Page 76 of The Other Plan

I sucked my cheek. “I mean, yeah. It can happen, but it’s rare.”

A proud smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “So, you’re admitting it’s possible to know almost instantly that you’ve found your person.”

I twisted my lips then nodded. “I guess. Yeah. It’s possible.”

He pressed a finger to his cheek. “So, with your own admission, it’s possible that Carter really is the one for you... that your heart or your soul or whatever it is that recognizes the other half knows what it’s doing.”

Another glance to Carter... more butterflies.

“Okay. Fine. It’s possible.”

“Hah!” He stuck his finger in my face. “So, admit it. You love him.”

It seemed irrational to love a man I barely knew and hadn’t seen in a decade, yet the word encompassed all the emotions swirling around me. It explained why I couldn’t give my heart away to another all these years. Maybe it hadn’t been fear causing me to turn away from every man who’d come after him. Maybe it was because I’d known deep down, I’d already given my heart away.

And I’d never gotten it back. Until now.

I sighed as I opened the cage where I had locked away all the powerful emotions I’d had for Carter and set them free. My soul lifted as I admitted the truth. “Yeah. I do. Of course, I do. All these years, I’ve been trying to tell myself that what I felt wasn’t real... it was an infatuation. But I do, Cameron. I love him..”

He clapped his hands. “Yay! I knew it! Okay. So, you love him. Do you think he loves you too?”

I glanced over and looked at Carter, our eyes colliding for the first time in a while, and I instantly regretted it. Pure agony ripped apart my insides when I saw the pained look on his face... the same one I knew was on mine.

“Well? Do you think he loves you?”

“Yeah. I do,” I admitted.

“And are you absolutely, positively miserable right now?”

“Yes.” I blew out a breath. “That’s an understatement.”

“Good.”

“Good?” I arched a brow. “How is that good?”

“Because then you’re already at rock bottom, and you have nowhere to go but up.”

Furrowing my brows, I tipped my head. “Huh?”

“What I mean is, there is a man over there that loves you. A man that you love too. And you’re already as heartbroken as anyone I’ve ever seen, so that can’t really get any worse. If you leave tonight and end this, you’re guaranteed a broken heart. It’s already a done deal. You’ll spend the rest of your life pining away for the one man you truly love.”

He looked at me then leaned down, pressing his forehead to mine.

“But... if you go over there and tell him you’ll try, maybe, just maybe, things will end well for you two. Maybe you’ll work it out and live happily ever after. Why not take a chance at happiness, Jenna? Because the way I see it, right now, you’ve got a one-hundred-percent chance of hurt and heartbreak. And if you go over there and tell him you’ll try, your odds go to at least fifty-fifty.”

He looked over at Carter.

“Okay. Ninety-ten. That man looks like he’d do anything to make you happy. And I’m not a betting man, but I’ll put my chips on your chances of happiness being way better if you give this thing a shot. That guy loves you so freaking much. I know he’s not gonna let you down. So, what the hell do you have to lose?”

He lifted his hands like a scale and frowned while he lowered his right hand. “Heartbreak guaranteed over here if you go home.” Then, his eyes lit up as he lifted his left. “Or possible happily ever after over here if you quit being a chickenshit pansy and go give this thing a try! Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!”

His words hit harder than I’d prepared for. He was right. At this moment, I didn’t think it was possible to hurt more. I was totally and completely miserable. I was hurting myself more trying to avoid hurt than I would if I gave this thing a chance. Was I scared? Oh, yeah. I was absolutely terrified. But Cameron was right. What the hell did I have to lose?

But I might have everything to gain.

“Is that hope I see in your eyes?” Cameron said with a smile.

“Maybe.” I peered up with a little smile of my own.