Dirty Little Mistake (Hard to Love #2)

Chapter 32

Trystan

" G ood luck, bro." I passed Jax the small black square box holding a two-carat princess-cut diamond engagement ring, a wry grin tugging at my lips.

The ring my baby brother was going to propose to the woman of his dreams with.

"Thanks." He snatched the box, his fingers trembling slightly. In a blink, he darted through the open double doors, disappearing into my bedroom.

We'd all gathered here in our favorite place, the beach house, for this exact moment.

Pivoting, I leaned against the banister, my eyes drawn to the pretty brunette in a tiny yellow bikini sitting on the pool's edge, laughing with Owen. Weeks had passed and she still wouldn’t speak to me.

Cam's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Owen, her lips curving into that soft smile I'd thought was reserved for me. A dull ache spread through my chest as if someone had reached in and squeezed my heart.

I clenched my jaw so hard I could hear my teeth grinding, my fingernails carving crescent moons into my palms. The urge to look away was overwhelming, but I forced myself to watch, each second a self-inflicted punishment for what I'd done to lose her.

Jax appeared from below me, distracting me as he made his way out to the beach, where Kaia stood watching the sunset.

"If you want to catch the big moment," I stage-whispered to the group below. Everyone looked up, and Cam's eyes met mine. The world around us blurred, sounds fading to a dull hum. Those familiar blue eyes, once warm with affection, now held a storm of emotions—hurt, anger, and... hate. My heart thundered in my chest, and I had to clear my throat to mask the tremor in my voice. "You better get up here now."

I gestured toward the beach, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink. The tide was coming in, each wave leaving a lacy pattern of foam on the sand. A light breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean.

Harlow's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth. "Wait. He's doing it now?"

I nodded.

They all hustled to their feet, quickly disappearing below me and a few minutes later appearing through the double doors Jax had left through. Harlow, Syn, Owen, Cam, and I lined up along the rail.

Syn's brow furrowed, her gaze darting between me and the beach. "I thought he was going to wait until tonight?"

"He couldn't wait," I said, trying not to focus on how Cam's arm brushed mine.

"Aww," Harlow sighed when Jax dropped to one knee in the sand.

"I can't believe they're actually going to get married," Syn said. "After everything."

"She hasn't said yes yet," I reminded them.

Harlow shot me an exasperated look, her eyebrows knitting together. "Of course, she's going to say yes. She's in love with him."

"Sometimes love isn't enough," I mumbled as I glanced at Cam and then back to Jax and Kaia.

"Yeah, especially when you're a dick," Cam added, and I knew we weren't talking about Jax and Kaia anymore.

I opened my mouth to say something but realized everyone was staring at us.

Fuck.

"She said yes," I pointed out to Jax and Kaia, now embracing, and everyone erupted in cheers.

Syn's face lit up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "We should party tonight. The parentals won't be here until tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes." Cam smirked. "Pool party."

"Or a beach bonfire," Owen suggested, and I rolled my eyes.

I pushed off the railing with more force than necessary, my shoulders tensing. "I'm actually going to head out tonight." The words tasted like defeat on my tongue. Jax had proposed early, giving me the perfect excuse to escape this emotional minefield.

The thought of spending the rest of the weekend watching Cam and Owen together made my stomach churn. Each shared laugh, each casual touch would be another twist of the knife. I'd rather drive all night than endure that slow torture."

"Oh, what a shame," Cam quipped, her tone dripping with insincerity. "I'm sure your girlfriend probably misses you."

"Girlfriend?" Syn scowled. "What girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Yeah," Cam retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "That's kind of your thing, isn't it."

"What's going on?" Harlow asked.

"Nothing," I snapped, my eyes locked with Cam. At least she wasn't ignoring me anymore. Our gazes held for a long moment, and both of us dared the other to break.

Owen slapped my arm, his grip lingering a moment too long. "Well man, safe travels." The contact broke my concentration, and when I looked away from Cam, she stormed off, her footsteps echoing on the wooden deck. "You don't mind if I take your room, do you?" He jerked his head in the direction Cam disappeared. "So I can stay closer to my girl."

I clenched my teeth, aware he was baiting me but unable to stop the reaction. Jax had told me before he'd gone down to the beach that Owen and Cam weren't together, at least not yet, anyway.

"I think if she wanted you close," I drawled, unable to keep the smugness from my voice, "she would have invited you to stay with her." I slapped him on the arm with the same intensity he'd done to me. "But she didn't, and that's probably because she knew I'd be sleeping in the next room." I shrugged. "You know what? I think I will stay tonight and maybe head out tomorrow morning."

"It won't change anything," he said. "She hates you. You should leave now before you embarrass yourself."

A surge of hot anger coursed through me, my vision narrowing until all I could see was Owen's smug face. The air around us seemed to thicken, charged with hostility. I took a deliberate step forward, invading Owen's space. Our chests collided, the impact jolting through me. I could feel the others' eyes on us, their breaths held. The line I was about to cross glowed red-hot in my mind, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Maybe," I growled, each word a match to gasoline, "you should stop acting like you're not in the friend zone." The challenge hung between us, daring him to react. In the periphery of my vision, Harlow's hand twitched, ready to intervene.

I wasn't the type of man who typically got worked up over a woman. I was usually the calm one, but when it came to Cam, everything went out the window.

"Okay...." Syn said, drawing the word out. "I don't know what is going on right now, but I think we should head downstairs and congratulate the happy couple."

"And not cause a scene to ruin their weekend," Harlow added.

"Yeah." Owen nodded, holding my gaze. "I should go find Cam." He broke eye contact, bumping my chest back before his shoulder collided with mine as he brushed past, the impact deliberate and hard enough to make me stumble.

Owen and I were never really friends, but he was Jax's best friend. We'd all grown up together, but the friendliness we'd always had toward each other was gone.

"Trystan," Syn scolded once Owen was gone. "I don't know what's going on between you and Cam, but you cannot start a fight with Owen this weekend."

"I didn't start it," I muttered, staring into the room where Owen disappeared. "But I will finish it."

"Trystan," Harlow snapped, jerking me by my arm. "Get a grip. Whatever you're thinking right now will not be what gets Camryn back."

My gaze dropped, meeting hers. Sucking in a deep breath, I nodded. "Okay." I threw up my hands. "No fighting."

They both visibly relaxed.

"Let's go have some fun." Syn face lit up.

"You guys go ahead.” I forced a smile. “I'll be down in a minute."

I leaned against the wall once they were gone, my breath coming in short gasps as the adrenaline from the confrontation with Owen began to slow. The logical part of my brain screamed that I had no right to stake any claim on Cam after what I'd done.

The thought of losing her forever, of never getting to explain or make things right, felt like a physical weight on my chest. Even if I could never have her again, I didn't want to lose her completely.

I closed my eyes, picturing her smile and the sound of her laugh. If there was even the slimmest chance of winning her back, I had to take it.