Because we’re over.

“He’s going to come and live with me in London.” He shrugs. “That’s if I can get him out of the country.”

I stare at him, my mind a clusterfuck of confusion.

“He doesn’t have a passport or a birth certificate. I’ve got my friend Sebastian Garcia helping me. You know, the one you met?”

I stare at him, so thrown by what he’s telling me I can’t even make a coherent sentence. “No?”

“He was on the yacht in Greece with Julian Masters.”

Oh . . . the good-looking one.

“The one with the dark hair?” I ask as I act dumb.

“That’s him. He’s a politician in London and of Spanish descent. He’s helping me with the red tape.”

“Christopher . . .” I pause as I try to collect my thoughts. “You can’t take him out of Spain. It’s his home.”

“Is it?” he replies with an annoyed tone. “He slept on a stained mattress on the floor, all alone in a deserted house. No plumbing, no electricity. Nothing. He had my postcards pinned to the wall with a photograph of you in the center. We are literally all he has, Hayden, and I can’t leave him here. I won’t.”

I look over to Eddie serving a group of men at the bar, and I’m overcome with emotion. The lump in my throat hurts as I try to swallow.

Poor Eddie.

“Even if it’s just until he’s eighteen or nineteen and old enough to get a rental on his own,” he says softly. “I can get him schooled to read and write so he at least stands a chance.”

I nod as I listen, remaining silent.

There are no words for this situation. I’m completely shell shocked.

Christopher’s eyes hold mine. “What are you thinking?”

I sip my drink and shrug. “Have you really thought about what this means for your future? A child is a lot to take on, Christopher.”

“I know.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “But what am I supposed to do, Grumps?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper.

We sit in silence for a while.

“What does he think about all this?” I ask.

He shrugs. “He seems excited to come with me. I mean . . . what are his other options? Be scared every day that some fucker is going to steal his phone while he sleeps on the floor?”

Fuck.

I can’t imagine being all alone. How frightening it must be for him. Christopher’s silhouette blurs, and I quickly wipe my tears out of my eyes.

Christopher stares straight ahead. He looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders . . . and now I know that he does.

“You’re such a good man, Christopher.”

His eyes hold mine, and the air crackles between us. He slowly reaches over and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “It’s so good to see you, Grumps.”

I’ve never needed to hug someone so badly in my life.

And I can’t.

My heart beats faster, and I’m in information overload. Everything is different, but nothing has changed. Our fucked-up situation is still the same and yet now even messier.

There’s a child.

I stand abruptly. “I should get going.”

“What, where to?” He seems surprised.

“Bed. I’m . . . exhausted.”

“Are you staying here?” He frowns.

“Yes.”

“Me too.” He gives me a soft smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“Okay, bye,” I blurt out in a rush. I need to get away from him right now.

This is all just too fucking much.

I catch Eddie’s eye and blow him a kiss and make my way up to my room. I burst through the door and begin to pace.

What now?

CHRISTOPHER

I lie on the sand in the darkness. The distant thrill of partying sounds in the distance. The beach is quiet and deserted. There are a million things running through my mind.

Seeing her tonight . . .

It’s unnatural not to touch Hayden . . . to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I need her.

I never believed in love. I thought it was a fantasy that only lonely people talked themselves into needing. I didn’t think that it was possible to care for someone as much as I do her. And I know that we can’t be together, and I know that it will never work out between us, but seeing her in the flesh has opened a wound . . . my heart aches for what it can’t have.

Another moment in her arms.

I get a vision of her at the bar earlier tonight, so detached, so unlike the warm and gentle Hayden I know.

Seven weeks have dragged so slowly, and yet seeing her tonight, it’s like she never left.

Everything feels the same, perhaps even stronger.

I’m completely and utterly fucked.

I stare up at the moon. So many nights Hayden and I would lie on this beach and dream about the future. But looking back now, it was her doing all the dreaming while I listened. I already knew my fate . . . I just never let on at the time. If only I was honest with myself and her, then I could have saved us both a lot of heartache.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

If only . . .

HAYDEN

I walk into the cafeteria with a new sense of purpose. A good night’s sleep has worked wonders. I was so rude last night when Christopher told me his plans with Eddie. I wasn’t supportive at all, but in my defense, I was in total shock.

Christopher taking on Eddie is the last thing I would expect, but after thinking on it all night, I’m not surprised. Christopher has the biggest heart of anyone I know.

Of course he would take him on. He adores him. And he’s right: he can’t leave him here all alone.

I catch sight of Christopher sitting at the back table. He’s on the phone, and he gives me a wave.

Right . . .

I drop my shoulders, determined to be a better person, and I make my way over and sit down beside him.

Christopher smiles as he listens to the person on the other end of his phone call. “Right.” He listens. “And there is absolutely no way to expedite this?”

He frowns and then drags his hand down his face. “Fuck . . .”

Is something wrong? “What’s going on?” I mouth.

He rolls his eyes. “Thank you, I appreciate it.” He listens again. “So I’ll just wait to hear from you, then?”

I sit quietly as I listen in.

“Okay, thanks.” He hangs up and lets out a deep sigh.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“There’s good news and bad news.”

“Good first.”

“I can get Eddie out of the country if I sponsor him as an employee rather than as a homeless child.”

“Okay, well, that’s good.” I smile. “What’s the bad news?”

“It’s going to take a couple of weeks to organize the paperwork.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“I have to be back at work. There’s no way around it. I have meeting after meeting booked, and I can’t cancel again, but then I can’t leave him here alone either. If something happens to him, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Oh . . .” I think for a moment. “I could stay here with him.”

Christopher frowns.

“Yeah, why not?” I shrug. “I don’t have to be back for anything. I’ll just stay here with him, and you and he can keep working, and then when the paperwork is ready, you can come back and collect him.”

“You’d do that for me?”