pale in comparison, and maybe then she’d forget about the blue-eyed boy in front of her. But Blake would always be her first love, and for that, she could never hate him, no matter how much she wanted to.
“I’m sorry.” Blake’s stony expression cracked. His eyes shone with regret, sadness, and something Farrah couldn’t identify. “For everything.”
“I know.”
They stared at each other for the last time. The air between them was heavy with broken promises and unspoken words, but their time had run out. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and not all loose ends get tied up in real life. The only things they could take with them were the memories.
“Do they actually work for you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your cheesy pickup lines. Do they actually work for you?”
“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about your dad.”
“I think you drive me crazier than any person ought to. And I think I might die if I can’t be with you.”
“You will never lose me. I will always love you. Always.”
Farrah smiled a sad smile. It had been good while it lasted. “Goodbye.”
She closed the cab door and settled into her seat. She kept her eyes forward as the driver pulled out of the courtyard.
They didn’t make it to the main street before the skies opened up and droplets of water splattered against the windows like crystal tears.
Farrah leaned her head against the glass. She could just make out the buildings that defined Shanghai’s skyline through the rain: the Pearl Tower, the Jinmao Tower, the World Financial Tower.
It had been a morning of heart-wrenching farewells, but now she had to say the hardest goodbyes of all: to Shanghai and to the person she was here, in this place and time, knowing she’ll never be this way again.
Goodbye, Shanghai. Until we meet again.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The cab peeled out of the courtyard, taking with it the tattered remains of Blake’s heart.
His jaw clenched so tight he thought his teeth would crack. It took all his willpower not to fall to his knees in front of Farrah and beg her forgiveness. The hug was bad enough—he shouldn’t have done it, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t let her leave Shanghai without…something.
Blake wished he could take back everything that happened since winter break. He wished he could give Farrah promises of future visits and emails and phone calls, of more tangible ways to stay connected beyond shared memories and regrets. He couldn’t, so he gave her the only thing in his power to give: apologies and a last embrace.
Blake ducked his head, plugged in his earphones, and resumed his walk to the gym. The farther he walked from the dorm, the easier it was to tuck the past year’s memories in a safe drawer near his heart. He didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on the past. He had a family and an ex (?)-girlfriend he needed to face in less than 48 hours. He had a baby on the way and a lot of shit he needed to figure out. But the memories would always be there for him to draw upon when he needed them.
The last image—that of Farrah’s face right before she left—slipped inside, and Blake closed the drawer with a firm push.
It broke his heart, but he couldn’t deny it any longer.
This chapter of their lives was over.
Blake and Farrah’s story continues in If the Sun Never Sets (coming July 2020), when fate reunites them five years later. Available for preorder now. Groveling and HEA guaranteed!
BONUS: Read the Macau bar scene from (a very jealous) Blake’s POV. Click here to download or type/copy and paste this link into your browser. By claiming a copy of this bonus scene, you’re subscribing to my newsletter. However, you can unsubscribe any time. https://dl.bookfunnel.com/rdyq6curgn
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Five years ago, he broke her heart. Now, he’ll do anything to win her back.
FARRAH
When Farrah walked into her lunch meeting, she didn’t expect to see him.
Blake Ryan.
Her first love.
Her first heartbreak.
And now, her first client as a freelance interior designer.
It’s been five years, but she’ll never forget the way he shattered her.
He whispers pretty words, but she’ll never believe him.
Her body craves his, but she’ll never give him her heart.
Not again.
Not ever.
BLAKE
Money. Looks. A booming sports bar empire.
On the surface, Blake has it all.
But inside, he's haunted—both by nightmares of a