Chapter 44
Camryn
W rapping my arms around myself, I stood on the terrace, staring into the distance as the sun began to set behind the ocean. This morning had gotten so out of control, but thankfully, we'd all managed to behave like adults for the rest of the day for the sake of Kaia and Jax.
Kaia, Syn, and I spent the day running last-minute wedding errands while Jax, Trystan, Owen, and Harlow did... Well, actually, I had no idea what they were doing, but I hadn't heard about a murder, so I was taking it as a win.
A shadow cut through the evening light below, drawing my attention. Owen's familiar silhouette emerged from beneath the terrace, his bare feet slapping against the concrete of the pool deck as he made his way toward the beach.
My gaze followed him until his feet hit the sand, and my chest tightened with the realization that I needed to talk to him, and I needed to do it without Trystan. I wasn't sure if enough time had passed for everyone to cool off, but I needed to try.
I rushed for the door, desperate to catch him before he disappeared down the beach. But just as I reached for the handle, it swung open, and Trystan's tall, lean frame filled the doorway.
His face lit up, dimples appearing in both cheeks. "Hey."
"Hey." I shifted my weight, unable to match his warm smile. "I need to go do something really quick."
His eyebrows lifted. "What?"
"Uh." My teeth caught my bottom lip as I edged around him. We'd promised no more secrets, and I couldn't lie to him, even knowing it was going to be a fight. "I need to talk to Owen." I squared my shoulders, lifting my chin. "And I need to do it without you."
His smile died, replaced by something dark that turned his usual warmth to ice. Each step toward me was deliberate and measured.
"Oh, hell no." The words came out low, each syllable sharp enough to cut. "No fucking way."
"Trystan." I pressed my palm against the doorframe. "I don't want to fight with you about this."
Trystan's nostrils flared, his body coiling like a spring. "Camryn, if he talks to you like he did this morning, I will kill him."
"He was angry..." The words sounded weak even to my own ears.
"I don't give a fuck if his dog just died." Each word came out clipped as he crowded closer, the veins in his neck standing out. "He will never talk to you like that again."
My palm found his chest, feeling his heart hammering beneath my fingers. "Trystan." His name came out somewhere between a plea and a command. "I need you to trust me and get out of my way."
His jaw worked back and forth, hands opening and closing at his sides like he was fighting the urge to reach for me. "I do trust you, Cam." A muscle jumped in his cheek. "I do not trust him, and if he does something stupid..."
"He won't," I said. "Everyone's had time to cool off now, and I need to clear the air with him. I need to fix this so we don't ruin this weekend. So I don't ruin everyone's friendship."
"Every muscle in my body wants to stop this. I want to throw you over my shoulder and keep you from going out there, but..." The corners of my lips lifted softly. "But if you really need to do this, then I won't stop you."
"Thank you." He stepped to the side, and I rushed forward, only stopping when he tugged my arm.
"Cam, if he..."
"He won't..." I said more confidently than I felt. The truth was I had no idea how Owen would react to me, but I needed to try. We needed to talk.