Page 69 of Dirty Little Mistake

I gestured toward the beach, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink. The tide was coming in, each wave leaving a lacy pattern of foam on the sand. A light breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean.

Harlow's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth. "Wait. He's doing it now?"

I nodded.

They all hustled to their feet, quickly disappearing below me and a few minutes later appearing through the double doors Jax had left through. Harlow, Syn, Owen, Cam, and I lined up along the rail.

Syn's brow furrowed, her gaze darting between me and the beach. "I thought he was going to wait until tonight?"

"He couldn't wait," I said, trying not to focus on how Cam's arm brushed mine.

"Aww," Harlow sighed when Jax dropped to one knee in the sand.

"I can't believe they're actually going to get married," Syn said. "After everything."

"She hasn't said yes yet," I reminded them.

Harlow shot me an exasperated look, her eyebrows knitting together. "Of course, she's going to say yes. She's in love with him."

"Sometimes love isn't enough," I mumbled as I glanced at Cam and then back to Jax and Kaia.

"Yeah, especially when you're a dick," Cam added, and I knew we weren't talking about Jax and Kaia anymore.

I opened my mouth to say something but realized everyone was staring at us.

Fuck.

"She said yes," I pointed out to Jax and Kaia, now embracing, and everyone erupted in cheers.

Syn's face lit up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "We should party tonight. The parentals won't be here until tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes." Cam smirked. "Pool party."

"Or a beach bonfire," Owen suggested, and I rolled my eyes.

I pushed off the railing with more force than necessary, my shoulders tensing. "I'm actually going to head out tonight." The words tasted like defeat on my tongue. Jax had proposed early, giving me the perfect excuse to escape this emotional minefield.

The thought of spending the rest of the weekend watching Cam and Owen together made my stomach churn. Each shared laugh, each casual touch would be another twist of the knife. I'd rather drive all night than endure that slow torture."

"Oh, what a shame," Cam quipped, her tone dripping with insincerity. "I'm sure your girlfriend probably misses you."

"Girlfriend?" Syn scowled. "What girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Yeah," Cam retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "That's kind of your thing, isn't it."

"What's going on?" Harlow asked.

"Nothing," I snapped, my eyes locked with Cam. At least she wasn't ignoring me anymore. Our gazes held for a long moment, and both of us dared the other to break.

Owen slapped my arm, his grip lingering a moment too long. "Well man, safe travels." The contact broke my concentration, and when I looked away from Cam, she stormed off, her footsteps echoing on the wooden deck. "You don't mind if I take your room, do you?" He jerked his head in the direction Cam disappeared. "So I can stay closer to my girl."

I clenched my teeth, aware he was baiting me but unable to stop the reaction. Jax had told me before he'd gone down to the beach that Owen and Cam weren't together, at least not yet, anyway.

"I think if she wanted you close," I drawled, unable to keep the smugness from my voice, "she would have invited you to stay with her." I slapped him on the arm with the same intensity he'd done to me. "But she didn't, and that's probably because she knew I'd be sleeping in the next room." I shrugged. "You know what? I think I will stay tonight and maybe head out tomorrow morning."

"It won't change anything," he said. "She hates you. You should leave now before you embarrass yourself."

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