The real estate agent sends me updates every thirty minutes about the house. According to him, we have three buyers who are currently engaging in a bidding war over the property. I knew that might happen if I set the price low enough to entice buyers, but hearing it from the real estate agent’s mouth makes the whole process of selling the house very real.
I resist the temptation to head over there and check if Cal showed up. Instead, Violet, Delilah, Wyatt, and I decide to stick to the guesthouse and our private dock out back. I want to take advantage of the last few times I’ll get to enjoy the lake with my friends before the summer is over and the house is sold.
No one has brought up Cal since last night’s trip to the bar.
Cami and Wyatt play in the water while Delilah, Violet, and I sit on the dock, soaking up the sun.
“Aren’t you a little curious about the bidding war?” Delilah nudges me with her shoulder.
“Not really.” I tuck my phone away. In the end, whoever buys the house will be inconsequential.
“I would be.” Violet reapplies sunscreen on her face.
My phone vibrates with a new text. I expect it to be the real estate agent with another update, but Cal’s name flashes across the screen.
Do you still want to check out the buyer interested in purchasing the house and see if they’re legit?
I consider it. When I told Cal I wanted to find someone who loved the house as much as me, I thought I could bear the idea of speaking with them. But the more I think about it, the less I feel capable of doing that.
No. You can handle it.
A text from the real estate agent pops up before I lock my phone, letting me know that he has asked everyone to give him their best offers.
Already? How is that possible?
I call him right away.
“Alana! You won’t believe it.”
“What?”
“We had someone put in an offer for two million dollars.”
“Two?” I reach out for Violet’s shoulder to stabilize myself. When I lowered the price to a million, I expected to barely receive anything over asking price, but to have someone offer double?
I might faint.
I can feel the real estate agent’s excitement through the phone. “Yes! I’ve asked the other buyers who are interested in the property to put in their final offers within the next hour.”
“But—”
“This is the best-case scenario.”
For him or me? Based on how much he is charging, the agent will walk away with a pretty penny once all the paperwork is done, especially if the buyers are driving up the price.
My phone vibrates with a new message from Cal.
I just heard one of the buyers mentioning how they plan on bringing the house down to the foundation and completely rebuilding it because they prefer a modern open-floor plan. Are you sure you don’t want to meet with them?
I jump up.
Hell no. I refuse to let anyone who wants to buy the house tear it down.
Violet peeks up at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Can you all watch Cami for a little bit? I need to handle something back at the house with a buyer.”
Wyatt waves me away like it’s no big deal. “We’re going to do an ice cream run in a little bit if that’s fine with you.”
“Yeah, sure. She has a set of clean clothes laid out on her bed,” I reply over my shoulder before stomping toward the main house.
Over my dead body will someone purchase the house only to tear it down. Cal and I did not go through the process of renovating the whole thing for someone to erase all the history and charm we worked so damn hard to keep.
I’d rather pick the person with the cheapest offer who might actually love the place than give it away to someone who won’t appreciate the property.
I walk into the house with every expectation of finding people roaming the property. Except when I arrive through the back door, the only person around is the real estate agent, who stands at the kitchen counter with his phone pressed against his ear and a folder with sheets spread out in front of him.
“What’s going on?” I stop to catch my breath after powerwalking over here.
He hangs up the phone with a smile. “We just received another offer.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Ugh. “So, there are four in total?”
“Correct.” His gleeful clapping grates on my nerves.
“Where are they?”
“Two had to go check out another house having a showing at the same time, but the other two are waiting in the living room for our final decision.”
“Perfect.” I walk past the real estate agent, ignoring his shouts.
I follow the long hallway toward the low murmurs of two people talking, although I can’t make out what they’re saying.
I enter the living room. “Cal? Where did the other buyer go?”
He turns at the sound of my voice. “You came.”
“Of course I came. No way am I going to let some asshole tear down the house.”
A tall man almost the same height as Cal walks around him. He wears an expensive-looking suit with an equally fancy watch, looking out of place compared to Cal’s relaxed look of jeans and a linen shirt.
