Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires, #3)

by Lauren Asher

I wish I had swallowed my pride and apologized sooner, so you didn’t have to read it in this letter. Better yet, I wish I had never used your addiction against you and said all those hurtful things I did in the first place, thinking it would be a push in the right direction. You were never a failure, kid. I was.

“You always deserved better than me.” I rip my arm free of his hold. “No. I deserved better from you.”

“I’m Cami.” She holds out her hand for me to shake. “Cal.” I’m on autopilot as I clutch her small palm. The size difference between us is comical, but her grip is strong as she shakes my arm like a pool noodle. “Hi, Cow-l.” “Cal,” I repeat slower this time, emphasizing the ah sound. “Cam-eee.” She drags out her name while pointing at her chest, instantly making me feel like an idiot for trying to teach her how to properly say my name. Who cares how she says it? Just get out of here. “Well, it’s been great talking to you…” I take a step around her. “Wait.” Jesus, take the wheel and drive me off the nearest cliff please.

“You owe me a dollar.” I blink down at her. “For what?” “The swear jar.” She holds out her hand. “Dinero, por favor.” “The swear jar? What the hell is that?” Her big eyes stretch wide. “Uh-oh. Now you owe me two dollars.” “I see they’re teaching extortion from a young age.” “What’s extorshee-on?” I give my head a good shake. “Forget about it.”

“The fucking snake,” I blurt out. Cami gasps. I flinch. “Shit.” Her mouth drops open. “Damn?” My voice cracks. She shakes her head back and forth. I sigh as I pull out my wallet yet again and hand her three more hundred-dollar bills. The way her eyes light up as she squeezes the money is kind of endearing.

I shake my head, ignoring the voice in my head beckoning me to stop before I take the first sip. Always a disappointment. I pause as my lips touch the rim of the glass. You’re better than this. No. I’m really not. I knock back the first drink with a few swallows before pouring myself a second glass.

“I’m so sorry.” His grip tightens. “I wish…” He pauses, as if considering whether he should speak or not. “I should have been there for you.” The way he says it with absolute certainty makes me believe him. Our gazes connect. Something unspoken passes between us before he wraps his arms around me and tucks me against his chest. My body relaxes instantly in his hold, and a feeling of rightness consumes me. Any anger, frustration, and heartache from the last few days melts away like it never existed in the first place. I know the relief is only temporary. That the moment he lets go, reality will come crashing down around me.

Kill them with kindness, Mom used to say. I hope my father chokes on it.

thing that made me feel special. He poked and prodded until I spiraled, turning myself into a copy of the person I resent most. Him.

you’ll never be able to move on to someone new if you’re still holding on to the memory of someone else.” My stomach churns. “I’m not holding on to the memory of someone else.” “Really? Then give me your wallet.” She holds out her hand. “No.” She crosses her arms against her pink T-shirt. “Exactly like I thought.” My eyes narrow. “Holding on to a photo isn’t a crime.” “It’s not the photo but what it symbolizes that matters.” “And what’s that?” “That a part of you will always love a part of her, no matter how hard you try to deny it.” “It’s impossible not to love her.” Iris leans forward. “So you admit that you love her.” “I never denied it in the first place. Those kinds of feelings don’t just go away, as much as I wish they did.” “I don’t have a good feeling about this.” She rubs her temple. “No need to worry. I know that there is no chance in hell that we are ever getting back together.” I made sure of that the moment I walked away from her, turning her fear of abandonment into a reality. And I’ve never forgiven myself.

My phone buzzes from an incoming text. Iris He just burned himself taking the bread out of the oven and then proceeded to curse in five different languages. My sadness dissipates with a laugh. Shouldn’t you be helping him? Iris We’re a modern couple, Cal. He cooks. I watch. He cleans. I also watch. Is that the key to a successful marriage? Iris That and a big dick. I choke on my sudden inhale of air.

