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“Okay,” he says, releasing my hand and standing up. “I’m going to hop in the shower. Be right back.”

I nod and watch him walk out of the room before turning back to the windows. A little girl runs along the water, giggling as her father chases after her and tears sting my eyes as I smile. Daddy hated to go to the beach. He said it was too crowded, too sandy, and stressed him out more than ten emergencies at work but every once in a while Mom was able to convince him to go with us and we’d spend hours building a sand castle or burying him up to his neck. After Mom passed away, getting him to the beach was even more difficult since it held so many happy memories with her but that didn’t mean he missed out on special time with me. Instead, he had an amazing pool built in our backyard. It had gorgeous natural rock waterfalls, a hidden slide, and a huge spa. We spent so many weekends out there even as I grew into a teenager and I always thought of Daddy as my best friend. I could tell him absolutely anything and he never lectured me. He’d just listen and offer me helpful advice that I usually took.

A soft sob slips past my lips and I bury my face in my knees as the tears fall hard and fast. I can’t believe how much I miss him and knowing that I’ll never see him again, never hear his warm, booming laugh feels like a hot poker in my chest. There is still so much I need my father for in my life and I can’t fathom how I’m supposed to move on without him. Without my parents, I’m truly alone. My mind drifts back to Mercedes and I look up, wiping the tears from my face as I stare out at the water. I wish I could talk to her. She’s one of those people that has always been there for me but I have no clue what our relationship is like right now. Are we still friends? Did we lose touch after I moved to Miami?

“Food’s on the way up,” Gavin says behind me. My body jerks in surprise and I let out a little yelp before peeking over my shoulder at him. He arches a brow. “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah, just scared me a little.”

“Sorry.”

I nod again, watching him as he walks into the living room in a pair of mesh shorts and a gray t-shirt. His wet hair falls in his face and it gives him this whole “bad boy” vibe that teenage me would have eaten up with a damn spoon. But that was before I found myself a boyfriend who rode a motorcycle and did drugs. One month with him was enough to scare me straight.

“Do you want to eat in the living room or at the island?” he asks, pointing to the gorgeous white marble island with a waterfall edge and three chairs in front of it. I shrug. It really makes no difference to me where we eat dinner… unless that’s usually something I get uptight about but I can’t see that. Then again, there are a lot of things about my new life that don’t make sense to me.

“Where do we usually eat dinner?”

He points to the island. “There. We save the dining table for special events.”

“Okay,” I answer with a nod as the elevator dings and a tall man in a suit steps out.

“Your dinner, Sir,” the man says to Gavin before handing him a couple of paper bags.

“Thanks, Carl.”

Carl turns to me and his face lights up. “Miss Shaw! So happy to see you back at home. How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” I answer as I plaster a smile on my face, thankful Gavin supplied me with his name so I wasn’t forced to have another awkward conversation with someone I don’t know. “But good. Thank you, Carl.”

“Excellent. Well, if you need anything at all, you just let me know.”

I nod. “I will.”

He beams, pride shining through his eyes and from just a glance, I can tell how much Carl loves his job - taking care of the residents of this building and it immediately endears him to me. Gavin hands Carl a little bit of money and he slips it in his pocket before wishing us a good night and disappearing back into the elevator. Gavin turns to me with a perplexed expression.

“Do you remember Carl?”

I shake my head. “No. I just didn’t want to explain that I can’t remember anything again.”

A look of understanding flashes across his face.

“Shall we?” he asks, holding his hand out to me and I take it as I stand up from the couch. He leads me over to the island and only releases my hand to pull a chair out for me. I smile up at him in thanks as I sit down.

“You want something to drink? We have water, wine, apple juice, or sweet tea.”

I eye the bag of food before meeting his gaze again. “Tea, please.”

“You sure? The wine might help you relax a little.”

“No,” I answer, shaking my head. “Better not with the pain meds.”

He nods as he pulls a pitcher of sweet tea out of the fridge. “Right.”

After grabbing a glass out of one of the upper cabinets, he fills it and sets it down in front of me. I watch him as he carries the pitcher back to the fridge and grabs a beer for himself before sitting down next to me. The past two weeks is starting to catch up to him and I’ll be surprised if he stays awake long enough to finish his dinner. He passes out our food and I groan loudly as I take my first bite. The burger is juicy and so full of flavor, a stark contrast from the bland, beige hospital food I’ve been eating for the past four days.

“Good?”

I nod and wipe my mouth with the napkin. “Oh my God, yes.”