This was what I loved about her.
For all her coolness, all the walls she put up, Sloane had a kind heart.
She felt deeply, even for those who had hurt her.
“She has a concussion and some cuts and bruises,” I said. “Before I left, I went back to check on her one more time. I believe she’ll be released tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Sloane nodded.
“I’m gonna go now,” I said. But as I rose, she stopped me with a question that caught me off guard.
“Are you still with her?”
Her eyes held mine—wide, unguarded, stripped bare. This time, I saw everything she felt laid open before me: hurt, disappointment, heartbreak. And it broke me.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Why?” Sloane asked. “Did you end it with her?”
“Yes,” I said simply.
“I don’t understand you, Cameron,” she said, her voice tinged with confusion. Her expression showed she was trying to make sense of it all. “You chose her and left me. Was it because she wasn’t what you thought she’d be?”
“She’s exactly what I thought she’d be,” I said quietly.
“Then why?”
“Because it turned out, it wasn’t what I needed after all.”
My eyes dropped to her hands, wrapped tight around her glass. I reached out and ran my knuckles gently over hers. She didn’t move, just stared past me, lost in whatever was spinning in her head.
Then I spoke. And I let it out, raw and honest.
“I’m sorry. For hurting you. For betraying you. For loving you the way I wanted to, not the way you needed me to. For all the fights and all the misunderstandings. For not seeing you the right way, the way you’ve always wanted to be seen.”
I stood, legs heavy, heart heavier, and made my way to the door. Then I left.
Chapter Thirteen
Sloane
Istood in front of the ER doors, fidgeting, torn between walking in or just letting it go.
Evie was still inside—discharged but hadn’t left yet.
Had Cameron revisited her this morning?
How would I even say what I needed to say if I went in?
What would she say to me?
My foot tapped restlessly against the floor. My mind spun, and I had only six minutes left to spare.
Okay, I told myself. I’m going in.
But just as I was about to take a step, a tap on my shoulder stopped me.
I turned and found Caleb frowning.
