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He whirls on me now, somehow remaining a cold calm.
“I waited to tell you about London because I genuinely believed we could make it work. But you’re engaged, Kate. That’s not something we can just work around.”
Desperate, I snag his arm, an ugly sob breaking my lips. “Please, just let me figure this out. I-I can fix this. I just need a little time.”
Pathetic. Tragic. Defeated. That’s what I’ve become while begging Damon not to dump me.
“My family has these expectations that are… complicated.”
My mother will disown me the minute she finds out I’ve turned my back on her. And that’s exactly what I’m doing if I choose Damon. Turning my back on the only family I have to take a risk on a man I barely know.
Thad’s boots crunch through the sandy debris. He gives a resigned sigh before saying, “I think I’ve seen enough. It’s time to go, Katie.”
“Do you love him?” Damon asks, ignoring Thad.
I sputter.
Is it love? Maybe it was once, but I’m caught between what could be and the loyalty I owe a family whose livelihood is tanking.
The pressure suffocates me.
“Yes or no?” A muscle feathers in his cheek as he waits.
The island grows quiet. No sounds of the rolling ocean I’ve come to love each day. The birds have halted their excited chattering. Even Thad remains silent, watching from his front-row seat as my heart is ripped out.
“I just need a little more time,” I plead.
I’ll talk with Mom, I decide. I’ll convince her that an arranged marriage doesn’t have to be the answer.I can fix this.
He shakes his head, kicking a bit of sand as he glances away from me.
“No, Damon—”
It can’t be too late.
“I’m sorry, Kate. This… It’s too much.”
His hands slide into his pockets. The cold detachment consuming him only makes me cry harder. “I’ll have the hotel send your things.”
My breath hitches when he steps off the curb.
Say something. Fight for him, for you, for us.
“I don’t want you to regret this,” I say through a strangled sob.
Hurt and sadness pull the edges of his mouth into a frown.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
Thad’s voice is surprisingly gentle from beside me. His hands fold over my shoulders pinning me in place as Damon heads up the drive toward the front doors.
“Let’s go home.”
My vision blurs. Everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a partner, a man, and friend just walked out of my life forever—and I let him.
