"You catch on quickly. I like that. So, listen, it's up to you if you want to stay and file or you can leave now. Just make sure you clock out. I'll see you on Saturday." "Bright and early," I said. "Thanks a lot, Deb." She stroked her stomach, pushed up from her chair with a groan. Grabbing her purse, she waved goodbye to everyone who was left at the office. There was only me and Jerika manning the desks, and two other guys in the conference room. I watched Deb as she waddled out of the office with that adorable pregnant lady walk. She opened the front door, and just before it closed someone stepped inside. Cameron's deep blue eyes met mine. He held my gaze captive. One thought after another raced through my mind in the three seconds that we looked at each other. One second. I miss you. Two seconds. I hate you. Three seconds. I fucking miss you. Then I yanked my gaze away and looked down at the files in front of me. Seeing nothing but his face in my mind. My heart knocking against my chest. God, he looked so damn beautiful. That black t-shirt again that molded the contours of his upper arms and chest, the dark dirty jeans, the steel-toed boots, the hard hat. A working man's clothes. A beautiful archangel's face. Of course, he'd be here. This was his workplace too, but I hadn't seen him at school or at work all day. To see him now was unexpected. My phone vibrated. Thomas: Be there in ten minutes. Finishing up my charting. There's a café close by. Let's go there and you can tell me all about the progress of your friend's problem. I focused on Thomas' text message but my brain wasn't absorbing it. I read it again. His work was just a two-minute drive from The Yard. He had an hour break and since I was done work, I agreed to meet him for coffee. I looked up again, but I couldn't find Cameron anywhere. When it was time, I gathered my things and clocked out. I stepped out of the building, my heart skipping a beat as I remembered that moment when Cameron covered my eyes when the sun was too bright. This time there was no sun. And there was no Cameron. Thomas pulled up his car in front of the office. He waved to me, smiling. I waved back. I was just about to walk to his car when a firm hand wrapped around my wrist. I looked up and found an angry Cameron. "Are you getting in that guy's car?" His eyes looked hard, his voice cold. I raised my chin. "Yes!" "Who is he?" "It's none of your—" "Kara," he said softly. Was it my imagination or was there pleading I heard in his voice? "Don't go." My heart. My heart. Please don't give in now. "Why?" "Because I don't want you to go with him." There was ringing in my ears. The hope and delight I felt in his words only made me angrier. More at myself now than him. "Sorry, boss. I'm done my shift. Now let me the hell go." I shook him off and he released me. With wooden legs, I walked to Thomas' car and got in the passenger seat. I could feel Cameron's eyes drilling a hole in my back. "Kara," Thomas said carefully. "Is that your boyfriend? I mean your friend's boyfriend?" "Yeah." I strapped my seatbelt on, refusing to look if Cameron was still there. Or if he left. My hands were shaking. "That's him." "I think I made a huge mistake," Thomas whispered. "What do you mean?" "I like you as a friend, but I don't know if I want to get beat up by that. He's a monster. He looks like he wants to break off all my bones, then feed them to his dogs. Like big, big scary dogs." "That's why you have to step on the gas and let's fly the fuck out of here." He let out a nervous laugh. "Good idea." I wanted to look back, wanted to know if he was still there, watching us drive away. I wanted to know why he stopped me, why he said those things he did. And why he didn't say the things I wanted him to say. "Go back," I said. "What?" Thomas asked, throwing me a glance. "I'm sorry, Thomas. Head back to the yard. I have to ask him something." "All right. Be careful. He looked mad." He drove us back to the yard. My heart jumped when I saw Cameron still standing in the same spot, as if he knew I was going to come back. Make a choice, my dad said. Then I will.