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I walk around the bar and over to the door, pushing it open even though it physically hurts.
“Like I said, ma’am…we’re closed.”
She looks like I punched her in the gut as she tries and fails to hold back her tears. I wait for her to take a couple steps out the door before I close it, and we stare at each other through the glass as I lock it in her face.
This time, it’s me that gets to walk away.
I standin front of the door, somehow intimidated by it. I never thought there would be a time when I feel uncomfortable in my own hometown. This place was always my safe haven. But after the last couple days, I don’t know what to expect anymore.
It takes me five minutes just to talk myself into knocking, but only a few seconds for him to answer it. Cam’s eyes widen and his lips purse as he sees me.
“You’re still here,” he acknowledges.
I nod up surely. “For now.”
It’s not exactly what he wanted to hear, but it’s enough for him to open the door further to let me in.
Seeing Cam with his own apartment is strange. I mean, I knew he had one because Mali told me the day he moved out of my parents’ house. But it’s one thing to hear about it and another to be here. It’s not the biggest apartment, but it’s perfect for him. And I love the way he’s made it his own.
“How’d you know where to find me?” he asks, going into the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee.
I glance around some more, a small smile splayed across my lips. “Mali.”
He hums. “Yeah, that was a stupid question. I should’ve known.”
My eyes land on a picture on the entertainment center. It’s of Cam and Hayes, taken on the day they opened Shore Break. They’re both grinning from ear to ear, and I hate that I wasn’t there to see it in person.
Cam comes back out and hands me a mug of warm coffee, and I sigh in relief. “You’re the best. Thank you. The motel coffee tastes like heated mud.”
His brows furrow. “Motel? You’re not staying with Mom and Dad?”
“No,” I say immediately. “I don’t think they would even let me in the door.”
When I left the way that I did, it worried them too. I’ll admit, it was selfish of me to disappear without saying anything to just about anyone. But in my defense, to say I wasn’t in the right state of mind would be a massive understatement. My mind was a mess.
Still is, honestly.
Once I knew they got my letter, I gave them a week before I tried reaching out. There was no return address for obvious reasons, so it’s not like they could have written me back. But within the first thirty seconds of the phone call, I knew they were livid.
I should’ve known they would be. Their beliefs when it comes to the sanctity of marriage have never been a secret, so of course, they lectured me about how wrong it was to leave my husband like that. They couldn’t understand how I went from head-over-heels in love with him to running away, all within a six-week time span. But it’s not like I could tell them why I left.
I had no choice but to let the blame rest entirely on me.
And over time, I’ve started to believe it does.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cam says. “You’re their daughter. They’re always going to want to see you.”
I snort. “Yeah, you also told me Hayes needs me here.”
“You saw him again?”
“Went by the bar last night after closing.”
I’m not sure which was worse—the way he looked at me or the words he spoke. Quite frankly, both cut like knives. I knew he would be upset when I left. No part of me thought I was imagining the feelings between us. But I guess I thought he would bounce back eventually. That living without me would be better than spending the rest of his life in prison for murder—and that’s if he wasn’t given the death penalty.
Being who Monty’s dad is, that’s more than a possibility.
But I’m starting to realize I may have underestimated just how much he loves me.