This is exactly what I was afraid of if he came back. It was always easy to pick back up where we left off every summer, like no time was lost between us. But we lost more than time over the last six years since he left. We lost out on whatever future we might have had together.

“Whatever. It was stupid of me to get pissed. So long as he makes you happy, that’s what matters.” This is the Cal I fell in love with. The selfless man who would stop at nothing to make me happy, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness in the process. It reminds me so much of how he was before the pills, alcohol, and lies.

“Enough!” I shove the other two trophies away before he destroys those too. “Get angry. Get loud, but don’t get violent. You’re better than that.” He throws his hands in the air. “Am I? Or am I just biding my time until I turn into him?” He doesn’t need to clarify which him he is speaking about because I already know. It’s written all over his face. My chest pinches, the tight sensation making each breath I draw painful. “The only thing you two have in common is an addiction issue.” “You’re right. Because unlike me, my father is successful. He has a legacy. What do I have?” “For starters, a heart.” He frowns. “Who cares? What has that gotten me in the long run? Pain? Misery? Disappointment?” He looks up at the ceiling with a sigh. “I can’t get a single thing right. My whole entire life has been one failure after another, and I’m so fucking tired of pretending it doesn’t bother me.”

Tomorrow, I’ll be angry about him being drunk in the house. But today… Today he needs a friend. I pull him into my arms and wipe away the tear, banishing it from existence like it never happened. “You haven’t failed at everything.” “Name one thing.” I don’t miss a beat. “You made it into the NHL.” He scoffs. “Only to lose my spot a few years later.” “So what? Not many people can say they even got that far in the first place.” “I didn’t even win a championship.” His voice sounds so small. So unsure. So broken. It tears me up inside, knowing someone as vibrant and lively as him can be riddled with this many insecurities. Sometimes it is those with the loudest voices who struggle the hardest. “Life is about perspective. Until you change yours, you’ll always be tied to this.” I hand him the vodka bottle. He clutches the bottle with a death grip. I lock the image away in my head, reminding myself that no good can come of Cal and me being around each other. Even after all these years apart, he still hasn’t put in the work to change himself. No matter how much I love him, it was and never will be enough so long as he doesn’t love himself. That much I know to be true.

“Is Mr. Kane here?” I haven’t seen him since he disappeared inside of the attic an hour ago. An idea dawns on me. I pout. “Actually Cal isn’t able to make it today, so it might be best if we reschedule.” “Oh. Okay then. When are you thinking?” “Does December work for you?” He looks down at the calendar on his phone. “Of this year?” I shake my head. “The next.” One of Mr. Thomas’s brows raises in question. “I’m not booking that far out yet.” “A pity then. I’ll be sure to have Cal give you a call in a year then.” Speaking of the devil, his steps echo off the vaulted ceiling as he runs down the stairs two at a time. “Ignore her. She’s just joking.”

If he found out about all the mistakes I made, he would be furious. Not at me. But for me. And I know with all my heart that I can’t risk what a reaction like that might do to me, so I do what Cal has always done best. I run.

Guilt always hits me first. It tramples all sensible thoughts, making me feel like a shitty person for being jealous of Delilah and Wyatt. Of wanting what they have and wishing it were me who was able to find someone special. As quickly as the guilt arose, it fades away, leaving me with a hollow feeling in my chest—the same feeling I always get when I think about going home tonight and crawling into bed alone. Better to be alone yet secure than in a relationship and worried.

“Who lied to you and called you pretty?” She bats her lashes. “You did…while I was between your legs with my tongue deep inside your needy cunt.” Take that, you little witch. She chokes on her breath. “God.” “Please, no need to call me God outside of the bedroom. It gives me a complex.”

Caffeine, Adderall, and I don’t usually mix well. But now that I’m working until late, long after my medicine wears off, I need a little pick-me-up in the afternoons.

Me

“What the hell are you doing here?” “Isn’t it obvious?” I hold up my bag. Her nose wrinkles. “Since when do you read?” “It took me a few decades, but I finally got the hang of it.”

