“Interesting,” Drew said, cocking a grin. “Now I want to hear about it. And why she isn’t here.”

Might as well get it out in the open. “I asked her to leave when we were still in Tampa.”

“Why?” Carolina asked. “Did you two have a fight?”

“Sort of. I mean, not really, but sort of.”

Alicia rolled her eyes. “That’s man-speak for you acted like an ass and did something wrong.”

“Hey,” Garrett said, looking at Alicia.

Alicia puckered up her lips and blew a kiss at Garrett. “I wasn’t talking about you. This time.”

“So is it true?” Gray asked. “Did you screw this up?”

“Probably. Yes. Definitely.”

“Then I guess the bigger question is, how are you going to fix it?” Evelyn asked. “Do you want to fix it?”

That was the big question. He already knew the answer. “Yes. I want to fix it. But I hurt her.”

“Guys do that. Because we’re thoughtless ass**les,” Drew said.

Carolina nodded. “This is true.”

Drew laughed. “We think with the wrong head all the time, and we hurt the people we love the most.” He picked up Carolina’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Fortunately, the women we love tend to be the most forgiving.”

Carolina smiled at Drew, then turned to Trevor. “What Drew’s trying to tell you, Trevor, is that whatever you’ve done, ask for forgiveness. That’s the first step. And be honest and open about your feelings.”

Something he’d never done before. He hadn’t been honest about anything. “You’re right. I have a lot to talk to her about. And she has a lot to forgive. I don’t know if she will.”

“If she loves you, she will,” Garrett said. “And if she’s worth it, she’s worth getting down on your knees and begging.”

“Awww, begging?” Alicia asked.

“Yeah.” Garrett looked at him. “Love’s worth it, man. I never thought it was, until I met the right woman. But trust me, it really is worth it.”

Trevor looked at Garrett. At Drew. At Gray. His friends, who not so long ago had sworn to him that being single and carefree was the most important thing in their lives. Now, they sat with the loves of their lives at their sides.

And they were happy.

Could he hope to have that kind of happiness?

He loved Haven. He was almost afraid to hope. He didn’t deserve it, not after what he’d done.

He had a lot of work ahead of him.

Chapter Thirty-Four

HAVEN KNEW SHE WAS TAKING A RISK SITTING INSIDE Trevor’s house in Tampa. But she’d forgotten to leave her key, and she knew he was due home today.

So here she was, with all her books and notes and the research she’d done spread out on his table.

He could try to throw her out, but this time, she was going to put up a fight.

And even if he insisted she leave—which he certainly could, because this was his house—she was going to leave the material for him to look over. It could help him, and that was the only thing she wanted.

No, that wasn’t true. She wanted him, missed him, loved him. But if he rejected her, then she wanted him to be happy.

She heard the garage door open and her chest squeezed tight. He’d know someone was at the house, because her rental car was parked in the driveway.

“Hello?” he said as he opened the door from the garage.

She stood. “It’s me, Trevor.”

He came in and laid his practice bag down. “Haven.”

She was practically shaking, her nerves getting the best of her as she made her way toward him. “I still have a key.” She held it out for him.

He ignored her outstretched hand. “What are you doing here?”

“I’d like to talk to you.”

He cocked his head to the side. “I wanted to talk to you, too. I actually sent you a text message today asking where you were.”

“You did?” She’d been busy all day making notes and writing out plans and hadn’t checked her phone.

“Yeah. I was going to ask if you’d come out here and meet me.”

Encouraged, she curved her lips into a half smile. “Well, it’s fortunate that I’m here.”

“You didn’t tell me why you came.”

“Oh, that.” She scratched the side of her nose, nervous now that the ball was in her court. “I brought some things with me. I don’t want you to get mad.”