Page 48 of Only Be Mine

Not away from Amy, but away from the certainty that if I stopped moving, I’d lose my nerve.

The trail blurred beneath my feet, branches snapping back at my legs, pine needles biting into the soles of my cheap flip-flops. I didn’t slow down, didn’t think. I just ran, heart pounding loud enough to drown out everything else.

I love you.

The words echoed loudly inside my head.

I cut off the path, ignoring the sting of twigs and rocks, focused only on getting back to the cabin. Back to John. Back before I could overthink this into something ugly and irreversible.

That was when I slammed into something solid.

…or someone.

We both went down hard.

I scraped my knee, my elbow, my palm. The back of my head landed hard on a rock that jutted out of the ground at an odd angle. Pain bloomed sharp and immediate, but it barely registered over the rush of adrenaline and embarrassment.

“What the hell?” Lindsay snapped, already sitting up, inspecting her nails like that was the real tragedy.

“I… I’m sorry,” I said automatically, scrambling backward.

“Watch where you’re going!” She flicked dirt from her dress, eyes flashing. “You could’ve ruined these.”

Then she stood, brushed herself off, flipped her hair, and walked away without another word.

I stayed where I was for a second longer, dizzy and stinging, staring at the trees like they’d betrayed me personally.

My flip-flop strap snapped when I tried to stand.

Of course it did.

I kicked them off and shoved them under my arm, walking barefoot the rest of the way, each step grounding me whether I wanted it to or not.

Chapter 16

John

July - Twelve Years Ago

The cabin door slammed hard enough to rattle the windows.

I froze with my hands still inside the cooler.

For a second, I thought maybe I’d imagined it. But when I looked up and didn’t see Cate anywhere, the quiet settled heavy in my chest.

She’d left.

I stood there longer than necessary, staring at nothing, replaying the moment over and over like I might find the exact second I’d screwed everything up.

I love you.

I’d said it without planning to. Without rehearsing. It had just… come out. As simple as that. Both honest and terrifying.

And she hadn’t said anything back.

I scrubbed a hand over my face and went back to unloading the cooler, forcing myself to focus on the cold sting of ice against my fingers. Burgers. Hot dogs. Steaks. Enough food for a week.

Suddenly, staying that long felt optimistic.