Page 121 of Tempting Me

“Let me call you later. Let me figure this out. Let me … no, don’t back away. Please, don’t go. Wait. Just wait until I can fix this. Don’t go. Please.”

It’s too late.

She was quick to pretend like what we had wasn’t real. When the time came that I needed her to pick me, pick us, she didn’t.

I’m not going through this again.

I won’t.

Even if it means losing the one and only woman I’ve ever fallen in love with.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SHAY

The tears are uncontrollable as I race back into The Marina.

“Shay, what the fuck has been going on here this summer?”

“No!” I point to the door. “You don’t get to walk in here and ask questions. Not right now.”

“You can't trust him,” Leo argues quickly. “He?—”

“He said he didn’t do it, and I believe him,, and I … I …”

I glance back at the door, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

“I have to go find him.”

“I thought you said it was just fun for you.”

“I lied, okay?”

“Jesus, Shay, why?”

“Because! I knew what might happen if Mom and Dad found out that I hired him. They’ll take this family business away from me without asking for the full story, just like you didn’t moments ago. So I lied, and now I have to fix this.”

I grab my purse from behind the bar and rush out of TheMarina. I know my brother is behind me, but I don’t care. He can watch if he wants. I made a poor choice for a split second, and everything ignited from there.

“I’m heading out,” I tell Carl and rush out the door.

I break into a jog as I head into town.

The first place I stop is Hudson’s Bar. It hasn’t been long since Luca left our job site, and there are only a few places he would go.

I swing the door open with more force than normal, causing everyone to look at me. I can’t imagine what they see. A woman with mascara running down her face, all sweaty from her run.

“Have you seen Luca?” I ask Hudson the moment I see him behind the bar.

“Shay, wait,” I hear my brother behind me. I glance back to see him getting out of his truck.

I ignore him and look at Hudson again.

“Luca. Is he here?” I ask with more desperation.

Hudson’s eyes widen as he glances between me and my brother.

With his hands on his hips, he drops his chin to his chest and shakes his head.

---