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“She’s not here.”

“Bullshit. I know she’s staying here with you and Lana. You’re my brother, but I won’t hesitate to push you out of the way if you don’t let me see her.”

Jake steps back to let me pass. “First of all, you need to calm down. Second, believe me when I tell you she isn’t here. She left a few days after the live show aired. The press wouldn’t leave her alone.”

I pace the floor of their living room.

“Where is she?”

“How the fuck should I know? I’m not her keeper,” Jake says.

I hear a noise coming from the stairs behind me. I look up to see Lana padding softly down in her bare feet. “I know where she is, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” she says softly.

I raise my eyebrow at her. “Yet, you’re going to tell me.”

She shrugs, and a little, secret smile slowly spreads across her face. “Maybe, maybe not. You know, she’s been crying her eyes out over this whole debacle. And if that weren’t bad enough, she’s convinced herself that she’s madly in love with you. Poor girl.”

I walk over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “She said that? She said she loves me?”

“Hey, asshole. How about you get your hands off my wife,” Jake calls out. “You might be my brother, but hands off.”

I ignore him and focus on Lana. I have to somehow convince her to help me.

Lana shakes her head. “She didn’t exactly have to say it, Dax. She and I are best friends. I know her better than anyone. She loves you.”

“I have to know where she is. Please,” I plead. “She won’t answer my calls, and I don’t know where else to look for her.”

Lana looks over at her husband.

“Don’t look at me,” Jake says with a grimace. “I don’t know if you should tell him. You wouldn’t even tell me, your own husband.”

She laughs. “I didn’t trust you not to blab.”

I step back from Lana and start pacing in front of her. “I have something really important to tell her. How can I do that if I don’t know where she’s hiding out?”

Lana looks at me with sympathy. “The thing with Anthony, with the show, it’s really taking a toll on her, Dax. She doesn’t deserve any of what’s happened to her. Not only is she a good person, she’s my best friend. I need you to think long and hard about what you want from her. I can’t allow her to be hurt any more than she already has been.” She pauses. “She asked me to give this back to you.”

Lana holds out the engagement ring, and my breath seizes in my throat. I knew it was a temporary engagement, but seeing Lana with the ring makes it all feel so final.

I reach to grab the ring and look Lana directly in the eyes. “I’m not going to hurt her. I need to tell her I love her.”

“That’s a bold statement,” Jake says seriously. “You’re sure about this?”

I nod solemnly. “I am.”

Lana walks over to me and puts her hand on my arm. “I can’t tell you where she is because I made a promise. However, she once helped me out when I didn’t want help, and because of that, I’m married to Jake.” She pauses. “Here’s the thing. You know where to find her. She went to the place where she always goes when she has a lot on her mind.”

It doesn’t take long to figure it out. “The pond. She’s at her parents’ house.”

Lana starts walking to the front door, and my hands fall to my side. “I’m not saying she’s there, but if she is, give her a message from me. Tell her to stop being such a chicken and just go for it.”

She opens the door for me.

That’s all the encouragement I need.

My heart crumbles into a million pieces when she opens the door and I see the misery in her swollen eyes. It’s readily apparent that she’s been crying. Even though I didn’t cause it, I still feel guilty that I couldn’t prevent it.

She tries to shut the door, but I stick my foot in to stop it.