Ben

I know why I lost her. I was too serious, I was too practical. I was too busy thinking I knew what she wanted without asking her.

Over time, this wore on her. All she wanted was to be heard. She wanted someone to support her big exciting ideas, I was supposed to do that, but I shut them down. No wonder she handed me my ring back and left town. No wonder she married someone else, leaving me with memories of sunsets at the beach and the future I had planned for us.

I went on and built my life without her. My father and I opened the second division of Sunset Builders in Las Vegas, and to my surprise, I stayed busy, almost busy enough not to notice the loneliness. That was until one day I was called to do a quick bathroom and kitchen remodel for a woman who lived on Las Vegas Boulevard. I shouldn’t of gone, I should have sent one of my men because when I arrived, and the door opened, every memory I’d had of Jessica came flooding back.

If I’d learned anything in her absence it was that anything worth doing was worth being done well, and anything worth having was worth fighting for. I just hoped she’d give me a second chance.

Jessica

Ben had always been right to keep me grounded. I should’ve listened because the falls didn’t hurt as bad that way.

I wanted a bigger life, in a bigger brighter place. I never appreciated the beauty of living in a small town with a huge support system. Instead, I left town without so much as a goodbye, chasing a silly dream.

I married the man who promised me the sun, moon, and the stars, but delivered blinding blows. I spent years hiding in the dark so that no one would see my bruised face. Most days, I thought I’d die before I escaped the nightmare. I dreamed of running, it was my only way out. Then I got news my grandfather had passed. He left me money and a gorgeous condo in Vegas. I had a plan. I would upgrade the condo, sell it, and fade away into the sunset, all while my husband was gone on a business trip.

Little did I know that Ben would show up on my doorstep. He swore we could make our dreams real, but this time I was the grounded one. I could only see how we would never work. I’d made too many mistakes and love was terrifying.