Page 161 of California Wild

This was too much.

Too fast, too raw, too close to the truth.

But she wasn’t giving Jesse up.

Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

She lifted her chin, steeling herself.

“Caiden, please. Don’t do this.”

“Why not?” His voice cracked, the anger underneath finally breaking through.

His eyes burned into hers.

“Someone needs to tell you—you are fucking gorgeous, cool, fun, talented, amazing as hell. You’ll always have a stream of guys wanting to take from you, just like him. That’s the way junkies are—full of problems and you’ll just get sucked into their bullshit. But don’t give into those shitty, toxic dudes.”

Hayley stiffened.

“I appreciate it, but I didn’t ask you to be my protector.”

Caiden exhaled hard, running a hand through his messy black hair. Then—he laughed, but it wasn’t light.

It was bitter. Cold. Final.

“If you’re back with him, I’m out.”

Hayley’s breath caught.

Her stomach twisted.

“What?”

Caiden met her gaze, dead serious.

“I’ll quit the band.”

His voice was even. Unshaking.

“I won’t watch you self-destruct again. Not when I feel this way for you.”

The weight of his words slammed into her.

Hayley’s pulse thundered in her ears, the Los Angeles sun beating down, too hot, too bright.

She forced herself to stay still.

Not to react.

“Caiden, you don’t mean that.”

His mouth set in a hard line.

“Try me.”

The Caiden she knew—the reckless, wild, ride-or-die friend she’d built this band with—was gone.

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