Dirty Little Mistake (Hard to Love #2)

Chapter 41

Camryn

S tanding at the water's edge, I watched as the sun slowly set onto the horizon, hiding behind the endless blue ocean alone.

I wasn't supposed to be alone. I was supposed to be here with Owen, but he'd ghosted me again.

It was Jax and Kaia's wedding weekend, and we were all back at the beach house celebrating their special day with them. I was supposed to ride here with Owen last night, but he'd texted at the last minute with a lame excuse as to why he wasn't going to make it until morning and to go ahead without him. He'd showed up an hour after me. We were supposed to share my room, but he decided it would be better if we had our own rooms, but this was the last straw.

I thought I'd be angrier, but oddly, I was numb.

My shoulders sagged as I exhaled a long, defeated breath. The last thread of hope I'd been clinging to snapped, leaving me hollow. I was done.

I didn't want to ruin Jax and Kaia's weekend, but I couldn't do it anymore. Something was going on with Owen, and I needed to know now because this felt like a copout for saying goodbye.

Twisting on my heels, they dug into the cool sand as I stormed up the beach through the pool patio, the kitchen, and into the living room before stopping at Owen's bedroom door. As far as I knew, we were home alone. Kaia and Jax were out doing last-minute wedding things, Harlow and Syn were out, and Trystan hadn't made it in yet, as far as I knew. So if I was going to cause a scene, now was the time to do it.

I burst into the room, my voice sharp with anger. "What the fuck, Owen?"

Owen shot up in bed, his sleep-heavy eyes widening with alarm. "What?" He shoved a hand through his tousled hair, blinking rapidly to clear the fog of sleep. His voice came out thick and groggy. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" I repeated, my tone filled with anger. I stepped forward, my fists clenching at my sides. "What's wrong is that you ghosted me again. You were supposed to meet me on the beach for a sunset walk." I paused for a moment, trying to regain my composure and failing miserably. "It was your freaking idea, Owen."

Owen's brows furrowed, his mouth turning down at the corners. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry..."

I raised a hand, cutting him off mid-apology. "That's bullshit. No, you're not sorry. You're doing this on purpose." His head recoiled, but something about it seemed forced, like he was trying too hard to act shocked. "Either you get up, and we have a real, honest conversation, or I'm going to use you as a punching bag to work out all this anger right now."

His tense shoulders sagged as he released a heavy sigh and nodded. "Okay, but let's not talk here." He shifted in the bed and rolled out, his eyes searching the floor until he found what he was looking for. He leaned over and ripped his shorts off the floor, quickly pulling them over his black boxer briefs. "Let's go for a walk."

We walked in silence out the same way I'd come in, neither of us speaking until our toes hit the sand.

"What's going on, Owen?" I slowed my pace as my gaze lifted to see his sad face. "And please don't say 'nothing' because I know it's something."

Owen's steps faltered in the sand. "The truth is..."

I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Stopping, he twisted to face me, his gaze finally meeting mine. A storm of emotions swirled in his eyes—guilt, regret, and something that looked unsettlingly like relief. "The truth is I think we were better as friends." The words tumbled out in a rush, like he couldn't hold them back any longer.

My chest tightened, but it wasn't a painful kind of tightening. I'd felt the same way, but I didn't expect it to be the reason he'd been acting like this.

Owen's voice softened, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. "I don't want to lose the friendship we had."

I felt a soft smile tug at the corner of my lips. My shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "You're not going to. Because I don't want to lose you as a friend either."

His throat flexed on a hard swallow, and my stomach churned when his face didn't light up.

Owen's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "You may not feel that way after we finish this conversation."

My brows furrowed, and a chill ran down my spine despite the warm evening air. "What do you mean?"

His gaze dropped to the sand, his toes digging nervously into the beach. "I..."

The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words. I crossed my arms, bracing myself. "You what, Owen?"

Owen's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think I hooked up with someone at Jax's bachelor party."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. I stood frozen, my gaze locked on him, mind reeling as I tried to process his words. "You think?" The question came out strangled, disbelief coloring every syllable.

He winced, his shoulders hunching as if bracing for a physical blow. "I got really drunk and..."

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. "And what, Owen?" The words hissed out between clenched teeth. "What happened?"

"And when I woke up, I was in bed with someone else. Naked. But I don't remember anything."

My voice came out barely above a whisper, confusion etched in every syllable. "You cheated on me?"

Owen's shoulders slumped, his eyes unable to meet mine. "I'm so sorry, Cam." He ran a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away his guilt. "I swear I didn't want to hurt you. I don't remember anything. I was so trashed."

The words burst from me in a rush, hot anger coloring my cheeks. "Who? Who did you cheat on me with?"

Owen shook his head, his eyes darting everywhere but my face. "It doesn't matter."

Realization hit me like a punch to the gut. My eyes widened, my voice dropping to a horrified whisper. "Oh my fucking god, it's someone I know."

He reached out, his fingers grasping at the air as I jerked away. I threw up my hands, creating a barrier between us. "Do not touch me." I paused for a minute, trying to collect my racing thoughts. "You know you're right. We probably should have just stayed friends, but you should have just talked to me. Instead, you cheated on me."

"I know," he said. "I'm so sorry."

I took another step back. "I need some time to process this. I don't want to fight and ruin the wedding, so I just need you to give me some space, please."

I didn't wait for him to respond. I turned and stormed away, bolting back to the house. It was such a weird mixture of feeling coursing through me like a wildfire. I was hurt, but I wasn't devastated. I was upset, but I wasn't furious.

"Hey."

My head snapped up at the sound of Trystan's voice. The tall, lean man stood in the kitchen doorway, wearing a black fitted tee and dark ripped jeans. "I need..."

I barreled past him, my vision blurred with unshed tears. "Not now."

Trystan's brows pulled together as he rushed forward, one hand outstretched, stopping me. "What's wrong?"

I threw out my hand, palm facing him like a stop sign. My voice cracked as I pleaded, "Please, not now."

Trystan sucked in a deep breath, his nod slow and hesitant.

I stormed off, my footsteps echoing through the house like an angry thunderstorm. The slam of my bedroom door vibrated through the walls, a final punctuation to the chaos of the evening.

Inside, I leaned against the closed door, sliding down until I hit the floor. My mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, each vying for dominance. I needed solitude, a chance to untangle this mess of thoughts and feelings before I could face anyone again.