Page 40 of Falling for Mr. Grump, the Big City Billionaire

I can't.

My vision blurs as I stumble off the pier, nearly tripping over my own feet. The familiar sights and sounds of Seaside Cove – the call of seagulls, the crash of waves, the distant laughter from the boardwalk – all fade into white noise.

How did everything go so wrong so fast?

I walk aimlessly, letting my feet carry me wherever they want. My mind's a jumbled mess of anger, hurt, and worst of all, a tiny, traitorous part that misses Troy already.

I'm so stupid.

I end up at Zoey's door without even realizing it. My best friend takes one look at my tear-streaked face and pulls me into a fierce hug.

"Oh, honey," she murmurs, "what happened?"

And just like that, I'm sobbing again, ugly crying into her shoulder like I haven't done since Jimmy Pearson stood me up at prom. Zoey doesn't say anything, just rubs my back and lets me cry it out.

When I finally manage to pull myself together, she leads me to her couch and disappears into the kitchen. She returns with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate – our go-to crisis drink since high school.

"Okay," Zoey says, settling in next to me. "Spill."

So, I do. I tell her everything – about Troy's true identity, about the kiss (both of us pointedly ignoring her "I knew it!" exclamation), about the confrontation on the pier. By the time I finish, my hot chocolate's gone cold, and Zoey looks like she's ready to commit murder.

"That lying, two-faced, corporate scumbag," she fumes. "I'll pummel him. I swear, Skye, I will march down to that overpriced inn right now and -"

"Zo," I cut her off, managing a weak smile. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't think assault charges are going to help our situation."

She deflates a little. "Fine. But I reserve the right to at least key his car."

That startles a laugh out of me, which quickly turns into another sob. "Oh Zoey, how could I be so blind? I mean, Troy Bellamy? I should've known something was off from the start."

She wraps an arm around me. "Hey, none of that. This is not your fault, you hear me? That jerk lied to all of us."

I nod, but the guilt still gnaws at me. "I just... I really thought there was something there, you know? And now I feel like such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," Zoey says firmly. "You're human. And trust me, if I had a guy who looked like that making eyes at me, I'd probably forget my own name."

That gets another watery laugh out of me. "He does have very nice eyes," I admit.

"See? You never stood a chance." Zoey squeezes my shoulder. "But seriously, Skye, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You opened your heart to someone. That takes courage."

I sniffle, leaning into her. "When did you get so wise?"

"Please, I've always been the brains of this operation."

We sit in comfortable silence for a while, the weight of everything still pressing down on me, but not quite as suffocating as before.

"What am I going to do?" I finally ask, my voice small. "About the town, I mean. If Troy's company is behind the buyout..."

Zoey's quiet for a moment, thinking. "We fight," she says simply. "Just like we always have. This changes things, sure, but it doesn't change who we are or what we're fighting for."

I nod slowly. She's right, of course. One guy – no matter how charming or how earth-shattering his kisses might be – doesn't change the fact that Seaside Cove is our home. And I'll be damned if I let anyone take that away from us.

"You're right," I say, sitting up straighter. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

Zoey grins, a mischievous glint in her eye. "That's my girl. Now, how about we brainstorm some new protest slogans? I'm thinking of something along the lines of Bellamy Hotels and Inns: Where Dreams Check In and Integrity Checks Out."

I burst out laughing, feeling lighter than I have all day. "Oh Zoey, that's terrible. I love it."

We spend the next few hours coming up with increasingly ridiculous slogans, each one more outrageous than the last. By the time I head back to the inn, my eyes are puffy and my heart still aches, but I feel... not okay, exactly, but like I might be someday.

---