“Hope, get back here!” my father called after me.
I ignored him. My bare feet slapped against the wooden slats, my heart thudding painfully in rhythm.
“We are not done talking!” he shouted.
Oh yes, we were.
I didn’t answer. I just kept moving. The tears that had pooled in my eyes were spilling down my cheeks now as I stumbled up the steps of the deck and toward the side apartment.
The moment I got inside, I grabbed my suitcase and frantically started tossing things into it. I threw in clothes, toiletries, and whatever essentials I could grab the fastest. I didn’t care about anything else. I just needed enough to leave.
I zipped the bag and hauled it down the stairs, then went out through the garage toward my car.
Of course, because this was in fact a nightmare, Jay was there waiting for me. My father hadn’t seemed to catch up to us yet, and I was grateful, because already this moment was going to be horrible. I just knew it.
“Hope,” he said, slightly breathless from running. “Please stop.”
I shook my head, gritting my teeth and swiping at tears that were streaming down my face.
The sweet, romantic feelings from fifteen minutes earlier were gone. Hadn’t I told myself this would all go up in flames? I’d always known this wouldn’t end well.
And I’d been right.
“Hope, don't go. Please.”
“I can’t believe you’d betray me like this.” I spun around not bothering to hide the pain on my face.
“I—”
“No,” I cut him off. “No, there’s no explanation that can explain away what just happened. He told you to give me the job! And you never once said anything to me about it!”
I turned around again and headed for the trunk. I opened it and threw my suitcase in it.
“Hope, when I first agreed to help, I had no idea how bad your relationship was?—”
“I poured my heart out to you!” My voice cracked as I yelled. “I told you everything, and you still never told me he planned this entire thing. I thought I was doing this on my own. I thought you actually wanted to help me. That you actually felt something for me. And now I find out you were just doing a favor for my father.”
“I do feel something for you!” he said, matching my intensity. “Hope, I love you.”
I wanted to scream and rip my hair out. I stormed overto the driver's side door and gripped the handle so hard my knuckles went white.
“If you truly loved me, you would have been honest with me,” I whispered, too broken to yell anymore.
“I know,” he said, regret heavy in his voice. “I should have. But when you told me how much you hated your father…” He trailed off, jaw clenching. “I didn’t want to lose you.”
“Well, it’s too late for that,” I spat harshly, feeling like I was unraveling.
“Amor, please?—”
“I’m leaving Big Bear,” I cut him off while opening the car door roughly. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
I slipped into my seat and tried to slam the door, but his hand came out, gripping the door, temporarily halting my escape.
“Please,” Jay begged, desperation thick in his voice.
“Jay,” I said firmly, finally daring to look at him. “Let me go.”
“I can’t,” he said, and I felt my heart crack into what felt like a thousand pieces. It hurt so badly I almost reached up to clutch my chest to try and make it stop. “I’ll be here. Waiting for you,” he said softly. “When you want to talk. When you’re not so angry.”
