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“I apologized! I don’t know what else to say, Ally. I didn’t intend to stay out all night.”

“For starters, where in the hell have you been?”

“With Alexander,” I said with an air of nonchalance.

The hands that had been planted firmly on her hips fell to her sides. Her jaw dropped open, and she began mouthing words that wouldn’t come out. For once, I’d made her speechless, and her disbelieving stare made me laugh.

“Oh, no—don’t laugh,” she said, shaking her head. “We never finished our talk from the other night. I mean, I don’t want to keep being all mother hen-like, but I don’t think Alexander Stone is the kind of guy you want to tango with.”

“It’s fine, Ally. I can handle him,” I told her confidently. “Just let me go change into comfy clothes, then I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

“Now that I know you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere, a few details would be nice.”

I ignored her sarcastic comment and retreated to my bedroom to get more comfortable. Wally’s clothes two days in a row sucked, even if Alexander did have them laundered. I quickly changed into sweats and came back out into the kitchen. Allyson had made coffee and pulled out cinnamon rolls for us to eat.

“Oh, no. I’ll take the coffee, but I can’t eat that. I’m still full from this morning,” I told her. She eyed me suspiciously, forcing me to explain further. “Alexander made breakfast.”

“Oh?” she asked, cocking up one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “So, he cooks?”

“No, not really. Just breakfast. But hang on—let me backtrack to the beginning.”

I poured myself a cup of coffee and went on to tell her the interesting tale of Alexander Stone. It was a complicated story to tell, as I had to leave out a certain amount of sensitive information. When I was finished, Allyson had a look about her that said she wasn’t satisfied with what I had to say.

“That’s it?” she said. It was like she could see right through me, reminding me of her canny ability to read between the lines. I tried to be more convincing.

“There’s really not much more to it.”

Liar!

My pestering angel was back, and she was frowning her disapproval.

“What about the whole Dominant thing?” Allyson asked.

“Oh, that!” I feigned innocence. “He only meant he had a dominant sort of personality.”

She looked at me with troubled eyes, forcing me to look away. I began stirring my coffee needlessly with a spoon.

“Are you sure it’s smart to get into a relationship with someone like that?” she asked quietly after a few moments.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I assure you it’s fine. I like him.” I paused, suddenly realizing exactly how much I liked being with Alexander. Uneasiness sprang to my chest, and I looked warily at Allyson. “I like him a lot, actually. But I won’t let myself get in too deep. Besides, he knows where I stand on this. I flat out told him he could not control my life, and I wanted to keep things with us casual. I’m proud of who I am now, and I won’t jeopardize that. You don’t have to worry.”

“I can’t help it. I watched you go through hell and back, Krys. I mean, the flashbacks I had this morning when I saw you never came home…” she trailed off for a minute, eyes looking far away. “It was insane. I kept picturing you in that damn hospital bed with your ribs all taped up. I don’t want to see a repeat of that. Ever.”

Torment over the terrible memories made her voice crack and almost brought me to tears. It pulled at my heart and brought forth my own painful recollections. However, I couldn’t allow myself to get lost in the past.

Not anymore.

“Do you remember our last talk? You said to let go and have a little fun, remember?” I reminded her. “Well, I realized it was time to take your advice. I can’t dwell on the past or worry about what may or may not happen in the future. In fact, when I see myself in the future, do you know what I see? My mother. I love her, but I don’t want to be her. My scars have made me bitter for far too long. I need to focus on the present, live for today, and take it as it comes.”

Her face noticeably softened at my words. And while I may have only given her a half-truth about Alexander, I meant every word about putting the past behind me.

“That’s probably the best thing I’ve heard you say in a long time,” Allyson said. Her eyes shone with tears as she stood up to hug me. “I guess if you’re happy, then I’m happy. It’s good you’re ready to move on. I don’t mean to sound like I’m trying to stop you. I just worry, you know? Promise me you’ll be careful.”

I blinked back my own threatening tears. However, they weren’t from sadness but joy. I was so glad to have her as my friend, knowing I could count on her no matter what.

“I promise,” I said, hugging her in return. Pulling away before things got too out-of-control mushy, I asked her the question that had been on my mind since I got home. “So, how come you’re not working today?”

“Photoshoot in Paris came up unexpectedly,” she said, sitting back down. “Today is considered a travel day, so I don’t have to go into the office. My flight leaves at five o’clock this evening.”