Page 15 of Beginnings By the Sea

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he inquired.

I nodded. “I’m fine, I promise.” I gave him another quick kiss. “I’ll call you tomorrow after I get off work. We’ll figure out our plans then.”

Cohen walked over to my Jeep and opened the door for me. “Sounds good. I look forward to it.”

I hopped inside and smiled again, desperate to press the gas pedal and get out of the parking lot. Instead of taking a left to go home, I turned right onto downtown’s main street. People were walking around everywhere, but I knew I could spot Miles within a crowd. I’d done it before many times; it was as if we were magnets, drawn to each other by some unseeable force. When we were dating, he told me to meet him at one of the bars right by my college campus. As soon as I walked inside, I knew exactly where to look for him. The warmth that would fill me when he was close was undeniable. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with him.

After frantically searching the downtown streets, I had to face the fact that I probably just imagined I’d seen Miles. I thought I was done thinking about him when I decided to move on and start dating again, but it looked like I was wrong.

Once away from the hustle and bustle of downtown and on my way home, I grabbed my phone out of my purse and called Everleigh.

“Hey,” she answered. I could hear her car door slam in the background.

“Hey,” I replied breathlessly. “Did you just get home?”

“Yep. Jensen and I are going to sit on the back deck for a while. But more importantly, why do you sound like you just ran a marathon?”

A groan escaped my lips. “I think I’m losing my mind, Everleigh.”

“Uh-oh, what happened?”

I flung my arms in the air even though she couldn’t see me. “Who the hell knows?” I said, turning off the main road onto one of the side streets that led to my house. “Everything was going great, and I was in the moment, but then . . .”

I paused and Everleigh cut in before I could finish. “But then, what? I’m literally sitting on the edge of my rocking chair right now.”

I sighed. “I swear I saw Miles. It was uncanny how much this guy looked like him. Granted, I didn’t get a good look, but when I did a double take, he was gone.” I turned down my street and pulled into the driveway, shutting off the engine. With a heavy groan, I pressed my forehead to the steering wheel. “Why am I seeing him?”

Everleigh’s voice turned soft. “Oh, Nyla, I’m sorry. It’s probably just that suppressed guilt you keep carrying around. Now that you’ve started dating again, it’s probably just your doubt rearing its ugly head. You need to let it go, or you’ll never be happy.”

She was right, but it was easier said than done. I was the one who hurt Miles, and I was also the one who ripped out my own heart. I had no one to blame but myself, and I hated it. A part of me feared that I’d never allow myself to be truly happy; I didn’t deserve it.

“I know,” I said, rubbing the aching spot over my chest. “And believe me, I’m dying to move on. Cohen is an amazing man and an excellent kisser.”

Everleigh laughed. “Then concentrate on that. And who knows, you might have been hallucinating. What are the chances of Miles actually being here?”

I snorted. “Slim to none. He never mentioned North Carolina when we were together. Most of the trips we took were out west. Only my parents know I’ve moved here, and I know they haven’t spoken to him.”

“And you never post on social media, so we know it couldn’t be that way,” Everleigh added.

“Exactly,” I grumbled, “it’s just my mind playing cruel tricks. It’s punishing me.”

Everleigh huffed in annoyance. “No, it’s not. It’s just you being ridiculous. Now concentrate on those amazing kisses you had with Cohen and go from there. I really like him.”

That made me smile. “It means a lot that you do.”

“When are you going to see him again?”

My cheeks started to warm. “Tomorrow.”

Everleigh giggled. “That’s three days in a row. Things are getting serious now.”

“No, it’s not,” I said, grabbing my purse and getting out of my Jeep. “I’m taking things slow. Although I am curious to see where all this leads.”

Her laugh echoed through the phone. “I can think of a few ways.”

I unlocked the front door of my house and snorted. “Not in the first week, crazy ass. The last thing I want to do is rush things.”

“Well, if he keeps looking at you the way he was tonight, I don’t see how you’ll be able to resist him,” she added. “The guy is seriously head over heels for you.”

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