Reaching into my purse, I pulled out the phone and opened up the texts.

Friday

Knox: Always.

Knox: I’m at work until Sunday afternoon. But if you need me, I’m here.

Yesterday

Knox: I’ve never hated a weekend more. Keep yourself safe.

Today

Knox: Low . . . I’m pretty sure that week you “bought” is up. I won’t ask details, but I need to know that you’re okay.

Looking at the time on the phone, I thought about how long I would have after this appointment before I needed to get to the grocery store and get home to cook dinner. As long as I was pregnant, Collin wouldn’t touch me, and Knox needed to know that I would be safe so he wasn’t constantly worrying about me. But this wasn’t something I could tell him through a text or over the phone. I’d already ruined him once with a phone call; I wasn’t about to do it again.

Tapping out a message to him, I sent it and went back to shaking and trying to be invisible to the other women in the waiting room.

Harlow: I’m fine. But I need to talk to you, it’s important. Can you meet me today?

Less than a minute later, the secret phone was vibrating in my hand, but it wasn’t a message like I’d been expecting. I tapped the screen and brought the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

Fall 2010—Walla Walla

“ONE OF THESE days my roommate is going to come back when you’re in here and I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

Collin laughed huskily and made a slow trail up my stomach with his lips. “Because I’m in your bed? Doubtful.”

I pushed at his chest when he moved over me, but pulled him back to kiss me. “Because you’re naked in my bed,” I corrected against his mouth. “There’s a difference.”

“Maybe she’ll enjoy the view,” he offered.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

“Kidding, Harlow.” With another lingering kiss, he pushed away from me and jumped off my bed. “As much as I want to stay in bed with you all afternoon, I need to go take a test.”

I grumbled, but followed him off the bed and started grabbing my clothes when he did.

Collin grabbed me from behind when I bent over to put my underwear back on, and pressed me against his chest. “Well, if you keep teasing me, maybe I’ll just take the F.”

I laughed and elbowed him gently in the stomach. “I’m just getting dressed. And you’re too smart to fail a test! Get dressed so you can go.” I laughed again when he nipped at my neck, but my laughter ended with a gasp when Collin’s hand appeared in front of me. A deep red box with gold designs sat in the palm of his hand.

“Collin,” I breathed, and shook my head.

“Aren’t you going to open it?” he said laughing.

I was still shaking my head as I reached for the box; my unsteady hands fumbled to open it. I sucked in another quick gasp when I looked at the necklace inside. “Collin, no. I can’t.”

The necklace matched the bracelet currently hanging from my wrist. A thin chain led to a large, circle pendant with six diamonds lining the white gold. I’d looked up my bracelet on the Cartier website . . . it was more than two thousand dollars. This necklace had to be at least twice as much.

“I can’t accept this.”

“Yes, you can. Happy birthday.”

“Collin, no.” I turned my head to catch his eyes, and tried to figure out how to tell him that these gifts he gave me were beyond outrageous. They were the kinds of gifts wealthy couples gave each other for wedding anniversaries—not college students as just because gifts. Again, what ever happened to flowers? Or just buying me a coffee? “Thank you . . . thank you so much for everything you have given me, but I can’t keep accepting these things. You’re spending so much money on me, and we’ve only been dating a few months.”

Collin nodded, and a slow smirk covered his face as he moved my hand away from where it was hovering over the necklace. I turned to look at what he was doing when his eyes focused on the action, and watched as he flipped over the necklace.

LOVE was engraved along the bottom, just as it was on my bracelet. On top, the engraving was something I knew didn’t come standard with this necklace: C&H.

All the air in my lungs left in a rush as I understood what he was implying this time with this piece of the Cartier Love collection. Could I be in love with Collin?

“As always, Harlow, a simple ‘thank you’ would’ve been fine,” he teased.

“Thank you,” I said.

My skin tingled where his hands trailed over my neck as he placed the necklace on me, and a burst of fluttering wings took residence in my stomach when his lips brushed across my shoulder.

I might not be in love with Collin Doherty, but I was falling . . . fast.

Even though his gifts were too much, he was always quick to give them to me, as if I deserved them and more. Even though we hadn’t been together long, he treated me like I was his everything—so much so that I’d never worried that one day I wouldn’t be. On the night I’d offered him me, he hadn’t stopped us . . . he hadn’t turned me down. He’d taken me, worshipped me, and made me feel like I was something precious.

I looked up to watch him walk over to gather his clothes, and couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my face. Definitely falling, I thought to myself, and went to grab my phone when it began ringing.

Without looking to see who was calling, I answered, “Hello?”

“Happy birthday, Low. I waited for you.”

The instant his voice filtered through the phone, my body stilled and warmed at the same time. My breath came out in a soft, audible huff and my eyes shut as hundreds of welcome memories flooded my mind.

I didn’t have to look at the screen to know it was Knox who was calling. I would know that voice anywhere, and I should have been expecting his call. Not just his call. This call. We’d been preparing for and talking about this call for two and a half years now.

My lips and fingers trembled, and I almost dropped the phone as I tried to make my throat work.

“I waited for you” played over and over again like a broken record. A broken record with the most beautiful music still coming from it.

Turning my head just enough to look over my shoulder, I eyed the guy shrugging into his shirt, and my chest ached when I faced forward again. Three months ago I would’ve been certain this phone call would go completely differently, but then I’d met Collin . . .