Page 53 of Two Tickets to Paradise

"Okay." Vince stepped to the side, but his arm brushed against hers. "But I'm not leaving your side."

"Cam? Cam, talk to me."

"I'm going to beat him senseless, Cora. Move away from the asshole!"

"Ass- Cam? He's not like that."

Cameron struggled to get free from his friends. "He had his hands-"

"He had his hands where I wanted them, Cam. I'm not a kid who needs or wants you to kick my boyfriend's ass!"

She winced and hoped that no one saw it.

She'd called Vince her boyfriend which was probably news to Vince.

It certainly was news to her, too.

She hadn't intended to call him that, but she was apparently shooting from the hip on this.

"Boyfriend? Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Well, you don't!" She lifted her chin and gave her brother a glare that she hoped he would see as confidence. "I'm in my twenties, Cam!"

"You're still my little sister! And he was seconds away from-"

"Stop!"

Cora hated having to shout at her brother, but even more so in front of his friends. This wasn't a confrontation she ever wanted to have.

"Cam, we need to talk."

"We can talk," he was half-growling, half-bellowing at her, "when he's out of this house!"

"Hold on, now." Buck pushed Cam back until he was standing in the sunlight outside of the door. "Let's go for a walk."

Cameron shoved Buck off of him, but Buck put himself directly in Cameron's path and Cora knew she owed the other man so much. Cameron didn't try to push past Buck. He took another couple of steps back and lifted his hand to point at Vince. "You're gone, man. I want you gone when I get back."

Vince took a step away and Cora felt her heart clench inside of her chest.

Cameron poked his finger into the air at Vince's chest. "Gone. You hear me?"

Her brother turned on his heel and walked out of sight. Riptide and Arctic followed after him, but Buck stayed behind.

Cora lifted up her hand to dash more tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

Buck closed the door and took a few steps closer to her. "Cora, you have nothing to apologize for. I think Cameron will see that when he calms down."

"Well, he made it clear that he doesn't want me here. I can go somewhere else, Cora."

"No, wait." She turned and reached for his arm and then changed her mind. She didn't want to force him to stay after the horrible scene her brother had just made. Shaking her head, she looked up at Vince. "I'm sorry. If you want to go, I'll help you find a place to go."

She looked down at herself and the towel that she'd wrapped around her body.

"I need to get dressed and then we'll figure something out, okay?"

Afraid of what Vince would say, she turned away and headed back toward their bedroom, hoping that she got there before she broke down into tears.

It was hard to walk, holding her towel up around her body and her legs were stiff-kneed and her muscles tight as she moved as fast as she could without running.

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