Nicole took shallow breaths, waiting for him to get off the phone.

"I'm getting off the phone now." He paused. "Yes, with her." The phone slammed onto the nightstand. Dylan strode into the bathroom. He stormed right back out, digging into his duffle bag and taking the plastic toiletry bag back in with him.

Fear got a grip on her.

Kelsi was playing a dangerous game-and the cost to everyone involved could be enormous.

A Greenwich, Connecticut diner had nothing on the ones in Colorado. First, the prices. Twenty-two bucks for some eggs? And who wanted salmon roe in an omelet?

But secondly, everybody dressed like they were headed to church. Dylan hadn't given much thought to clothing when he'd packed. He'd practically run to the airport to get to his girl, but even if he had, he still wouldn't have thought to bring a blazer and khakis just to grab breakfast at a diner.

Dylan shoveled eggs into his mouth, tuning back into the conversation between Nicole and Gina.

"Did it hurt?" Nicole gestured to the barbell in her friend's eyebrow.

Gina just shrugged. "A little."

"You going to keep doing this?"

Gina's eyes narrowed. "Doing what?"

"Tattoos, piercings. You have to admit it's a huge change for you."

"Hey, I live in Greenwich Village. This is normal."

Nicole reached for her orange juice. "But not normal for you."

"But it's sexy as fuck, right?" The tip of Gina's pointy stiletto jabbed him in the shin.

He kept his focus on his eggs.

"I just...I want to know what's going on with you. We haven't really talked this whole break."

"We talked." But Dylan couldn't help noticing the way Gina's gaze slid away.

Nicole set her hand on his thigh, gripping him, and he had the feeling she was restraining herself from asking more questions. He doubted Gina would open up around him anyway.

"You know what I mean. And what's going on with you and Brandon?"

Gina's facial muscles flinched, and then her whole body went still. "Your brother's a dick. How is this news?"

"You've never been so mean to him."

"I'm done with entitled assholes." She licked her lips, then gave a seductive smile.

"Did something happen between you guys? Now that you live in the city, do you see him?"

Gina dragged a fork through a pool of syrup on her plate. "I see him sometimes when I go clubbing." Her tongue flicked out to lick the syrup off the tines of her fork. "You should look out for him. He's partying pretty hard."

The waitress came by with a coffee pot. "Missing you two girls now that you've left me for college. You doing all right?"

He didn't know if it was intentional, but Nicole eased slightly closer to him, her light, sweet fragrance filling his sense. "I'm doing great."

"Super, Marta. How's things with you?" Gina's fingers whispered across her collarbone.

"Same old, same old. Just how I like it." She tipped the coffee pot toward Dylan's mug. "Top you up?"

The diner door opened, and Marta glanced over. Her gaze narrowed, her features freezing. A sober Jonathan entered. Nicole stiffened, taking her hand off his leg. "Crap."

Dylan reached for her hand and put it right back, holding it firmly. She owed this guy nothing.

"Looks like you got company," Marta said, before taking off.

As Jonathan neared the table, Gina glared at him. "Who invited you?"

Jittery, intense, he stared at Nicole. "Can I talk to you?"

Nicole gave him a bored expression. "You can say hello to my best friend and my boyfriend."

His jaw clenched, but he gave a cursory nod to both of them. Returning his focus to Nicole, he said, "Please?"

She put her hand on Dylan's shoulder and said quietly, "Excuse me."

But Dylan didn't budge. They'd had a shitty night. He wouldn't let the jerk-off ruin their day.

She softened. "It's okay. I'll be right back."

"You don't have to talk to him."

"And you didn't have to talk to Kelsi, but you did. You always do."

"Not fair."

"It won't take long, I can promise you that." She leaned close. "Unlike you, I don't care what he has to say."

Pissed, he slid out of the booth and let her out. He dropped back down, watching for them out the window. As soon as they stepped outside, the asshole grabbed her upper arm to get her attention. Dylan tensed.

The guy spoke rapid-fire, leaning forward and gesticulating. Nicole stood there calmly, listening. She had to be freezing. Maybe he should bring her coat.

"Is he high?" he asked Gina.

"I don't think so. Jonathan never did drugs. Believe it or not, when he's not drinking, he's a really good guy."

"Team Jonathan?"

"Oh, hell, no. He drove Nikki batshit crazy. I'll never be team Jonathan."

"But you're not Team Dylan."

"Not a chance. You're fucking with my girl."

"Fucking with her? Are you out of your mind? Do you know what I'm risking to be with her?"

"You don't know what she's gone through."

"Yeah, I do."

"How could you?" She eyed him meaningfully, the first time he'd ever seen her without her mask of seduction. "I've been friends with her since she moved back in with her dad. Right now, with all you've got going on, you're the worst thing for her."

Like he didn't already know that. "That's her choice."

"You gonna choose her?"

"I'm sure Nicole has told you-"

"Nicole has told me very little. She says you value your privacy."

