“She’s ‘Lost Love’, isn’t she?” Shawn mumbles.

It’s the first time he has spoken since this whole thing started.

“Yeah man, she’s ‘Lost Love’,” I whisper.

She wipes the tears from her eyes again and pours us all another shot.

“So what’s in this trunk?” she asks me.

“Everything,” I say simply.

“Everything; like what?”

“Photos, videos, concert tickets, anything and everything from our three years together are in that trunk,” I say.

“Videos of what?”

Man, she really hasn’t changed all that much.

“Videos of you and me, and of our band.” I down my shot.

“It can be like a trip down memory lane. I can show you things in order. I don’t want to show you all of it at once. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. What we had was very intense.” I look away.

So much more than intense: she is my soul mate; the reason I breathe, the reason I make music.

She leans over Adella and gets straight in my face. Her scent automatically consumes me. It’s the closet I have been to her since she was sixteen. Her beautiful chestnut eyes twinkle in mischief and she smirks. “How intense?” she breathes.

All the air leaves my lungs. How intense?

Oh f**k, here it goes.

“I was your first and you were mine.” There, I said it.

3

“I was your first and you were mine,” he whispers.

And I smile. I finally found the one person who has touched me. “So you’re the only guy who’s touched me.” I say simply.

He looks dumbfounded.

“I was back then, yes,” his deep voice comes out shaky.

“No, you’re the only guy who’s touched me.” I tap on his chest, trying to make him understand. “I mean, unless you shared me those three years we were together or we fought and broke up before I got sick.” I shrug.

His eyes go hooded and he leans into my face. “We never fought. You and I didn’t work that way. If you were pissed at me, you ignored me and I made up for it. We never broke up. You just didn’t come back for that Thanksgiving.” He breathes against my lips and I feel myself shiver.

“Ah, I still have that effect on you then,” he mumbles, his beautiful green eyes twinkling.

“What effect do I have on you?” I whisper back.

“Everything and all,” he says simply.

“Everything and all, huh?” I lean back and grin at him.

Adella shakes my arm. I drag my gaze away from this beautiful man and look over at her.

“So you were one another's firsts?” she asks.

“Apparently. I mean, he says so.” I gesture towards Tristan and bite my lip.

“Yes, I was.” he growls.

“Whoa, Trist. Jesus, what’s wrong with you?” Adella laughs.

She turns closer to Tristan. “So what was your first time like?” She bats her eyelashes at him, causing him to laugh as he looks at me and smiles.

“Amazing and messy,” he answers.

“Amazing and messy. I get the amazing part, but why messy?” She pours us another shot.

“Well we did it on the beach. She was fifteen and I was sixteen, and the sand ended up in places sand shouldn’t end up in.” He smirks, shaking his head.

“She,” he gestures towards me, “actually recorded before and after,” he smiles.

“What?” I squeak.

He gestures around the club. “Why do you think I named my club 'Before and After'?”

“How is this your club? If I’m twenty, then you’re only twenty-one.” I answer. “'Before and After' seems like such a strange name.” Then, it dawns on me just which before and after he’s referring to. I can’t help but squirm in my seat.

He nods. “Yes. Before and after, babe.” He smirks.

“Oh shit.” I slap my hand over my mouth. I never curse.

“What?” Adella and Tristan ask at the same time.

“I don’t curse,” I say sheepishly.

Tristan barks out a laugh. “Oh, you f**king curse alright, at least you did back then. You were worse than Drake and I put together,” he smiles.

“Oh!” is all I can manage to say.

“Tristan, you ready?” Blondie comes back, purring.

“Go away. I’m visiting friends,” he says, not turning in her direction at all.

“Tristan baby, are we still on for tonight?” She twirls her fingers around a strand of her hair.

He looks at me, but I’m not sure why.

“No, not tonight. Maybe another night,” he says quietly.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” I spit out. “After all, Blondie is waiting.”

What is wrong with me? This is not me. Or is it? Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like he belongs to me?

I feel chemistry with this man, but I don’t remember him so the feelings can’t really be there. Or are they? His eyes go wide. He turns back to the Blondie.

“You know what? Yeah, I’ll be over later,” he gives Blondie a panty-dropping grin.

Adella elbows me in the ribs. “What?” I shriek, rubbing my ribcage. “We’re not together. I have been missing for like, what, four years to him? Adella that freaking hurt!” I moan.

“You’re ‘Love Lost’ and you’re a damn idiot,” she whispers, making my eyes go wide. I look over at Tristan who is messing around with his phone.