More of Us ( A Love You More Rock Star Romance #3) - Laura Pavlov Page 0,3

I think we should set some boundaries. We can text once a week for now.

Cruz ~ For now? Until what??

Me ~ Until you meet someone, or we both just move on.

Cruz ~ I’m not going to meet someone, Jade. What are you on a dating quest in Honduras? I don’t want to move on. Are you sure that’s what you want?

My chest squeezed. This is what I didn’t want. He had a way of pulling me back in.

Me ~ Honestly? Yes. I desperately want to move on. But I didn’t come here to date. I don’t have to be dating someone to move on with my life.

Cruz ~ I’m going to change, Jade. No more booze and no more drugs. I’ll prove it to you.

My eyes welled, and it angered me that I wanted to believe him. But I couldn’t invest in this relationship anymore. It had all but sucked the life from me.

Me ~ I hope you do. But do it for you, not for me.

Cruz ~ I’ll do it for us.

Me ~ I have to go.

Cruz ~ I’ll text you in a week. I love you.

I sucked in a breath. He was making it tough to pull away.

Me ~ I love you. Goodbye, Cruz.

I turned my phone off and dropped it in my backpack. I swiped at the single tear running down my cheek before Jessica noticed. My chest ached. Everything hurt. It was like ripping off the bandage every time I talked to him. I missed him.

I loved him.

Focus, Jade.

You can do this.

Getting over Cruz Winslow was not going to be easy. But I’d traveled over eighteen hundred miles away to make it happen.

And I was no quitter.

Chapter Two

Cruz

“Good. You waited the week to reach out to her again. That’s a sign of maturity. You’re putting her needs before your own,” she said.

I stood at the window in Dr. Roberts’ office, a.k.a. Dr. Evil, contemplating her words. I dropped down on the brown leather couch facing her. “Yeah. And it fucking sucks. She’s pulling away from me and I don’t know how to stop it.”

“It’s not up to you to stop it. Jade needs to make her own decisions. And right now, she’s asking you to respect her wishes. She went to Honduras to take part in something bigger than herself. Bigger than the two of you. Let her go and spread her wings, Cruz.”

“And if she doesn’t come back?”

“Then she doesn’t come back. It’s something you’ll have to live with,” she said.

I pushed to my feet again. Aggravation coursing through my veins. I swear Dr. Evil liked to fuck with me on purpose. She got some sort of sick sense of accomplishment out of torturing me. I stared out the window at the lush grass area below. The trees were moving in the breeze and purple and pink blooms lined the walkway leading to the facility.

“That’s shitty advice. It’s something I have to live with. Way to throw in the towel, doc.”

She chuckled. “I’m not suggesting you throw in the towel. If you love her, you’ll give her this time. I know it’s painful, but you have to remember why you’re in this situation and accept the consequences that have followed your actions. She was left for hours on that hotel floor. I’m sure she’s questioning a lot of things. It could have ended very differently. The situation has forced her to look at her own mortality. Question her decisions and choices.” She leaned back in her chair and her glasses rested on top of her head as she studied me.

“Her decision to be with me?” I said, knowing exactly what she meant.

“Yes. Do you think that’s unfair?”

“No. I just wish I could change what happened.” I let out a long breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.

“You can’t change the past, but you can change what you do moving forward. And that’s what you’re doing now. But