Page 141 of Sunrise & Serenity

Anger floods my veins. “You went through my emails?”

He waves his hand dismissively. “You gave me access when we set up your gallery account. Your email’s still linked to it.”

For one stunned second, I can’t speak. Then my brain starts working again. “I let you have access when we were together. When we had a professional relationship. That doesn’t give you the right to read my private emails.”

“Maybe if you’d answered your phone, I wouldn’t have had to go through them to make sure you were alive.”

“You spoke to my parents. Don’t pretend you didn’t know I was okay.”

He ignores that, his voice sharpening again. “You got into Milan, Sage. You should be proud. I know I am. So why haven’t you accepted the offer yet?”

“You’re proud? You were the one who talked me out of applying before.”

He pulls his shoulders back. “Because you weren’t ready. Now you are. I assumed once you’d had some time to clear your head, you’d come back, and we’d pick up where we left off professionally.”

Funny how I hadn’t been ready when a residency might have helped me build a career beyond him. Now that he’s spent four years attaching his name to mine, Milan is suddenly the right move.

Arms crossed again, I glare at him. “What I do or don’t do is none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t.” His composure slips again. “I put my reputation behind you when nobody knew who you were. Do you know how prestigious this opportunity is? How many photographers would kill for it?”

“I know how much of an opportunity it is.” I barely manage to keep my voice even.

“Then why haven’t you accepted? You know chances like this don’t come twice.” His frustration seems genuine now. “You spent years building a career most photographers would kill for. I don’t understand why you’d walk away now.”

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.

Holden’s watching me with an expression I can’t read. Whatever he sees when he looks at me has him stepping closer. Not touching, just there, protective enough that my pulse stumbles despite everything.

He levels a hard look at my ex. “You need to leave.”

Graham looks between us, his jaw working. “Is this it? I spent years helping build your career, and you’re going to throw it all away so you can photograph cowboys on a horse farm in Colorado?”

The nerve of him nearly knocks me over. “You threw it all away when you decided you knew what was best for me. When you cheated on me. So where I end up now has nothing to do with you.”

Holden steps forward, towering over him. “Leave. Now.”

Graham instinctively jolts back, then stares at me as if he doesn’t recognize me. He probably doesn’t. I’m not sure I recognize myself.

He shakes his head as if he’s disappointed in me. “Don’t do anything stupid. You don’t want to spend the rest of your career regretting your choices.”

My throat is so tight I can’t speak.

Holden does it for me. “Get your ass off my ranch. Now. Don’t make me tell you again.”

“Fine. Remember what I said, Sage.” He gestures around him, but his gaze is on Holden. “This isn’t you.”

With that, he spins on his heel and retreats to his car.

I turn to Holden, but he’s focused on Graham. Thick tension rolls off him.

Shit.

I caught his reaction when Graham mentioned Milan. The surprise. The way he stiffened. Dammit, I should have told him.

Because now I can’t shake the dread that what we have is about to change.

And I don’t know how to stop it.