Page 22 of Spring Break with a Billionaire

“I’m not scared,” I lie. Then sigh. “Okay, maybe I am. But mostly, I just need to protect myself.”

Abby pulls back, brushing a tear from my cheek with her thumb. “You’re stronger than you think.”

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I’ll book a flight tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Abby asks.

“No, you still have four days of vacation, and you should enjoy it. Hang out with Natalie and have fun.”

Abby hugs me again fiercely, and for a few precious seconds, I let myself cry quietly into her shoulder—the heartbreak I tried so hard to avoid crashing down on me anyway.

I love him.

Tomorrow, I’ll leave Love Beach behind.

Tomorrow, I’ll leave Cameron Shaw behind, even if my heart never fully will.

Ten

Chapter Ten

Cameron

I tear down the narrow street toward Cricket’s cottage, gravel spraying under my tires as I whip into the driveway. My heart hammers against my ribs, frantic, my hands slick against the steering wheel.

She’s leaving.

Luke told me, his face tight with sympathy, when he broke the news fifteen minutes ago. Said he overheard Abby and Natalie talking.

I cut the engine, jumping out before the car fully stops, not caring that the door hangs open behind me.

She can’t leave. Not like this.

I sprint up the steps, two at a time, and pound on the door. The world feels like it’s tilting off its axis. I can’t lose her. I won’t.

“Cricket!” I shout, knocking harder. “Please open the door.”

No answer.

“Cricket!” I bang again, desperation rising thick in my throat. “Please. Don’t do this. Talk to me.”

The door finally creaks open an inch, and her face appears—beautiful and guarded and breaking my heart.

Her bags are packed behind her, she’s really leaving.

“Cameron,” she says softly, her voice raw. “What are you doing here?”

“Stopping you,” I choke out. “I’m not letting you walk away without knowing the truth.”

She closes her eyes briefly, pain flashing across her face, and I realize I’m seconds from losing everything that matters.

I step forward, bracing my palm against the door to keep it from closing. I lower my voice, willing her to hear me—not just with her ears, but with her heart.

“I made mistakes,” I say quietly. “I should’ve told you about Star Mountain. I should’ve trusted you with everything from the start. I didn’t think it mattered at first, and once I realized how I felt about you, I was scared—scared of complicating what we had, scared of losing you before I even had the chance to know you. But none of it—none of it—was ever about playing you or hiding from you.”

Tears pool in her eyes, but she says nothing.

I press on, desperate, my voice rough with emotion. “Cricket, from the first moment I met you, everything changed. You made me want things I’d stopped believing in. You made me feel alive again. And I got selfish. I didn’t want anything to ruin it.” I take a shaky breath, trying to hold myself together. “I didn’t expect you. I didn’t expect to find something real here, with you. But I did. And I love you for it.”

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