He smirks. “So you’re telling me you never showed her your little buddy?”

“Don’t be a dumb fuck. Of course I did.” At the bar, on our first date. Super classy of me.

He laughs, the sound sharp and loud in the otherwise quiet apartment. “And she still left? Bloody hell, that’s just depressing.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. He’s like a fucking teenager sometimes. Never been in love. Never experienced anything like I had with Olivia.

“Her leaving had nothing to do with not being satisfied physically.”

His smile fades.

“She left because I deceived her.” I drop my head into my hands. “I should have just told her from the start.”

Sterling claps a hand against my back. “Chin up. Olivia’s a big girl; she should have read that contract. But yeah, you are kind of a cunt for not telling her.”

Something I already knew. Thanks for twisting the knife, buddy.

“If we’re done here, I’m going to go to the gym. I need to clear my head.”

Sterling nods and rises to his feet. “We’re done. Just call me if you need me.”

“Will do.”

Sterling heads out while I grab my gym bag and slip into my running shoes. I need to blow off some steam before I go insane.

Soon I’m at the gym, my feet pounding on the treadmill, sweat dripping down my back. Even if the workout is tough, I’m thankful not to be sitting within the four walls of our penthouse anymore. It’s too quiet and empty. Olivia only packed an overnight bag when she left, and her rows of clothes and sexy high heels still rest next to mine in the master closet.

I crank up the speed on the machine and fight past the oxygen-starved pain in my lungs. My shallow breaths come too fast, but I don’t care. I push harder. Faster.

Looking down at the clock on the machine, I see I’ve been at it for a mere six minutes. Seriously? Six fucking minutes? From the man who could easily run five miles through Central Park on the weekends?

Why does every minute without her in my life feel like an eternity?

Part of me doesn’t want to admit it, but . . . maybe Sterling was on to something. What I’m feeling is heartbreak. Yes, my heart still beats, but it’s broken. I never knew a love like I’ve felt for Olivia. And I’ve also learned that neither the company nor my career is worth losing her. All the money in the world means nothing if I don’t have love in my life. My wife by my side.

And Sterling was one hundred percent right. I’m in love with her.

Slamming the heel of my hand against the red knob, I stop the belt and draw deep, cleansing breaths.

I know I can’t outrun this problem. Being a man means facing it head on. I need to apologize to Olivia. Again. Make her listen this time.

Unfortunately, since she won’t answer my calls, I’ll need to fight dirty.

I shower and change in the men’s locker room, solidifying my plan. Once I set it in motion, it will work quickly.

On the way home from the gym, I type out a text.

Noah: Snowflake, it’s your dad. His health has taken a turn for the worse. Where are you?

It takes only seconds for my phone to buzz in my hand. But rather than an answering text, she’s calling me.

“Oh my God. What happened? Is he okay?” Her voice is panicked, and I hate that I have to do this. But I do. I need to see her. Need to win her back.

“I know you’re pissed at me, but where are you? Let me come get you.”

Olivia chokes on a sob. “I’m at David’s place in the mountains. Hours from New York. Noah, please just tell me, is he okay?”

“He’ll be okay. Text me the address and I’ll plug it into the GPS. I’m on my way.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I should be breathing a deep sigh of relief. Instead, I find jealousy clouding my judgment. “Just one more thing . . . who the fuck is David?”

Rather than answering, she lets out an exasperated huff and hangs up the phone. Well, then.

My phone chimes with the address and I head off, with nothing to do with three hours except stew over who the fuck this guy is that she ran off to for comfort.

After an hour on the road, I can’t take it anymore. I call Camryn.

“Who the hell is David?” I snap once she answers.

“Hello to you too, grouch,” Camryn says with a huff.

“Tell me, Camryn.”

She lets out a long sigh and I hear the TV switch off in the background. “So you got her to crack, huh?”

“I’m on my way to pick her up at some guy’s house. I deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

She barks out a humorless laugh. “Rrrright. Just like Olivia deserved to know you were plotting the entire time to knock her up.”

I guess the cat’s out of the bag. But what did I expect? I went to my best friend for advice; it only makes sense that Olivia did too. I take a deep breath.

“I wasn’t plotting, goddammit. I was torn up over the whole thing. It became obvious that Olivia never read the contract, and I was trying to figure out the right thing to do.”

“In what world is ‘the right thing’ sabotaging a rubber so you get her pregnant?”

“I love Olivia and wanted to make a life with her. A baby would have eventually been in the cards, right?” A little chubby thing with her blue eyes and a gummy smile. The thought makes me grin.

“Except that you never even asked what Olivia wanted. You just assumed. And were going to bully your way into her uterus come hell or high water.”