Page 64 of A Fall to Remember

What had started as magic had ended as fast in a flash.

In one mistake.

And it wasn’t even a mistake. He stood firmly by the fact that the video was perfectly on brand for Miranda. But clearly the damage had been done.

She lost trust in him.

There was one way he could earn it back. He just hoped it wasn’t too late.

49

SHELBY

Oh my God.

I kissed him.

I kissed Pete.

What have I done?

Shelby pulled away. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that. It’s not professional.”

Pete laughed. “Professional. Who cares about professional?”

“I do,” Shelby blustered. “This might be a joke to you, but I told you what’s at stake for me. I can’t lose my job.”

“Why would you lose your job?” Pete sounded confused. Hurt. “It’s just a kiss.”

Was that what he really thought?

Was it just a kiss?

It felt like much more than a kiss to her.

“I came here to manage your mom’s accounts, and then I sent a request to my boss to let me take on you, and now both of you are a disaster. It’s my fault. I’ve crossed a line. I’m sorry.” Her phone buzzed. It was her sister, again. “Look, I am really sorry. I need to go.” She turned and ran away, ignoring Pete’s plea for her to stop and wait.

She sprinted halfway down the beach. The bonfire smoke caught in her lungs. Her eyes felt gritty like they were filled with sand. She couldn’t do this.

A grinding pain twisted in her stomach as she reached the footbridge.

Get it together, Shelby.

She sniffled and wiped her stinging eyes with her sleeve. “Hello,” she said, barely able to speak.

“Shelby, are you okay?” her sister asked.

“Fine.” Shelby cleared her throat, intentionally pretending like there was something lodged in her esophagus other than the crushing burden of everything waiting for her back home. “It’s smoky. I’m at a beach bonfire.” She fanned her face, not that it mattered. Her sister couldn’t see her.

“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that Mom is super paranoid about leaving the house right now. I know she said she would pick you up at the airport, but she’s worried that the bank is watching the house and she’s convinced herself that if she leaves, they’ll repossess it while she’s gone.”

“That’s not how it works.” Shelby rolled her eyes and kicked the sand.

“I know. I tried to tell her that, but she won’t listen.” Her sister’s voice was strained and pitchy. “I’m going to borrow a car from a friend on campus, but I wanted you to know I might be about twenty or thirty minutes late because I have a lab I can’t miss.”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it. Do your lab. I’ll get a ride share. It’s no problem.”

“My friend is happy to let me borrow his car,” her sister protested.