Chapter 57
DANNY
My heart is racing.My head is throbbing. I can’t fucking breathe. Why am I like this?
Oh, right. Because I’m a fucking idiot.
I stare at my phone, at Eden’s name in my contacts list, and wonder for the millionth time whether or not I should call her.
I think back to four days ago when Cruz showed up at my door to check on me. He helped me get my shit together—and he gave me an update on Eden. He said she wasn’t ready for me to reach out, that she was still pissed at how I walked out on her, how I broke things off between us.
God, do I regret that. I regret ever turning my back on her. I regret telling her that I needed to figure things out on my own. Now I know, clear as day that I made a mistake. I love Eden, and I want to be with her.
A surge of adrenaline takes hold within in me. It shoves aside the guilt and doubt plaguing me. It commands my thumb to tap her name on my phone screen.
My heart thuds even harder and faster as I wait for the sound of the ring.
But it’s silence. And then straight to her voice mail. Which is full.
Fucking hell.
I stare down at my phone, dumbfounded. And then I let out a laugh that’s somehow sounds sad and crazed all at once.
Because of course this would happen. Of course after wrestling with this decision, after going back and forth these past four days, trying to decide if I should call Eden, the decision has been made for me. I can’t get ahold of her.
I toss my phone on the couch and pace my living room, my brain a blur of thoughts. A minute later my phone rings. I lunge at my couch and answer it, hoping it’s Eden. But it’s not. It’s Cruz.
“Hey, man,” I mutter. “Now’s not a great time. “
“You’re gonna want to hear what I have to say. Look, I’ve been wrestling with this all damn day. It’s not my place to meddle, even though that’s kind of what I’ve been doing my whole life. Even though she’d probably hate that I’m doing this.”
“Cruz, what are you talking about?” I’m thrown at his tone.
“I’m talking about Eden.”
Just the mention of her name has my heart skidding to my throat. “What about Eden? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Look, I know that the last time I saw you, I told you to back off and give her space, that she was still hurt and needed time to process things between you two, but…”
“But?” I nearly shout.
He huffs out a breath. “But that was terrible advice. She’s clearly in love with you, man. She said as much to me when we talked last night, and now she’s leaving. She’s moving to Portugal, Danny. Tonight.”
“What?” I choke out. My brain is struggle to process everything Cruz is saying. Eden loves me? And she’s moving? To Portugal? “Cruz, what is going on?”
He quickly explains how Eden and Ava are now business partners and Eden is moving to Portugal to expand Dream Guy internationally.
Pride cuts through the swell of panic inside me. She’s making her dream come true.
A heavy sigh sounds from Cruz’s end of the line. “I’m sorry, man. And look, I don’t even know if I’m doing the right thing right now. Maybe I should stay out of it, but I can’t. Not when I was the one who told you to back off, not when Eden is moving overseas and I can tell just how much she’s hiding her sadness at being away from you. I have to say something. Even when it’s the worst timing in the world.”
“It’s okay, Cruz. I get it.”
There’s a short silence on the phone that sends my anxiety through the roof. As much as I want to reassure Cruz, I can’t waste any more time.
I slide on my sneakers and grab my car keys from the coffee table. “What is her flight info? When exactly is she leaving?”
He tells me.
“I’ll text it to you too,” he says.
“Thanks, man.”
“It’s the least I could do. I’m sorry I screwed so much up for you two when I should have just stood back and let you live your lives.”
I sprint to my car. “It’s okay, Cruz. Really.”
“Go get her.”
I smile despite my out-of-control heart rate and the anxiety knots in my stomach. “I will.”