Page 7 of Unstoppable Love

I suppose I was a lot more like my parents than I thought.

“All right. If you’re sure.”

“Go, Ava. Relax. Take a dip in his pool and figure yourself out, okay?”

My big brother was my best friend. He’d always looked out for me, but even when we were kids, he never treated me like an annoying little sister or a child.

“Thanks, Isaiah. Love you.”

“You too. You need me, call. I can change a shift or something, okay?”

“Will do.” I wouldn’t, though. He was a deputy for the sheriff’s office and always busy. They were also understaffed. He clocked more overtime than a medical student.

The apartment door opened, and Kip stepped in. His head was down, paying attention to something on his phone screen so he didn’t see me right away. I had no doubt he’d hoped for me to be long gone too.

He saw the box, and his head snapped up. “Hey,” he said.

It was the only word we spoke to each other. “Gotta go, Zaiah.”

I hung up on my brother and dropped my phone to my side. “Hey. Sorry. I meant to be gone.”

“It’s all right.” He glanced at the box, the empty space where there used to be a small dining table and chairs I’d bought that he told me to take. Everything else was Kip’s. “You need help?”

“No.” I shook my head, and Lord, this was awkward. So awkward. “I’m?—”

“Don’t. Just don’t, Ava. I already know you’re sorry.”

“Right. Then I should go.”

“Why?” he asked.

I was crouching down to grab the box, so I had to stand up. “What?”

“Why?” When I stayed silent, he shoved a hand through his short but neatly styled and gelled hair. Side-parted, combed to the right. It always looked perfect. Still did even after his hand fell to his hip. “Why couldn’t you love me enough?”

Oh god. Now was not the time.

In the end, it wasn’t him. It was me. No way was I giving him that, though.

I couldn’t love him more because Cameron had ruined me. Destroyed me. I was in love with a man I’d never have, and Kip didn’t compare. It was as simple as that.

“I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “But I wish I could.”

That was the absolute truth. If I could fall in love with anyone else, I’d wish it was Kip. My life might not be flashy or exciting, but it’d be filled with love and peace. For another woman, what he offered would be more than enough.

“Right. Take care then.”

“You too.” I crouched back down and grabbed the box. He moved back and held the door open for me, ever the gentleman, and as I took the last step out of my apartment, out of the life he’d been sure we were starting to build together, I looked back one more time. “Someday you’re going to find someone who thinks you’re the best man in the entire world and loves you to pieces, and you’re going to realize that if we’d stayed together, you would have settled for a love that wasn’t nearly as good as what you deserve.”

He flinched. Eyes filled with pain, and then he stepped back. “Hope you know you can always call me if you need anything, Ava. And I mean that.”

The fact he did was what made him so wonderful.

I crossed the threshold.

He stepped back into the apartment and shut the door.

I made the trek across town to Cameron’s home. A new house he’d bought last year that was half as large as his family home and twice as large as what he needed as a single guy.

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