"I didn't know you were back in town already," Nadia says to Orlando, batting her eyelashes. "You told me you'd call me when you returned.""Ah, yes. I'm sorry," Orlando says, withdrawing his hand from mine. "Forgive me, Nadia, but things have been a little chaotic these past few weeks. It slipped my mind.""I can see that." Another quick flick of her eyes in my direction. "Well, don't hesitate to reach out. You know how much I enjoy our time together." She reaches over and caresses his cheek. "Enjoy your meal. I imagine you have quite the appetite." Flipping her bouncy golden hair over her shoulder, she struts back across the restaurant without waiting for a response.I can't help myself - I watch her walk away, my eyes following her all the way to her table on the far side of the room. She's sitting with two other women who are just as willowy and beautiful - probably some of her model friends."I'm sorry you had to witness that," Orlando says behind me.I twist back around."I

"Go to the women's restroom," Orlando says. "I'll follow in a moment."Obediently, I rise from my chair. My heart is thumping in my ears, drowning out the murmur of voices around me. Everything is fuzzy, as if I'm listening underwater.I don't let myself glance toward Nadia's table. Or lock eyes with anyone I pass. I only focus on the urgent pulse between my legs, of the need that has taken over every part of me.I wonder if he fucks his other distractions in restaurant bathrooms. It's the only thought of that kind that I allow, and I suppress it again quickly. I've already decided to do this, and I won't turn back now.When I reach the women's bathroom, though, I realize there might be a hitch in our plans. All three stalls are occupied, and there are two other women waiting for their turn. Disappointed, I turn and leave.Orlando shows up only a moment later."There are too many people in there," I whisper to him.He pokes his head into the men's restroom, but apparently the si

I stride over to the bathroom door and unlock it, then hurry out into the restaurant. My dress is still partway unzipped, but I can't bring myself to care. I want to get out of here, to find a place to be alone and figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now.He doesn't love me. That knowledge burns deeper into my heart with every step I take. I love him, but he doesn't love me. Even though I told myself a hundred times this was coming, even though I warned myself from the beginning that my crush would never be returned, not in the way I wanted, it feels like someone has torn my heart out.Something tugs at my foot, nearly tripping me, and when I look down I see that my thong is caught around my ankle, tangled partway around the heel of my shoe. And that one of the bands of elastic has caught on the edge of a table leg."Maggie!"Orlando's voice carries across the restaurant, causing a number of people to look up from their meals.I'm too emotional to listen to him right now.

Half an hour later, I find myself walking into Rafe and Edie's house, my head throbbing with tears I refuse to cry. Rafe takes the baby, and Edie gestures for me to follow her.What am I doing? I ask myself as Edie leads me upstairs to one of the guest rooms. I don't even know these people. I never should have accepted their offer of hospitality. They were just trying to be polite.But that's not the only regret bouncing around in my head. I just walked away from Orlando Fontaine. Girls like me don't usually get the chance to be with guys like him, under any circumstances. I should have been grateful he even looked at me twice. I should have reveled in the time we had together, for however long it took for him to get tired of me. He's mind-numbingly hot, astonishingly talented, and he knows how to do things in bed that I'd never even imagined before. So what if he doesn't love me? Half a relationship with Orlando might still have been better than no relationship at all.Edie shows m

Okay, so coming to the hospital might be mistake number 2,152 I've made since Orlando walked into my life. I thought I was ready for this. I thought I was strong enough to handle whatever I learned today. But I wasn't prepared for the sudden rush of emotion I feel when we walk through the automatic sliding doors into the hospital lobby. I've spent a lot of time in hospitals these past few years. I should have known better.As Rafe and Edie sign us in, my gaze wanders over the people in the waiting room. In one corner, a woman knits while two small children play with a plastic puzzle at her feet. Several chairs away, an elderly couple sits hand-in-hand, the man looking on the verge of tears. Against the far wall, another man sits with his cap pulled down over his eyes and his shirt collar popped up. He looks like he wants to sink right into the wall.All these people are here waiting for a loved one, waiting for news. I know exactly how they feel. Guilt swells in my belly when I think