Chapter 2

Keira stood at the window of her apartment. Molly hadn't been lying when she'd said it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the sky was a bright, cloudless blue. Keira had a bird's-eye view of her neighbor's rooftop garden. It was early June and the garden was bursting with color; orange and yellow marigolds, purple pansies, pink and red impatiens. A large bleeding heart with pink flowers was in the center of it all.

She didn't know exactly why she had never told Molly. She'd just assumed that there was no point.

She turned away from the window and headed into her small kitchen. She started a pot of coffee and stuck two pieces of bread into the toaster oven, even though she wasn't really in the mood to eat. She had butterflies in her stomach.

Keira was a successful author. She'd earned her Master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University and her first book had been published when she was 22 years old. Eleven years and eight novels later, she still loved the freedom of being able to work from home, and she enjoyed being her own boss. The only downside at the moment was that she was running behind schedule on her latest novel, and it was due for publication in nine days. This was unlike her; usually she was right on time. Keira sighed. What the hell was she thinking, agreeing to go with Molly tonight?

She grabbed her favorite Disney World mug out of the cabinet and poured the hot coffee into it, adding a splash of cream and a hefty teaspoon of sugar. She took a big gulp, savoring the way the first sip burned the back of her throat. She knew she had to try and get some writing done in the next couple of hours.

Suddenly the door to her apartment opened and her boyfriend of 2 years, Rob Manning, walked in. He was carrying two cardboard cups from Starbucks. Seeing her standing in the kitchen, he grinned. "Hey, babe. I missed you last night so I thought I'd stop by and bring you some coffee. Figured you could use some energy for writing."

Keira smiled gratefully and set her mug in the kitchen sink. The homemade stuff just didn't compare to Starbucks. She crossed the room to where Rob stood, and reached for one of the cups. He handed it to her and leaned in for a kiss.

At 30 years old, Rob was three years her junior. They lived in the same apartment complex. He was tall and handsome with sandy brown hair and brown eyes and an athletic build. They'd met while working out in the building's gym, and he'd invited her out for dinner. Keira hadn't been looking for a relationship, but he was funny and good looking and persistent. She caved, and that one dinner had led to another, and the next thing she knew they were spending every free moment together. The subject of living together had recently come up, but for some reason she wasn't ready to take that step just yet.

Rob sniffed the air and said, "Is something burning?"

Keira gasped and hurried back into the kitchen. Her toast was charred and smoking. She flipped open the toaster oven and waved her hand to dispel some of the smoke. Rob leaned against the counter and chuckled, taking a sip of his black coffee. Keira laughed too, feeling some of her tension ease. "I wasn't hungry anyway." she said.

"So what's up for tonight?" Rob asked, his brown eyes searching her face. She immediately felt tense again. She knew that he was worried about their relationship lately, ever since she had hesitated about moving in together. She was getting a little tired of having to reassure him that things were fine.

"Actually..." she started, briefly wondering if she should tell him the truth. "Molly twisted my arm this morning and we're going to a Bon Jovi concert." She decided to omit the part about going backstage.

Rob didn't look very happy. "Oh, " he said. He took another big sip of his coffee and pushed himself away from the counter. "Alright, well -- I better head out so you can get some writing done before then. Why don't you give me a call tomorrow?" He stepped past her and threw his coffee cup into the trash, then left the apartment. As the door shut behind him, Keira groaned and let her shoulders drop, feeling like they were holding the weight of the world. She hated letting him down, but she was being pulled in too many directions right now.

She took the now-cool pieces of burnt toast from the oven and threw them into the trash, then headed for her computer. She did have to get some writing done.