This is the reason why I want to create distance between us. Because it’s the little things Cal does—the things that most people might not even notice or care much about—that get me every single time.

His gaze locks on to mine. “I always thought we were meant to be. I might have screwed up the timing a bit, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is no one I want more in this world than you.”

“I don’t resent you. I just want to cut off your airflow and watch your face turn purple every now and then.” “Under the right circumstance, I’d love to play out your fantasy.” He winks. “Sure. Our safe word can be more.”

“You’re hard.” “Astute as always.” I blink twice. “Why are you hard?” “Because you exist.”

“If you want to be friends—real friends—you can’t manhandle me like that anymore.” His face remains unreadable. “I thought you didn’t want to be my friend.” “Ehh, I changed my mind.” “Why?” “Because the only other friend you have in town is my five-year-old daughter, and frankly, that’s kind of sad.” The look on his face widens the pit in my stomach. “I don’t need a pity friend.” “Too bad. It’s a bribe-one-get-one Castillo special.”

it’s time I clarified a few things—starting with my feelings toward her. I might not have an answer for everything, but I do know one thing. Lana is the only woman I ever loved, and it’s time I started acting like it.

“How so?” “By proving I won’t hurt you, no matter how much they expect me to.” And just like that, Cal snatches another piece of my heart to add to his growing collection.

I’m hopeless as I watch in complete fascination, my chest swelling with emotion at the sight of her happiness. This was all I wanted for her. I just never thought I could be the one to make it happen with all the other stuff bogging me down, getting in the way of our chance at a happy ending. But the only thing getting in the way was me. Not my addiction. Not my career. Me. Because at the end of the day, I’m the one who makes the final decisions over my life. I chose wrong when I left her the last time. She was supposed to be better off without me, but her obvious loneliness has proved the exact opposite. Lana was surviving—not thriving—and I have only myself to blame. And I don’t plan on making the same mistake again.

“You are both ridiculous.” “Me? The guy made it a point to ice me out the whole time. When I tried to play with them at Cami’s request, Cal killed my Barbie before I ever had a chance to join.” My mouth drops open. “How?” “My doll didn’t listen to my mom and got in a stranger’s car.” “At least he made it an educational experience.” I cover my mouth to muffle my chuckle. Wyatt glares, and I end up laughing harder.

“I don’t deserve you.” “Then become the man who does.”

She reciprocates, matching my fire with one of her own. I’m not sure how I survived six years without this. Without her. The way I feel around Lana makes the whole world pale in comparison. Like I’ve been stuck living my life in black-and-white, only to have it switched to color. I’m not sure I can go back to a life without her. You won’t have to. So long as I commit to working on myself, I can have Lana forever. Just like you were meant to.

“Of all the photos, why this one?” My voice shakes. “Because it reminds me that there was once a time when I was truly happy.” I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. “I want you to be truly happy again.” His arms tighten around me. “I’m getting there.”

I dare you to wait for me. The real me. The sober me. The best me who wants to spend the rest of his days getting drunk on life with you.

“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.”

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.”

Having a family of my own makes me feel complete in a way I never dreamed was possible. It took me a long time to realize that no amount of alcohol, drugs, or money will compare to the high I get when surrounded by those I love. And I will stop at nothing to make sure I never lose them again.

“I dare you to spend the rest of your life with me.” He drags the tip of the knife down, making a solid line. “I dare you to let me love and protect you and Cami and every other kid we have with my whole heart.” He adds a second strike. “I dare you to take a risk on me, knowing that things won’t always be the easiest and that I will struggle, although I have every intention of being the man you will always deserve.” A third slash is added. “I dare you to trust me to be your companion, your lover, and your best friend. To let me be your biggest cheerleader and the shoulder you cry on when things get hard, trusting that I will be the one to wipe your tears and fix whatever hurt you.” His fingers tighten around the knife as he draws the fourth slash. “I dare you to marry me.”