He shot a look outside, emotion gripping him. It meant a lot to him that she hadn't shared the details of his life to her best friend. He didn't think he'd ever had anyone he could trust-other than Sawyer.

Jonathan lurched forward, gripping Nicole's arms. She jerked out of his hold, but he made a rough gesture, a sweep of his arm.

His pulse quickened. Why didn't she walk away? "What am I missing here?"

Gina didn't even bother looking. "She's the girl, when he's forty, married with kids, he's going to imagine when he's fucking his wife. She's the one he built a shrine for in his heart."

Shit. Fuck. "What about her? Does she...?"

"Not at all. Believe me, she gave it her all." Her gaze narrowed. "Nicole doesn't trust many people. Other than me and Jonathan, she hasn't really let anyone else in. But when she does? She goes all in."

He got her message, loud and clear. And as much as he needed that-fucking craved it-he knew he didn't deserve it. Because he couldn't go all in with her. Probably ever. One thing he was finally coming to understand, his mom would never get better. She'd never become the healthy, functioning woman he'd always wanted.

"Jonathan's not the threat."

He got Gina's meaning, but at that moment, his girl had had enough. She stepped back from Jonathan, features turning pink. Her hair shook, her breath came out in white puffs. And then, in the middle of ranting, she looked away. And her gaze caught Dylan's.

She stilled. Her arms dropped to her sides. Her shoulders relaxed, and then the sweetest smile spread across her face. A slow hum began in Dylan's chest, spreading out along his limbs until his body vibrated.

Walking towards him, she pressed her fingertips to the glass. He reached up, mimicking her gesture. Happiness danced on his heart.

And then she mouthed, I love you, and the breath left his lungs. The burn raced across his chest, up his neck, and curled around his ears. The soles of his feet tingled.

Her grin broadened, and then she was gone. Breezing past Jonathan, she swung into the diner, raced to the table and threw herself on top of him. He caught her in the tight space of the booth, her hair spilling all over him. He pushed it aside so he could find that hot, sweet mouth, and then he pulled her tighter to him, his hands sliding under her sweater to find the skin of her back.

"Gross," Gina said. "I'm going to the bathroom. When I'm done, you'd better be finished with this obscene display of public affection." She slid out of the booth.

Once she was gone, Dylan pulled back, nuzzled her neck-heart thundering, body trembling. "Say it again."

Her smile splashed light and heat all over him. "I love you."

He couldn't look into her eyes and hear those words. It was like looking into the sun. So, he burrowed into her neck, hips rolling into hers, pressing, and then holding her in place.

Her arms wrapped around him, and she turned his head to press her mouth to his ear. "I love you so much."

An hour later, Gina brushed past him, wearing nothing but a bra and thong. "Kelsi again?"

He stood outside the boutique's dressing room, setting his phone on silent. If Gina had noticed, then he'd obviously gotten sucked into the Kelsi tornado. Just like with his mom, when Kelsi got going, she wouldn't stop. She was on a tear about him coming back home.

He'd already said no and explained himself-two dozen times. So, enough. If Gina hadn't snapped him out of it, he might've gone back and forth with Kelsi all day.

Because he wasn't only trying to convince Kelsi he was doing the right thing. He needed to convince himself.

"Excuse me?" Gina called, her centerfold figure on display for anyone in the lingerie store. The saleswoman looked up from the counter. "Do you have this in a triple D?"

The woman smiled, held up a finger.

Why is she broadcasting her cup size?

"You're gonna rip her heart into pieces, aren't you?" Gina stood there, hands on hips, bounteous breasts quivering in the filmy bra. He couldn't understand why she'd show herself off to her best friend's boyfriend like this.

"I don't want to hurt her."

"It's not looking good." She flicked the curtain open and stepped into her dressing room. When she saw him still standing there, she said, "Go help her choose a bra."

Dylan didn't like her bossy attitude. And he definitely didn't appreciate her interfering when she didn't know or understand the situation.

Kelsi was threatening to take his mom out of rehab. If she did...fuck. What the hell was he supposed to do? She just won't listen.

Gina arched a brow at him, waiting.

He leaned against the dressing room door.

"Dylan?" Nicole called in that sexy voice that made his blood heat.

"On my way." He smiled at Gina, letting her know exactly what motivated him.

He swept aside the curtain, stepping in to find dozens of bras jammed on the racks. The three-way mirror revealed his girl's backside in a yellow number that made his eyes hurt.

"Too bright?"

He nodded, couldn't speak because she looked so pretty in her neon yellow boy shorts and bra. Her breasts jiggled and mounded out of the cups. He took a step closer, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. "You might need a size larger."

She looked up at him. "Want to unhook me?"

"Every time."

He watched her in the mirror, as he caressed her shoulders, smoothing down her arms, and he loved the spray of chill bumps his touch elicited. Pushing her hair aside, he pressed kisses at the curve of her neck. "You smell good." Once he'd unhooked the bra, he flicked the strap off each shoulder, then peeled the bra off, exposing her gorgeous, round breasts.