Page 130

The second I was by the coffee pot, papers were slapped onto the counter. I jumped and turned, only to see Cain glowering at me like he had been when I had talked to Lucas. His arms were crossed, and underneath his hat, his eyes were sharp.
No, this wasworse.
“You okay?” I asked slowly. Did I piss him off in my sleep? Did he regret sleeping with me?
Neither of those were good options.
“Your final offer for the farm came in. Hand delivered by whoever the fuck you were talking to.” He shook his head. “And to think, I almost didn’t hate you.”
He stormed away before I could say anything, slamming the door behind him. My jaw was on the floor.
What the hell? An offer for the farm? I looked at the papers he’d left behind.
I saw a number way too high for the value of the land, written on the header of Trevor’s parents’ company. They’d listed it as the final offer based on my demands—like I’d fucking had any.
I flipped through, horror only growing as I saw their list of plans. Houses, houses, and more houses. I hadn’t even seen it in person, and I knew it was wrong.
And on the last page, I saw a note. One that made it all so much worse.
You know the right choice, Mollie. This is more than enough money. Say yes.
Had Trevor been the one to deliver these? Had he comehere?
My stomach roiled. I didn’t think he cared enough, but then again, his emails had become increasingly insistent.
I darted out the door after Cain. He was halfway across the field by the time I followed him.
“Cain!” I yelled, pushing my legs as fast as they would go. “Wait!”
I didn’t know if he would even bother. I wouldn’t if I were in his position.
But he stopped, and a minute later, I caught up.
“I don’t wanna hear your apologies,” he said slowly.
“I-it’s not that.” I struggled to catch my breath while he fully turned to me.
“What else could you possibly say? You looked me in the eye and pretended to care about this place while you were trying tosellit. I don’t even wanna look at you.”
“I wasn’t trying to?—”
“I saw the paperwork. It mentionedoffers.It mentioned that you haddemands.And I guess they met them.”
He turned to walk away. “Hey!” I grabbed his arm and dragged him back.
“Let me go.” His voice was barely controlled.
“No!” I snapped. “You need to at least hear my side of it before you make your call. Admittedly, I should have told you that I’d gotten emails about offers, but I thought ignoring them was enough!”
“According to the paperwork, you had demands.”
“It’s how Trevor negotiates,” I said. “He takes silence and makes it into something it isn’t. Cain, I’m not selling the land. He just wants me to.”
“Why?”
“I—” My mouth closed. I knew why. He wanted me to severties with this part of myself, to completely be what he wanted me to be. But try as I might, I couldn’t say it. “It was just a money thing.”
Cain let out a humorless laugh. “Somehow, I doubt that. I know how much this land is worth. That was double it.”