“And who are you?”
“The asshole who wants to tear down the house.” He holds out his hand. His fingers are long like that of a pianist, lacking any kind of callouses that would suggest hard work. “I prefer to go by Lorenzo Vittori, though.”
Lorenzo Vittori. The name sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. He doesn’t look like someone I know, but there is something about his dark gaze and eye shape that sparks recognition.
“Vittori?” I grip his hand and give it a quick shake.
“Yes.”
“Was your mother the one who used to work at the Hawthorns’ house by chance?”
His jaw ticks. “She was.”
“You two know each other?” Cal’s head tilts.
“Our mothers were friends before my family had to move away,” Lorenzo replies.
“How is she?” I ask out of politeness.
“Dead.” His voice is flat and void of any emotion.
Cal’s eyes widen as he looks over at me.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I offer.
Lorenzo doesn’t even blink. “Have you considered my offer, Ms. Castillo?”
Okay then. Safe to assume Lorenzo likes to get to the point.
“Not really, seeing as you want to destroy my house.”
“I prefer to describe it as tapping into a property’s true potential.” He smirks in a way that seems well-practiced, as if he trained himself to charm others. If it weren’t for his lifeless eyes, I would have believed it.
“I’m going to have to pass.”
His brows crinkle for a second before smoothing out. “What if I match the highest offer?”
“Which is?”
“Three million.” Cal tucks his hands into his pockets.
Wait. What? Last time I spoke to the agent, he said two million.
Lorenzo blinks twice in the most human display of emotion I’ve seen. “You’re joking.”
Cal grins. “Unless you want to counter, it looks like mine is the best and final offer.”
Mine is the best and final offer?
Mine?
Mine?!
Cal made an offer on his own house? Why would he do that?
The room spins around me as I try to wrap my head around what the hell is going on.
Lorenzo’s eye twitches. “You’re insane to pay that much on a place like this.”
Cal lifts a shoulder. “We do crazy things for the people we love.”
Lorenzo’s upper lip curls. “Let’s pray I never find out.” He tips his head in my direction. “Good day, Ms. Castillo. Wish you two the best of luck with this endeavor because you’re going to need it.”
He waltzes out of the room, taking his air of superiority with him.
“Asshole,” I say.
“Couldn’t agree more,” Cal grumbles. “I never thought he would leave.”
I turn to face him. “What the hell is going on, and why are you putting an offer on a house you own?”
Cal’s smile wavers. “Because I’m not the one buying the house.”
“What?”
“I’m speaking on behalf of a trust.”
“What trust?”
“The one I made for our future kids.”
The air whooshes out of me. “You opened a trust for our future kids?” I choke on the last two words.
“Yes.”
I reach out for the fireplace mantle to stop myself from keeling over. “But why?”
“Because I wanted to prove to you that the inheritance means nothing to me personally.”
Oh. My. God.
“How much is in the trust, Cal?”
He hesitates. “Does it matter?”
I shoot him a look.
He doesn’t hesitate as he says, “Twenty-six billion once we sell the house.”
“To Cami and whatever hypothetical children you think we are having one day.”
“To their trust. It’s a whole complicated legal loophole, but it works. Grandpa’s lawyer and I sorted it all out.”
My knees give out, but Cal wraps an arm around me before I crash to the floor.
“Twenty. Six. Billion. Dollars.” I pinch my arm, wince at the pain, before repeating the same move again.
Cal swats my hand away and rubs at the red spot. “They won’t have access to the whole thing all at once.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I was worried what might happen if the kids had the urge to blow through twenty-six billion dollars on a whim.”
His eyes narrow. “I can’t get a good read on how you feel about all of this.”
“I’m not even sure myself.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes.” My eyes mist.
So damn happy. Not because of the money—there is no way I would let Cal give up his entire inheritance—but because we get to keep the house.
His arms tighten around me. “Then it was worth it.”
“How is this even possible?”
“You wanted the house, so I found a way to keep it.”
“Iris was right.”
His head tilts. “About what?”
