Page 95 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"You can't do that. You can't please everyone. You need to start running your business like a business instead of like a family. It's no wonder you're in such financial trouble. If you spent more time paying off your bills than making up goodie bags you can't afford and getting involved in the personal lives of your guests, you might not be drowning. Why are you even involved in my grandmother's secrets? It's ridiculous. It's not a learning disability that's making you fail, it's your inability to be professional, to just run your damn business and not mess up other people's lives."

She paled at his harsh words, and he felt a momentary regret, but there was so much anger burning within him, he couldn't stop it from coming out.

"I trusted you," he added. "I told you things…" He shook his head, his lips too tight with rage to say any more."

"I know, and I'm so sorry."

"I need to get out of here. I drove my grandparents here in their rental car. Can you get them back to the inn?"

"Yes. But can we talk—after this is over?"

"We don't have anything to talk about. Good-bye, Lizzie."

"You can't disappoint your grandmother. She needs you at the ceremony tomorrow."

"She has her son and her daughter-in-law. They'll have to do."

He walked away, not interested in hearing anything else she had to say. He felt like the very few people in his life who he trusted had all betrayed him. And he hadn't felt this shockingly alone in a very long time.

He got in the car, slammed the door, and then drove to the inn. He ran up the stairs to his room and started throwing his things in his suitcase. But when he finished packing, he didn't quite know what to do.

His grandparents would be forever hurt by his departure. And even after this stunt, he still didn't want to cause them pain. Maybe his parents would leave now that they knew he wasn't interested in talking to them. Why they'd come all this way, he couldn't even understand. It wasn't like they'd ever made family occasions.Why this one? Why now?

He looked down at his packed suitcase. He should leave. But he didn't have his own rental car. If he took his grandparents' vehicle, he'd leave them stranded. Not that they didn't deserve it. And his parents could give them a ride back to the airport when they left.

Glancing at his watch, he realized it was past six. He doubted he could get to Denver and get on a plane back to San Francisco tonight. However, he could spend the night at a hotel by the airport. He could put Whisper Lake in the rearview mirror.

But he wasn't just leaving his parents and his grandparents; he'd also be leaving Lizzie.

Anger ran through him again at her betrayal. He shouldn't care that he was leaving her, that he'd never see her again, but he did…

* * *

Lizzie took a few minutes before returning to the beach. She was still shaken by what Justin had said to her. A part of her knew he'd lashed out at her because he felt like she'd betrayed him. But his words had cut deep. He'd taken the things she was most insecure about and thrown them in her face. She was in financial trouble and maybe if she had spent more time looking at cold hard facts instead of making up picnic boxes and goodie bags that she couldn't afford, she wouldn't be on the edge of disaster. She also couldn't refute the other facts he'd thrown at her. She had gotten too involved with his grandparents. She had made a promise she shouldn't have kept. And she had broken his trust.

Of course, she hadn't realized his parents would show up early or even at all, but she'd had a chance to tell him the night before, and she hadn't. She'd selfishly wanted to hang on to him for as long as possible. But now he'd been blindsided, and he was as angry with her as he was with his family.

When she finally walked back through the trees, she saw that Justin's parents and grandparents had moved away from the rest of the group and were having a private conversation at another picnic table. She didn't want to interrupt. She could see emotions were flowing. But there was also a part of her that wanted to walk over there and yell at each and every one of them.Didn't they realize their secret plan had hurt Justin?

"Lizzie," Chelsea said, walking over to her, concern in her gaze. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not the one who was hurt."

"I don't really understand what's going on, but I'm guessing it has something to do with Justin's parents."

She nodded. "I can't tell you the story, but there's a lot of anger between them. Marie wanted to heal the family by forcing them all together, but that was a bad idea. And the worst thing is that I knew about it. Marie told me it might happen and asked me not to tell Justin. I went along with it, but I should have told him."

"It wasn't your secret or your responsibility."

"He confided in me last night. I had a chance to tell him. I didn't take it. I thought he would leave immediately, and I didn't want him to. How selfish is that?"

Chelsea gave her a sympathetic look. "You really like him, don't you?"

"I wish I didn't. Now, he hates me." She felt like her heart was breaking.

"He might be angry, but he does not hate you. In fact, I think he's quite fond of you. He couldn't take his eyes off you earlier."

"That was before this." She let out a breath. "I was stupid to get involved with him. Even putting all this aside, he was going to be leaving on Sunday. His life could never be here. And mine can't be anywhere else."

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