10. Chapter Ten
Ten
Chapter Ten
Cameron
I tear down the narrow street toward Cricket’s cottage, gravel spraying under my tires as I whip into the driveway. My heart hammers against my ribs, frantic, my hands slick against the steering wheel.
She’s leaving.
Luke told me, his face tight with sympathy, when he broke the news fifteen minutes ago. Said he overheard Abby and Natalie talking.
I cut the engine, jumping out before the car fully stops, not caring that the door hangs open behind me.
She can’t leave. Not like this.
I sprint up the steps, two at a time, and pound on the door. The world feels like it’s tilting off its axis. I can’t lose her. I won’t.
“Cricket!” I shout, knocking harder. “Please open the door.”
No answer.
“Cricket!” I bang again, desperation rising thick in my throat. “Please. Don’t do this. Talk to me.”
The door finally creaks open an inch, and her face appears—beautiful and guarded and breaking my heart.
Her bags are packed behind her, she’s really leaving.
“Cameron,” she says softly, her voice raw. “What are you doing here?”
“Stopping you,” I choke out. “I’m not letting you walk away without knowing the truth.”
She closes her eyes briefly, pain flashing across her face, and I realize I’m seconds from losing everything that matters.
I step forward, bracing my palm against the door to keep it from closing. I lower my voice, willing her to hear me—not just with her ears, but with her heart.
“I made mistakes,” I say quietly. “I should’ve told you about Star Mountain. I should’ve trusted you with everything from the start. I didn’t think it mattered at first, and once I realized how I felt about you, I was scared—scared of complicating what we had, scared of losing you before I even had the chance to know you. But none of it—none of it—was ever about playing you or hiding from you.”
Tears pool in her eyes, but she says nothing.
I press on, desperate, my voice rough with emotion. “Cricket, from the first moment I met you, everything changed. You made me want things I’d stopped believing in. You made me feel alive again. And I got selfish. I didn’t want anything to ruin it.” I take a shaky breath, trying to hold myself together. “I didn’t expect you. I didn’t expect to find something real here, with you. But I did. And I love you for it.”
Her breath catches audibly.
I step closer, lowering my forehead to the edge of the door, willing her to feel the weight of my truth. “I love you, Cricket. I didn’t plan it. I didn’t even know it was possible anymore. But it’s real. It’s the truest thing ever felt.”
Her hand trembles against the door, but she doesn’t push me away. She doesn’t slam it shut. She stays. And for the first time in hours, I let myself hope.
“Please,” I whisper. “Don’t leave. Not yet. I’m asking for forever. I’m asking for now. For today. For every day you’ll give me.”
Tears spill over her lashes, and she presses a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob.
I reach for her, cautiously, giving her every chance to pull away. When she doesn’t, I brush my knuckles softly down her cheek, wiping away the tears that break me to see.
“I’m sorry,” I say again, voice breaking. “I’m so damn sorry.”
She trembles under my touch, but finally, finally, she steps forward, pushing the door open wider, her arms sliding around my waist. I catch her against me instantly, holding her so tight that we’ll always be one.
“I’m scared,” she whispers into my chest, her voice broken and small.
“I know,” I whisper back fiercely, kissing the crown of her head. “I am, too. But we’re stronger together. I swear it, Cricket.”
She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her beautiful eyes searching mine.
“No more secrets?” she asks softly, fragile hope shimmering in her voice.
“No more secrets,” I vow, my voice thick with the weight of it. “Only honesty. Only us.”
She studies me for a long, agonizing heartbeat. And then she nods. Once. Firm and sure.
Relief slams into me so hard I almost stagger.
I kiss her—soft and reverent at first, then deeper, fiercer, pouring everything I have into her. She kisses me back with a desperation that matches my own, her fingers tangling in my shirt like she’ll never let go again.
And God, I hope she never does.
When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing hard, smiling shakily.
“Stay with me,” I say, brushing a curl behind her ear.
She hesitates only a second before nodding again, this time with a smile that lights up the dark, battered corners of my soul.
“I’d like that,” she whispers.
And just like that, hope blooms wildly in my chest again. We’re not over, we’re just beginning.
* * *
Cricket
I sit beside Cameron on the sand, the sun dipping low into the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and soft purples. His hand is wrapped firmly around mine, grounding me, anchoring me to this moment.
I glance sideways at him, at the man who nearly shattered my heart—and somehow, still made me believe again.
Hearing him say he loved me, hearing the raw desperation in his voice, the sincerity, broke something loose inside me. Something I’d been holding onto too tightly. Fear.
I’ve spent so much time protecting my heart that I almost missed the chance to give it to someone who might deserve it.
I squeeze his hand gently, feeling his answering squeeze immediately.
“So,” he says lightly, breaking the comfortable silence. “Where do you want to go tomorrow?”
I smile softly, letting the question settle between us. He’s not pushing. He’s giving me space, choice. A future without demands.
“Surprise me,” I say finally, leaning my head against his shoulder.
He chuckles, low and warm, pressing a kiss into my hair. “Careful what you wish for.”
We sit quietly for a while longer, listening to the waves, the occasional call of a seabird. Everything feels softer now, more fragile and precious. Like a bubble we both know might burst if we move too suddenly.
“You scared me,” I admit softly, not lifting my head.
He tenses slightly beneath me. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’m scared now, too,” I continue, voice trembling slightly. “Of how much I want this. How much I want you.”
His arm tightens around me, pulling me closer. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
I close my eyes, breathing him in—salt and sunlight and something warm and uniquely Cameron. Together.
“I love you, Cricket,” he says with a smile.
“I love you, too,” I say.
“God, I love hearing you say that. It makes me want to take you back to the cottage and show you just how much you mean to me.”
“Then do it,” I murmur, closing the distance between us.
His kiss is everything I remembered—soft and wild and endless. His arms wrap around me, pulling me into his warmth.
When we finally break apart, breathless and smiling like fools, Cameron stands and lifts me into his arms.
“I’m not letting you go again,” he whispers fiercely.
“You won’t have to,” I whisper back, my heart steady for the first time in days.
He kisses me again as he carries me to the cottage. I can’t wait to feel him inside me again, and I tell him just that. His pace quickens, and he takes the stairs two at a time. Finally, we fall into my bed.