I’d leave after she laughed in my face.

I lifted my hand to knock on Finn’s door, but it swung open before I could. There he stood, looking breathtakingly gorgeous as always. I had spent an hour out on the water, enjoying the solitude of the ocean. Everyone out there seemed to be trying to escape something. I wanted to escape it all. My life. Cory. My father.

And most of all…Finn. He was leaving me.

I didn’t even know how I felt about him anymore. I knew when Finn was around, my heart begged for me to forgive him. To give him another chance. But my head screamed just as loudly, and it called my heart a fool. How could I trust him after everything he’d done? After everything we’d been through?

I couldn’t. That’s how.

“Carrie? What are you doing here?”

I licked my lips and focused on him. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say yet. I probably should have thought that through. “I’m checking in to see if you heard from my dad yet.”

“He called. He was informed that Cory pressed charges against me.”

I closed my eyes. I’d been up all night worrying about that. “I told you he would do that. We’ll fix this. I’m sure if I speak to him, tell him who I really am, he’ll—”

“No.”

I stiffened. “Why not?”

“Because you’re not blowing your cover for me.”

“What if I want to?”

“I don’t care.” He lifted a brow. “Besides, your father’s taking care of it. I had to fabricate a story so that he wouldn’t know I was outed to you, but he bought it.”

Wait, if he lied and didn’t tell him about me knowing his identity, did that mean he was staying? Please God, yes. “What did you tell him?”

Finn quickly relayed the fabricated story, and I nodded. “That was quick thinking.”

“No, it wasn’t. I was up all night, waiting.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, anyway.”

I looked up at him. “Me either.”

Our gazes latched, and he turned a little bit red. “Look, Carrie, I—”

“Are you still leaving?” I asked at the same time.

He broke off. “Do you want me to?”

“I don’t want you to,” I said slowly, not dropping my gaze. “I want you to stay, but I get it if you can’t.”

“Can you ever forgive me? For lying?”

“I do forgive you.” I took a deep breath. All night long, I’d been asking myself this very question. Asking myself if I could ever understand his motivation. It wasn’t until I answered just now that I realized I already had. “I forgive you for it all. I understand why you did what you did.”

His eyes lit up. “Do you think you can ever… Can we ever…?”

I wished I could say yes, but he’d hit me where I was weakest. All my life, Dad had been paying people to get close to me. And the first man I fell in love with was one of them. It hurt too much. Brought back too many memories—none of them good.

He made a choking sound. “You don’t have to answer. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I’m so sorry,” my voice a mere whisper. It’s all I could manage past my aching throat.

He swallowed hard. “I love you, will always love you. I’m sorry I killed us before we even had a chance.”

And with that bombshell, he shut the door in my face.

Well, there you had it. I’d told her I loved her. Had asked for another chance. She’d said no. Chapter over. End of our story. I’d always known she was smart, and she’d proved it even more by rejecting me. She deserved more than I could give her. Security. Diamonds. A fucking mansion.

With another man, she could get all those things and more.

I slammed my fist into the wall, trembling from the force of the frustration and anger and pain storming through me. What had I been thinking, falling for her? What made me think I could find a way to make her forgive me, when I had so clearly fucked up? She didn’t love me. She never would.

A knock sounded on the door, and I yanked it open. Carrie still stood there. “How dare you?”

I closed my fist around the knob, ignoring the way my heart leapt at the sight of her. “How dare I what?”

She shoved my shoulders, and I backed up. “You don’t tell someone you love them and then just leave. What the hell is wrong with you?”

I rubbed where her hand had impacted with my shoulder and raised a brow. “You might as well sit if you want me to list everything. It could take all day.”

“Shut up, you idiot. God, you make me so…so…” She made a frustrated sound and covered her face. “Mad.”

I dropped my hand and held my breath. “Carrie?”

“Did you mean it?” She lifted her head, her eyes shooting a challenge at me I would gladly accept. Any day. Any time. Anywhere. “Do you really love me? Or are you just trying to trick me into thinking you do?”

I frowned at her. I wouldn’t dignify that with a response. “What do you think?”

“Finn.” She advanced on me. “I need to know. I need to hear it.”

I growled. With one quick step, I had her in my arms and I was kissing her. Kissing her so she would shut the hell up and stop shooting questions at me. Kissing her because if I didn’t, I might die. When she stopped squirming in my arms, and instead clung to me, I broke off the kiss.

Cupping her cheeks, I met her eyes and said, “I want to be your man. To show you how happy I can make you. I promise you, with all my heart and soul, that I’m not lying about this. I’m not making anything up. Not anymore.”

“Finn…”

“I’m falling in love with you, Ginger.” I kissed her nose. “Hell, who am I kidding? I’m already there. I’m not exactly used to this feeling. If you want me to leave, then I’ll go. You can fall for someone who is much more appropriate for you. If you want me to stay, I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy, or I’ll die trying. Just say the word.”

“My father’s going to kill you,” she said, tears falling out of her eyes. “Because I love you too.”

My heart stuttered to a stop, then sped back up to light speed. Beam me up, fucking Scotty. She loved me. “You do?”

“I do.” She kissed me gently, then shoved me back again. “But if you ever even think about lying to me again, I’ll cut off your balls and shove them so far up your butt you won’t even know they’re missing. Got it?”

I laughed. “Got it.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and she raised a brow. “Who is that?”

“Your father, no doubt.” I twisted around to yank it out, holding it down so she could see. No more secrets. Got the problem taken care of. Where is she now? “Hm. I can’t lie, so…” I picked her up and carried her to my bed, falling down on top of her. Then I texted, She’s still in bed.

Carrie laughed when I showed her what I wrote. “Tell him I’m with three different men, but not to worry. They’re all Ivy League.”

I growled and nibbled at her throat. “No way. You’re all mine.”

“No arguments here. Not anymore.” She clung to my shoulders and arched her throat to give me better access. “But he doesn’t know it, and he can’t.”

I lifted my head. “Why don’t you want to tell him? Is it because you don’t want anyone to know about me? About us?”

“What? No. No!” She smoothed my hair off my face. “I don’t want your father to lose his pension. He’s always been kind to me, and I need to return the favor. After this year is over, and after your father is done, we’ll tell my father together. Until then, we’ll wait.”

The fact that she cared enough about Dad’s well-being to lie to her own father only made me fall for her even more. “Are you sure?”

“Positive as a proton.”

I laughed and kissed her. My phone buzzed again, and I held it up so she could read. You’ll be returning home with her for winter break. Your father has requested you visit, so I arranged it all.