Page 19 of Beginnings By the Sea

There was no reason to lie to him. I wasn’t the type of person to play games.

“Yes,” I answered. “I’m going to tell Cohen, and hope he understands. It’s not like we’re exclusive, Everleigh.”

Everleigh chuckled. “That’s not because he doesn’t want it, my dear friend. Cohen would be all in if you were up for it.”

Which was true. I knew Cohen was ready to take our relationship to the next level.

“All Miles and I are going to do is talk . . . that’s it,” I promised. “I’m sure we won’t even see each other again after tomorrow. And then, once he’s done with his friends and work, he’ll be gone.”

“And what if it doesn’t go that way?” Everleigh asked. “What if something happens and you find yourself still in love with your ex-husband?”

I felt a twinge in my chest. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. If it does, I’m totally screwed.”

9

MILES

Luke’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he turned to me. “Dude, how the hell is this even possible? What are the chances of you running into your ex-wife here?”

My chest tightened at the mention of Nyla and I didn’t know how to answer Luke’s question. There were things I didn’t want him or Noah to know.

The whole drive back to our beach rental was a blur. Memories of Nyla flooded my mind. It’d been almost three years since I last saw her, but she wasn’t any less gorgeous than before; if anything, she looked even more breathtaking than I remembered. Her wavy red hair and mesmerizing blue eyes were just as I remembered them. And now she had a few more freckles on her face from all the sun.

The salty ocean air mingled with my thoughts as we pulled up to the house. With shaking hands, I parked in the driveway, the sand crunching under the wheels of the car.

“Are you okay, brother?” Luke asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged him off and took a deep breath, trying to push away the overwhelming emotions that consumed me. Was I okay? No, I wasn’t. Seeing Nyla again only accentuated how much I missed her. I stumbled out of the car and made my way toward the house, Luke and Noah following closely behind.

The beach rental was cozy, with a small living room and a kitchenette. I walked straight to the fridge, pulled out a beer, and popped the top off. Luke watched me carefully, clearly concerned.

“Talk to me, man. What’s going on?”

I took a deep swig of the beer, feeling the cold liquid slide down my throat. “I don’t know, Luke. Seeing Nyla again brought back all these feelings I thought I had buried long ago.”

Luke nodded, understanding. “Yeah, I get it. But you know she’s your ex for a reason, right?”

I knew he was right, but it wasn’t for the same reasons most people divorced over. Nyla and I had a passionate relationship full of highs and lows. In the end, we just couldn’t make it work. I wanted so much more of her, more than she could give. But part of me still wondered if things could have been different if we had tried harder. Nyla was all about her career, and I could only do so much fighting before it pushed her away. All I was ever guilty of was loving her too much. Nyla was just never around to see it. That was why I initiated the divorce, hoping it would make her want to work things out.

I let out a sigh and took another swig of beer. “I know, Luke. But being around her again just brings back all these memories. Memories of what could have been.”

Noah chimed in, “You know, maybe this is your second chance.”

I rolled my eyes, “Noah, you’ve been watching too many rom-coms. There are no second chances in real life.”

But deep down, a part of me wanted to believe him. Maybe it wasn’t too late for Nyla and me.

“Are you going to see her again?” Luke asked.

I looked over at him and nodded. “Tomorrow after our fishing trip.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I should’ve known. Who knows, maybe my brother’s right. This could be your second chance. I mean, hell, you haven’t been happy with anyone since Nyla. Maybe these past two years have changed her. If she’s a small-town doctor now, I doubt she’ll be working those seventy hours she was when you two were together.”

Nyla had worked so much that I barely recognized her at times; it was as if her career had sucked the life out of her. She didn’t look like that now; she looked happy and content.

Was it possible for Nyla and me to get a second chance? Maybe it was me having a foolish heart or the inability to fully let go, but I had to give it a shot.

I fell in love with Nyla many years ago, and after our divorce, I tried to convince myself that I could get over her. But as the years went by, I still longed for her touch, her laugh, and the way she used to look at me with those piercing blue eyes. Now she was within my grasp once more, and I couldn’t let her go without seeing what we could be again.

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