Page 27

AVERY

I swallow, thinking back to the time Damon and I went cliff diving at the Peninsula. I stood, toes curled over the edge of the damp rock with my stomach in knots, unsure of whether I wanted to jump when I closed my eyes and leaped.

The air whipped in my hair, threading through the strands and feathering over my face as the feeling of weightlessness surged through me.

And for one brief, breathless second, I felt both terrified and free—exactly how I feel now, standing on the edge of the truth with Damon, knowing once I jump, there’s no going back.

Once I tell him my truth, I can’t erase it. He’ll either understand, or he won’t.

Inhaling, I let the air fill my lungs, giving me the courage to say, “Turns out it wasn’t just a freak accident. My father asked the architect to cut corners on the design and when he refused, my father fired him and did it himself. That’s what caused the collapse.”

He shakes his head, frowning. “But the inspector said they couldn’t find a plausible explanation for the collapse. They said that they?”

“Knowing my father, he paid off the inspector,” I say, my tone bitter.

A beat of silence passes with Damon staring at me. His eyes are wide with horror, and his expression unreadable. “Six people were killed in that collapse.”

“I know. I remember that day well. The shock of hearing about it on the news first before my father told us what happened. I prayed like hell each time they recovered a body that there’d be no more—that it was nothing more than a terrible tragedy and the Astor group wasn’t responsible.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he asks, his expression wary. “What does this have to do with us?”

“Do you remember what happened at the end of that job with your dad?”

He lifts a shoulder. “That was the job he tore his rotator cuff. So what?”

“Apparently, just after the collapse, your dad started suspecting something with the design was amiss. At the time, he was already on leave and fresh out of surgery. My father said he had too much time on his hands and was asking a lot of questions. He freaked out and went on a rampage. He was scared to death that his livelihood was at stake, that if the media got wind of one of the contractors questioning the collapse, lawsuits would start rolling in. We could lose everything .”

Damon drags a hand over the back of his neck, a bitter laugh drifting from his lips. “So, you dumped me for money? That’s . . . rich.” He shakes his head, his mouth twisting cruelly. “No pun intended.”

“No. There’s more,” I rush to say. “Your dad’s surgery and time off should’ve been covered by workers’ comp via the Astor Hotel Group.

But my father was so freaked out, he altered the terms of coverage.

Your father’s surgery and time off would only be paid if he signed a contract that stated none of the Huhns could have any further personal contact with any Astors, nor could he talk about the collapse publicly if he received compensation. ”

Damon shakes his head. “None of this makes sense. Why would my dad make a deal like that instead of telling the truth? That’s not him.”

I shrug. “He only had emergency insurance coverage, so my father had him in between a rock and a hard place. If he didn’t agree, he’d be screwed. Plus, your dad might’ve had his suspicions, but I’m sure he never thought my father would purposely manipulate the building plans.”

“Still,” Damon says, staring out the windshield of his pickup, “Even if they had an agreement, what does that have to do with us?”

“Because if you and I continued dating, it would have broken the terms of the contract. Which meant even though your dad wouldn’t get his workers’ comp, he could still go public with any information he might have had on the Astor Hotel Group and their culpability in the collapse.

And my father wasn’t willing to risk that.

He demanded I put as much distance between us as possible, and I wouldn’t have listened, but .

. .” I swallow, summoning the last of my courage.

“The care my parents can provide Katie because of their money is undeniable. She has all the tools she’ll ever need, access to medical advancements, and the newest technologies to help her lead a life as close to normal as possible.

“My parents won’t be around forever, and once they’re gone, she’ll need twenty-four-hour care, something only money can provide.

Who knows what kind of life she’ll lead as an adult, but she’ll probably never get a real job or get married or forge a life of her own.

Hell, she’ll never be able to leave home.

So, if we lost everything, and there was no trust fund for her, no money to pay for her care .

. . What would she do?” I ask, my voice pleading for understanding as my eyes well with tears.

