“What? Talk to me, Gan. What is it?”

Giving in, Gannon relayed the harsh details to her, watching her eyes widen as he explained how Cam’s mother had been away on a business trip when she’d died.

“Oh, the poor guy.”

“I thought he was a prick?” Gannon mused, sitting up and putting his elbows on his knees.

“So you asked him about his mother?”

“No. He told me.”

“Did you tell him about your parents?”

That was the worst part of it all. Gannon had told Cam about how he’d been disowned by his parents, kicked to the curb because he couldn’t live up to their expectations, wasn’t who they wanted him to be. Much in the same way Cam had kicked him out tonight. But still, here he was.

“Yeah,” he admitted.

“What a prick,” she muttered.

Gannon’s lips tried to turn up into a smile, but halfway there, they gave out.

“Don’t move,” Milly said, patting his knee. “I’ll get you a drink.”

He didn’t need a drink, but he didn’t say as much. He needed a new heart, for someone to take the broken one out of his chest and replace it with one that was a hell of a lot less fragile. Indestructible would be nice.

Milly returned a few minutes later with a tumbler of scotch. “Have you packed?”

Yeah, he’d packed. He was all set for their flight out tomorrow morning.

Physically, anyway.

Mentally, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to go.

Twenty-Eight

The next morning, Cam found himself standing on the dock just before sunrise. He hadn’t slept for shit, tossing and turning, waking up from a nightmare that reminded him so much of the day the cops had shown up to tell Cam’s father that Cam’s mother wouldn’t be coming home ever again.

Only, in his dream, the cops had come to talk to him. And the person they’d said wouldn’t be coming home was Gannon.

“Hey, man. What’s kickin’?”

Cam glanced over to see Dare approaching, his feet bare, ball cap on backwards, wearing a white tank top and shorts. He looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world, and Cam envied him.

Turning his attention back to the water, Cam sipped from his coffee cup.

“Did Gannon leave for Singapore today?”

Cam nodded, the coffee burning down his throat, feeling like acid as it settled in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how Dare knew that Gannon was leaving, but he didn’t have it in him to ask. Maybe he’d said something, maybe Gannon had. Who knew? Who cared? The fact of the matter was, Gannon was on a plane to Singapore.

Dare came to stand beside him, hands in his pockets as he stared out at the water.

“He’s gonna be fine, you know.”

No, Cam didn’t know, but he appreciated the sentiment. It was what he’d expected last night from Roan, but Cam got the impression Roan had actually been relieved that he’d broken up with Gannon. When he hadn’t been thinking about Gannon, worrying that he would be found dead in some hotel room, worried that he would never, ever get over the man he’d fallen in love with, Cam had tried to figure out why Roan wouldn’t have been more supportive.

“I broke up with him,” Cam muttered.

“What?” Dare turned toward him, adjusting his ball cap as he stared at Cam, frowning. “Are you fucking crazy?”

Yeah, he was pretty sure he was.

“Dude, seriously,” Dare huffed. “Please don’t tell me you sent him packing because you’re scared.”

Cam glared at his friend.

“What? Someone has to call you on this shit, bro. I could rub your ass and make you feel better, but that won’t help. Roan’s been doing that for too long.”

Cam frowned. Rub his ass?

“I’m just sayin’,” Dare continued. “I only want you to be happy, and to be honest, Gannon’s the best thing that’s happened to you in a long damn time. Sure, he’s a nerd”—Dare raised his hands in his I surrender move when Cam narrowed his eyes—“but that seems to work for him. And you…”

“What about me?” Cam asked.

“You’re different when you’re with him. Not quite so … reckless.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“I didn’t say it was good or bad. But seriously, bro, you’re willin’ to bungee jump off the Macau Tower, but you can’t take a fucking leap and fall in love with some guy who obviously makes you feel more alive than any of that crazy shit you do.”

“Whatever.” The way Dare made it sound, Cam was using his fear as an excuse. He was not using this as an excuse. The panic attack was proof.

“Last I checked, there was like a one in fifteen million chance that you’ll die in a plane crash. Now, I don’t have a clue what the statistic is for … you know … but I do know that the chances are slim. How many times has Gannon gone to Singapore?”

Cam shrugged. He didn’t know. Hadn’t bothered to ask.

“Well, I’m sure it’s more than this one time. And he’s come back every time. Wasn’t he in Cali a couple of weeks ago?”

Cam didn’t answer. He didn’t like where Dare was going with this.

“Man, I love you and all, but seriously. You’re your own worst enemy. Give the guy a chance.”

“Why didn’t Roan give me this encouragement?” he mused aloud.

“Are you fucking serious?” Dare’s voice was low. “The guy can’t see past his own love for you.”

“What?” Cam froze, turning to look at Dare. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Ah, hell. I forgot. You can’t see it, either. He’s so fucking in love with you—or at least he thinks he is—it’s awkward to be in the same room with the two of you together.”

Cam had no idea what Dare was talking about. Roan wasn’t in love with him. That was fucking absurd. “Bullshit.”

“Call it what you want,” Dare said with a shrug. “I call it as I see it.”

Cam turned away, his mind spinning with all the information Dare had just thrown at him.

“Well,” Dare said, clicking his tongue, “it’s been romantic as hell watchin’ the sun rise with you and all, but quite frankly, you’re just not my type. I’ll see you in the office later. Cool?”

Cam nodded, not bothering to watch Dare as he walked away.

Roan was in love with him?

There was no way that was true. He would’ve realized it, wouldn’t he? They’d been friends for… Christ. They’d been friends for twenty-five years. Ever since they were seven years old. Never once in all that time had he gotten the impression Roan felt anything for him.

Not that it mattered. Cam didn’t have those feelings for Roan. No, he couldn’t imagine his life without the guy, but he also couldn’t imagine… A chill raced down his spine as he thought about kissing Roan. It would be like kissing his brother.

Not cool.

As he stood there, trying to assemble all of his jumbled thoughts, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Retrieving it, he checked the screen to see a text message. Well, more like a text novel.

This is Milly. Remember me? We’re on the plane getting ready to leave Austin. I’ve spent the last few hours thinking about what I wanted to say to you. And though I think you’re being a douche, I kinda get it. I don’t approve, but I get it. But that’s not why I’m texting you. I’m sending you this because it’s the first of many you’ll get from me for the next week. I’m gonna walk you through this. I’m gonna show you that Gannon’s okay. If I have to send you a million texts a day just to get through that thick skull of yours, I will. Because he’s my friend and what you did to him last night… You broke his heart, which is not cool. Now, you can’t tell him I told you that cuz he’ll kill me, but still, it’s true. So, be expecting me to blow up your phone. And I want you to do me a huge favor while we’re gone. Think about Gannon. Think about what you have with him. Because if you let him walk out of your life, you’re not only a douche, but you’re also stupid. TTYL.

Cam stared at his phone for long minutes, rereading the text message again and again. He was running through it again when another message came in.