"Sometimes first love doesn't last, but real love will always persevere." Maia Braden was right. He said I was done and I am. Maybe I’ve been done for a while now, but that doesn’t make him walking out on me, and especially Harper, any easier. A month of running away from his life and he finally returns to town, yet I’m the one picking up all the broken pieces he left behind. Now I’m living life as a single mom and trying to figure out—for the first time ever—who I am and what I really want from my life, all while healing from the heartbreak of my first love falling apart. This isn’t how I saw my life going. But I think I’m okay with that. I’m ready to move on, find myself, and maybe even consider falling in love again. Nick My best friend ghosted me. Broke up with Maia, walked out on his daughter, and left town. Even if he is back now, he’s not exactly making an effort to fix what he broke. And for me, he’s become a reminder of a dark piece of my past, my own father abandoning me. How the hell do I reconcile the guy who used to be my best friend with the person he’s become? I don’t know. But there is one silver lining. In Braden’s absence, I’ve been spending more time with Leigh. She’s still the ultimate pipe dream, but lately I think I might be weakening the walls she uses to guard herself. Call me crazy, but I’m starting to believe I might just have a shot with Leigh Romero.