“I could risk myself. I could risk my inheritance because I don’t care about any of it.

That’s why I’m here, working and paving my own way for the first time in my life, but I couldn’t risk Katie.

And my father knew that. He leaned into that.

Reminded me of what was at stake. And as if that wasn’t enough, he scared me into thinking that if the truth broke and we were together, it might affect your football career at college, that no one would want a quarterback whose name has been associated with a scandal. ”

Damon flops back in his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He has to believe I did what I thought was best for everyone, especially Katie.

“Shit. This is a lot to take in,” he mutters.

I chuckle softly, but there’s no humor in it. “Tell me about it.”

Damon drags a hand over his face, while I hold my breath, waiting to see how he’ll respond to everything I’ve just told him.

“You could’ve come to me.” He turns, meeting my eyes. “You should’ve told me the truth, let us figure it out together.”

“I know.” I swallow, my chin quivering with fear that the truth will change nothing.

“But you have to understand, my father made it very clear what would happen if I didn’t comply and I was terrified.

” I look away, unable to bear the weight of his gaze.

“People were killed. My father deserves to pay with his legacy, jail time or whatever comes his way, but not Katie. And I didn’t know what else to do.

Doing as I was told and putting distance between us seemed like the only option. ”

“So, why now?” he asks, his green eyes earnest. “What’s changed?”

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Because I can’t do it anymore.

” The words tumble out of me, raw and unfiltered.

“I can’t wake up another morning knowing you’re somewhere in this world without me in it.

I’ve spent two and a half long years trying to convince myself I made the right choice, that walking away from you was the noble thing to do.

But every day without you has been . . .

” My voice cracks. “It’s been like drowning, Damon. Slowly. Day after day.”

I reach for his hand, half expecting him to pull away, but he doesn’t.

His fingers are warm beneath mine. They feel like a promise that maybe we can find our way through this, that somehow everything will be okay.

“And if everything you wanted to prevent comes to fruition, then what?”

I bite my lip, taking a leap of faith as I say, “Then we’ll cross that bridge together.

” Reaching out, I run my fingers over the sharp line of his jaw, feeling the muscles twitch beneath my fingers.

“Because I love you, Damon. I never stopped. And maybe it’s selfish, but I’m done sacrificing my happiness for everyone else’s. ”

His expression shifts, his gaze guarded. “And you think we can just pick up where we left off?”

The interior of the car shrinks, the space between us charged. “I don’t know, but even if I did, I can’t answer that for you. All I know is I couldn’t go another day wondering if you’re okay, if you’re happy.” I pause, my voice cracking. “If you hate me.”

Damon’s jaw works, his eyes focused on mine. “I wanted to. God knows I tried to hate you, Avery.”

My stomach sinks, taking my heart with it. Dropping my gaze, I stare at our clasped hands, wondering if this is it, if we’re really over. No more imagining what he might say when he knows the truth. No more hoping it might make a difference.

But then I feel the hot press of his fingers beneath my jaw, tipping my chin and urging me closer. “I could never hate you, though,” he whispers against my lips, and my heart flips. “No matter how hard I tried.”

His gaze drops to my mouth, and his breath fans across my face, warm and sweet, as the space between us disappears.

When his lips finally meet mine, the world falls away. The kiss is soft at first, almost tentative, as if he’s afraid I might shatter beneath his touch. Then he deepens it, his hand sliding to cup the back of my neck and drawing me closer.

I melt into him, my fingers threading through his hair, holding on as though he might vanish if I let go.

The kiss tastes like forgiveness and longing, like rain after a drought. Years of separation dissolve in seconds.

Lord knows I’ve imagined this moment a million times, but the reality of his kiss, his touch, after so much time apart is so much better than any dream I could ever conjure.

The blood buzzes in my veins, and my thoughts scatter, unsurprised to find my body remembers his touch like it was yesterday. Sliding my shaking hands from his hair to his face, my fingertips trace the sharp line of his jaw, feeling the slight rasp of his stubble beneath my touch.

