“She admitted to me she was here to write a story about me.”
“But I knew she would never betray you. I saw how the two of you looked at each other. She was never going to write that story.”
“But she lied. She could have told me.”
“Hunter,” he says gently, “has there never been a time in your life when you’ve done something you regretted?
“You need to decide whether a life without her is a life you want. Is this lie greater than the love you feel for her? Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think she loves you?”
“Stop,” my grandmother says softly. “Before you found out… did you think she loved you?”
“Yes,” I admit quietly.
“Then look inside your heart. Not at your anger. At the truth.”
I leave the study. Outside, I watch birds fly across the sky. I stand there thinking about everything my grandparents said. Thinking about Gina.
Beautiful, brilliant Gina. I pull out my phone. Twenty-five messages.
All from her.Iapologize. I love you. Please talk to me.
She hasn’t come back here to see me.
She’s respecting my boundaries.
And somehow that makes me respect her even more. I decide to go see her at the newspaper office. For one last conversation.
Because something my grandfather said stayed with me. She’s afraid of losing her job. I need to speak to this Holly. This editor in chief.
I need to make sure Gina keeps her job. Because even if we aren’t together, she deserves to follow her dreams.
And if someone is going to write a story about me, I’d rather it be her than anyone else.
It would hurt.
The betrayal would hurt more than anything.
But if her career means that much to her…
I want her to succeed.
Because I love her.
Even if that life doesn’t include me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Gina
“Oh my gosh. Guess who’s in the office looking for you?” Louise whispers into the phone after I answer it. Hearing her familiar voice almost makes me miss working at the newspaper. Almost, but not quite. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel positive about my time there. Not after everything that it cost me.
“I have no idea. How are you?” I say.
“I miss you. I can’t believe that you no longer work at theWhisper Cove Guardian. I don’t know how any of us are going to get by without you.”
