A few days had passed. It was Saturday now. Alex was driving away from the airport. Emily sat beside him in the passenger seat. Alex felt a little better that Emily was back, but since Monday, he hadn't gotten anything accomplished. He hadn't found any more pieces to this ridiculous puzzle.

"So, is your sister okay?" Emily asked.

Alex thought for a moment, then remembered what he had told Emily about his sudden leave. "Yeah, she's fine. Thanks for asking."

"What was going on?"

"Oh, someone broke into our house, and my sister was just scared."

"Well, I'm glad everything's okay now."

The two were silent for a while. Then Emily broke the silence.

"Alex, I want to know about you. You don't talk about yourself too much. I want to know more about you."

Awkwardness settled into the car. Alex just shrugged it off. "There's not much to know."

"Really?"

"I'm a pretty boring guy. That's why my first girlfriend broke up with me."

"That's not what your friend, Tom, told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me about Camryn."

Alex's heart began racing. "What did he tell you about her?"

"He told me that she was kidnapped and taken to Russia. He told me that she was killed six months ago."

Alex's heart stopped. His blood ran cold. He jerked the steering wheel hard to the right and stopped the car next to the sidewalk. His heart was slamming inside his throat. He was nearly gasping for breath. He was so close to hyperventilation. He gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had gone white. His face had gone just as white as his knuckles. He was shaking uncontrollably.

"Alex, are you okay?" Emily asked. She laid her hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Get out," Alex ordered quietly.

"Alex-"

"Emily, get out of the car."

"But-"

Alex turned his steely gaze to her. "Don't make me tell you again."

Emily sighed sadly. She planted a kiss on Alex's cheek and climbed out of the car. Once she closed the door, Alex sped off.

Alex opened the door to Tom's bedroom. Tom was sitting on the bed reading a sports magazine. He stood up when he saw Alex come in.

"Hey, Alex, are you-"

Tom didn't get the chance to finish his question. Alex punched him in the jaw as hard as he could.

"Why did you tell Emily about Camryn?" Alex demanded. "You had no right to do that."

"She asked me if you had any past relationships. So I told her that you dated Camryn for a little over a year. She asked me how it ended, and I told her about Russia."

"What exactly did you tell her?"

"I just said that Camryn was kidnapped, taken to Russia, and then killed."

Alex pulled his face. "You shouldn't have told her that."

"She's going to find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, I was hoping on later."

"Look, I'm just trying to help you," Tom insisted.

"I know, but you're making things worse."

Tom looked as if he had been slapped. Then he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I am making things worse for you. It's none of my business."

"Thanks for trying."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. I need to apologize to Emily."

"For what?"

"I freaked out in the car when she mentioned Camryn."

"You didn't leave her at the side of the road, did you?"

"I did…" Alex said sheepishly.

"Idiot! That's a great way to impress a girl!"

"It doesn't matter. I have to stop seeing her anyway."

Alex waited for Emily on the walkway beneath Albert Bridge. He had rehearsed over and over for the past twenty-four hours what he would say to her. Then he began to wonder if Emily would show up at all. If she didn't, he wouldn't blame her. It would be easier for both of them. Unfortunately though, Emily came at three o' clock – just like they had planned. Alex forced himself to smile at her. Emily threw her arms around Alex and held him tightly.

"Alex, I'm so sorry about yesterday."

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, Emily."

"I shouldn't have mentioned your ex-girlfriend. I didn't know you were still sensitive about it."

"Exactly."

Emily looked up at Alex, confused.

"You didn't know," Alex explained, "so you shouldn't be sorry. I should be apologizing to you. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I can't help being on edge when Camryn is mentioned. I still can't come to grips with the fact that I lost her that way."

"I'm sorry…" Emily murmured, resting her head on Alex's shoulder.

Alex drew in a deep breath and held it in his lungs. He had to say it, but he didn't want to. He so desperately wanted a second chance at love. Say it, Alex, just tell her, he told himself. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He took in another deep breath.

"That's why we can't be together," Alex finally said, each word catching his throat.

"But, Alex, we're not even dating yet. If you give us a chance-"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's not fair to you that I still think about Camryn – a lot. I don't know if I'm ever going to get over her. She was my first love. Then she died so suddenly. I didn't have the chance to tell her good-bye."

"Don't you want to at least try before you say 'no'?"

Alex sighed. "I do, but I think it'll be easier for both of us if we don't start a relationship."

Emily let go of Alex and began walking away. Alex took her hand and embraced her one more time.

"I'm sorry, Emily," Alex whispered into her ear.

"So am I."

Alex pulled together all the courage he had and finally kissed Emily. Once he let go, she walked away without looking back. Emily was Alex's third chance at a relationship. She was also his third failure.

"Trying is the first step toward failing," Alex muttered, as he headed home.