Damon groans, the sound deep and primal as he pulls me closer, his tongue sweeping against the seam of my lips, beckoning me to open for him. Without hesitation, I part my mouth, and the taste of him is minty and sweet and so achingly familiar.

The calloused scrape of his palms slide from my jaw to the back of my head, tangling in my hair as he cradles me like I’m something precious, something he’s afraid might disappear.

Shifting in my seat, I angle into him as the center console digs painfully into my side, wanting nothing more than to be closer when a shrill ring pierces the air, vibrating between us.

Damon leans away from me with a jerk, breathless and disoriented, the spell of our kiss broken, as his gaze homes in on the direction of the sound coming from my purse.

“Shit,” he exhales as he pinches the bridge of his nose, then tries to catch his breath.

With my heart pounding through my ribs and my head in the clouds, I try to come back to Earth while the fear he might regret kissing me threatens to drag me down and ruin the moment.

The incessant ringing stops, then starts up again, as he nods toward it. “You should probably get that.”

I exhale a shaky breath, feeling slightly numb as I wordlessly reach for my purse.

With shaking hands, I unzip it and slide my phone out, glancing at the screen. In truth, I don’t really give a shit who’s calling me, but my thoughts are muddled, my brain kiss-drunk. I’m not thinking as I turn it over, only for my father’s name to be illuminated on the screen.

Hitting ignore, I glance back up at Damon to see his gaze harden on the caller ID, and my stomach drops, knowing I’ve ruined the moment.

I practically float down the hallway of Hyde Hall, my heart still doing cartwheels in my chest. The memory of my kiss with Damon still lingers on my lips, making it impossible to stop smiling.

Never in a million years did I imagine our night would end like this, and despite the call from my father interrupting us, I’m calling it a win.

With a bounce to my step, I find Brynn’s dorm room and knock with more enthusiasm than necessary, needing to tell someone about my evening before I explode.

Shifting from foot to foot, I’m practically bursting at the seams by the time Charlotte opens it. One look at my face and she grins. “Well?”

Without saying anything, I bulldoze past her, finding Brynn and Samantha huddled on one of the bunks. “We kissed,” I blurt.

Charlotte gasps, slamming the door behind me. “Shut up!”

Brynn squeals and leaps off the bed, like it’s spring-loaded. “Are you serious? Like— actually kissed?”

Samantha shrieks, grabbing a pillow and clutching it to her chest. “Tell us everything right now or I will combust.”

The room erupts into excited chatter and bouncing bodies, all three girls crowding me with wide eyes and giddy grins as I smile so hard my cheeks ache.

“Wait. Where’s Liz?” Brynn asks.

“Yeah, so Liz deserves an award for best wingwoman ever,” I say, sinking down into one of the empty desk chairs.

“Travis wanted to stay and play pool, but Damon said he had to get back early, so Liz swooped right in and offered to stay with Trav and hang out, leaving me and Damon to ride home alone.”

“And?” Brynn asks, wiggling her fingers. “Don’t hold out. We want details.”

“At first, it was a little awkward and tense, but then we got to talking, and I told him the truth?the real reason I broke up with him.” I sigh, leaning back in the seat as I remember the past few hours.

“And it went better than I could’ve imagined.

One minute, I’m telling him that I’m still in love with him, that I always have been, and hope he doesn’t hate me. And the next, he’s kissing me.”

Brynn sighs and rests her chin on her fist. “That’s so romantic.”

I grin, touching my lips as if I can still taste him. “It really is.”

“So, what happens now?” Charlotte asks.

I have no idea what this means for us. Being with Damon is a lot more complicated than simply asking for his forgiveness, but I can’t help but hope this is the start of something more.

“I don’t know,” I say, feeling lighter than I have in ages. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “I guess we’ll just have to see.”