Page 155 of Hawaii Can Suck It

“I know,” I say, cutting her off. “That’s not why you should be with me. I don’t want you to love me because I’m finally doing the right thing. I want you to love me because… well, just because.”

A small smile plays at the corners of her mouth. “I do, you know.”

“Do what?”

“Love you.” She says it simply, like stating a fact about the weather. “I’ve been fighting it because I thought it would compromise the life I wanted. But it turns out, loving youiswhat I want.”

The EMT sighs loudly.

“I want you to help shape whatever comes next,” I say, ignoring the growing crowd. “Not as my employee or my fake girlfriend, but as my partner. In everything.”

“Your partner? But then who would you argue with about being the boss?”

There she is. My Cam.

“Oh, I’m definitely still the boss,” I tell her, my lips curving into a smirk despite the pain radiating through my body. “But I’m willing to accept your frequent strongly voiced objections.”

“How generous of you.” But she’s smiling now, really smiling.

I reach up, ignoring the EMT’s frustrated groan, and slide my hand behind her head, pulling her toward me until our foreheads touch.

“Be my girlfriend, Morales. For real this time. No contracts, no cameras, no audience. Just you and me figuring it out together.”

“Hmm.” She pulls slightly away to study my face. “I suppose somebody has to keep you from killing yourself.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes, you reckless YouTube lunatic.” She kisses me again, softer this time. “I love you too much to let you face the internet alone.”

“In that case,” I announce, loud enough for our audience to hear, “I think I’m ready for the hospital now.”

The crowd erupts in cheers as the EMTs help me onto a stretcher. Cam never lets go of my hand, not when they load me into the ambulance, not when they hook me up to monitors, not even when they start cutting away my shirt.

“Gift from Kai?” she asks, eyeing the turtles with a smirk. “Very on-brand. Nothing screams ‘I’m a mature adult in a serious relationship’ like fornicating reptiles.”

“Says the woman wearing rhinos going at it.”

She looks down, realizing what she has on, and a flush creeps up her neck. “Guess we’re good for each other.”

“Good?” I draw her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Nah, we’re fucking great together.”

“Oh my God,” she says, pulling the hot pink scrunchie off my wrist. “Did you literally fly across an ocean and almost get killed surfing on luggage only to fuck my tits?”

“Can you blame me? They’re perfect fucking tits.”

Her smile—that sunshine smile that broke through my walls—is the last thing I see before the pain meds kick in, sending me floating into blissful darkness.

But even then, I don’t let go of her hand.

Because I’m never letting her go again.

EPILOGUE

CAM

ONEYEARLATER

IstartleAWAKE, DISORIENTED.My pulse is racing as my body’s built-in alert system tells me I’m about to roll right off whatever I’m sleeping on. I blink into the gloom, my brain working overtime to figure out where in the world I am.

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