These are the moments when I remember this is your first serious relationship.Yes, there will definitely be a next time.Either you’ll mess something up or he will, or you’ll hit a nerve for him or he’ll hit a nerve for you.It’s inevitable in relationships.It’s just part of the package deal when you’re in one.But it’s the couples who take those times in stride, who communicate and work through it, that come out stronger on the other side.You put into a relationship what you want out of it.As long as you keep fighting for each other, you’ll grow through those experiences.”

I smile at her.“So wise for one so young.”

She winks.“Well, I’ve had my fair share of boyfriends the last few years.Not to mention I’ve watched my mom date since I was ten.I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly.”She bumps my shoulder with hers.“What you and Miles have is the good.Promise.”

I know deep in my heart she’s right.Now dinner tomorrow doesn’t seem so scary because I know Miles and I can work through this problem.

Together, we can get through anything.

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