Moments. Every life is made of thousands of them, each one strung together with the next. Some are yellow and happy, some are blue and sad, and some… Some wipe out color altogether. “I love you,” is what I should have told Maverick. “I’m sorry.” “I’m still fighting.” Instead I just watched him leave. Now my husband, my everything is battling for each breath, and all I can do is stare at the machines as the clock ticks off precious minutes. The doctors said the first twenty-four hours are critical—but every moment is critical. You never know which will be your last. This is our story, and I’m not ready for it to end.

Love. They say it’s blind. That you don’t choose who you fall in love with. They say it creeps up on you when you least expect it. They say it doesn’t let go. I wish it were that easy. I’ve been in love before, and it happened the way they said it would. For a while, it was easy and full of bliss. Until he uttered those damn three words, and all hell broke loose. I don’t blame him for leaving. Love is a beast, waiting to devour you at the first sign of weakness. That’s what they don’t say. It’s been four years, and a lot has changed. I never expected to see Jake again, but here I am, staring into those gorgeous eyes like they still belong to me. See, I’m Finley May Norwood, the girl who pushes love away when it becomes too much. Now, Jake’s engaged to someone else, and I’m too late. If only my heart could accept that. It simply doesn’t. Love. Be damned.