“She said if I wanted something, you would find a way to make it happen.”
He grins. “You should know by now I’d do anything for you.”
My heart squeezes. “Anything?”
He clasps onto my chin. “Absolutely anything. Although I can’t take all the credit for this plan. Without my grandpa’s lawyer dropping a cryptic hint, I would have never thought about opening a trust.”
“I’m still wrapping my head around that.”
“Why you would give anyone that kind of money in the first place.”
“It’s not anyone. It’s our family.” His smile reaches his eyes.
My legs threaten to buckle, but Cal holds me up.
Shit. I never stood a chance against him once he got sober. Hell, I barely stood a chance when he was still drinking, which only proves how screwed I was from the very beginning.
He brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “I told you selling the house never had anything to do with an inheritance.”
“So, you decided to give it all up to prove a point?”
“Without you agreeing to sell the house, there would be no inheritance to give in the first place.”
“We really get to keep the house?” I ask again to confirm.
His smile grows. “Only if you accept my final offer.”
I look around the room. “Where are the other buyers?”
“I scared them away.”
“You?” A laugh explodes out of me, making Cal’s grin widen.
“Did you bribe them?”
He shakes his head.
“Threaten them?” I probe.
“No. I’m not Declan.”
I bite back my laugh. “Then what?”
“I explained my situation and how I was trying to win back the woman I love.”
A warmth blooms in my chest, right above my heart. “Then what happened with Lorenzo?”
“Asshole refused to back down. Said he didn’t know what was more disappointing: me making poor life choices for something as fickle as love, or everyone else walking away after I confessed I was hopelessly in love with you and desperately needed to buy the house.”
“Hopelessly in love with me, you say?”
The butterflies in my stomach flutter as he cups my chin. “I’ve always loved you, although at first it was platonic and innocent. But the love grew as we did, morphing into something more mature. Something strong enough to stand the test of time and distance every single year. A love built on memories of the past and a hope for the future.” He tucks a wave of hair behind my head. “A future I can’t see with anyone but you.”
My heart pounds furiously against my chest as if it wants to be heard.
He keeps going while clasping on to my trembling chin. “Purchasing the house isn’t about buying your love or trust or anything like that. I know that will only come with hard work and proving to you that I’m committed to being the best version of myself for both of us. The only reason I want to buy the house is because I want to buy into the future you want, whether it’s with me or someone else.” His voice cracks.
“Although I desperately hope you want that future with me. The one with the kids and the dock and all those model ships you want to build every summer. I want to spend my life daring you to do shit you’re afraid of, while having you push me to do the same. Just like I want to become the man you always dreamed I could be once I got my life together.”
My heart swells at his words. “I thought you hated this place.”
He shakes his head. “I hated being reminded of the person I could have been had I gotten better sooner.”
I reach up and cup his cheek. “And now?”
“I see it through your eyes, and now I can’t imagine being anywhere else but at your side—whether you are at the lake or on the other side of the world. Wherever you go, I want to follow. Whatever you accomplish, I want to be there to congratulate you. And whenever you struggle, I want to be there to pick up the pieces and hold you together until you’re strong enough to stand on your own.”
A tear slips down my cheek. “What changed?”
“I did.” He grips on to the back of my neck and pulls me forward. “Staying sober is going to be a process. Thirty days in rehab is a good start, but it’s not an instant cure for a lifelong addiction. I’ll have to put in the work and commit to bettering myself every single day. I only hope you’re willing to share the journey with me, because God, I want you to. I know I don’t deserve another chance, but I’m begging you to give me one anyway. Just give me one last chance to show you that I can be the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. That I can be the one to turn your dreams into realities.”
I take in the man I’ve loved since before I even understood what the word meant. “One last chance?”
He nods.
I cradle his face and press my lips against his. “Break my heart again and I’ll put a bullet in you for real this time.”
He smiles against my mouth. “Be sure to aim for the heart then, because that’s the only way you’ll keep me away.”
I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and rise on the tips of my toes, so our lips are only a few inches apart. “Deal.”
