Chasing Paradise (Chasing Series #3) by Pamela Ann

Wherever you are, I’m always happy to be around you, but you know that already. So why ask?” Kyle’s eyes lingered on my face, memorizing it. “Let’s go in. I’m starving.”
     
    I smirked, knowing pretty well what he’d meant and it hadn’t been food that was on his mind. “Behave, Kyle. Blake will shoot you down if he knew where your mind is heading off to,” I scolded him before I followed him inside the Italian restaurant.
     
    Once were seated and the waitress had taken our order, Kyle immediately got down to the juicy bits of news we needed to catch up on. The ring on my finger was the first to go up for discussion. “He finally managed to get that ring on you, huh?” Kyle directed a straight face at me. He didn’t seem angry, though he didn’t look happy, either. Shit. The last thing I needed was for him to be hurt about this, but he knew that it had been coming. It couldn’t be helped.
     
    “ I’m sorry. I should’ve called and told you all about it instead of having you find it out this way.” I flinched somewhat at my insensitivity or for simply forgetting it altogether.
     
    Kyle pressed his lips together, nodding and not saying a damn word.
     
    “ Kyle?” I paused, gauging his face. “You’re not mad, are you?”
     
    He leaned back, looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. “I’m seeing someone else. It’s actually, Abby.”
     
    Huh? “Abby Miller? The same woman who tried to worm herself in all through high school?”
     
    Kyle nodded. “Same one.”
     
    Wait, what? “Were you sleeping with her then, too? I thought you said you weren’t attracted to her?”
     
    “ I never touched her until last month, and to answer your other question, I think Abby is gorgeous, although, next to you, no one comes close.” He took a moment to gather his thoughts before he continued, “I need to move on, Si.”
     
    Yes, he did. Of course, he needed to, but I wasn’t expecting this; the hurt I was feeling was not what I had anticipated and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. “I’m happy for you.”
     
    “ Are you?”
     
    I nodded, trying to convince him that I was. “Yeah, of course I am. Abby was crazy about you and I’m glad you two finally got together.” My words sounded hollow, even to my ears.
     
    “ Guess, that’s that.”
     
    I suppose it was. For the entire time we had lunch, we barely spoke more than a few words to each other. I was in love with Blake, but a part of me was saddened to let go of Kyle. I thought I was prepared for this day to come; however I’d thought wrong.
     
    After lunch, we strolled in a strained manner towards Blake’s flat, each of us busy with our own thoughts. I hugged him, forcing myself not to cry. “Take care, babe.”
     
    “ You know I’ll always love you, right? No one gets to take your place in here, Si.” Kyle placed my hand on his heart. “I love you, Sienna.” He kissed my forehead before he made me look into those eyes I had grown to trust at a young age. The same eyes that had protected me from a lot of bad things were now full of pain. “Be happy for the both us. Follow your dreams and I will be right there along with you.” Waterworks didn’t have anything on me then. I was a mess of hiccups and balling my heart out.
     
    “ I’ll see you before I leave in a couple weeks, okay?” Kyle held me while I clung onto him, afraid of letting him go. “Blake is a good man. I wouldn’t let another man have you if I knew he wasn’t worthy of being with you. Always remember I’m a phone call away and I’ll be with you in a heartbeat.” He kissed my forehead one more time before he slowly untangled himself and walked away.
     
    I watched him amble away with his head downcast as I felt an intense tightening in my gut for letting my first love go. I barely noticed when Gareth ushered me inside the building and into an elevator. Once I got off it, I was still hysterical when I ran into the bathroom and locked