Page 27 of The Stranger's Code

Tomorrow, Cameron would be leaving Stratton Ranch for good.

And we’d never see each other again.

11

CAMERON

Good riddance,Stratton Ranch.

I was packing my bags to leave for good, a part of me relieved, a part of me completely devastated. I hadn’t spoken to Levi since our argument behind the main cabin, the conversation successfully breaking me into pieces. I didn’t understand how he could so easily throw away everything we’d had like it was nothing, like I was nothing.

Like I never even mattered, at all.

Thankfully, I didn’t have that much to pack since I’d left the majority of my life back in L.A. I groaned inwardly when I thought about heading back to the city. I was going to be stepping into a press cycle, doing promo for the movie, riding off the goodwill of the leaked photos from the fundraiser. I wasn’t in the mood to be everyone’s favorite cowboy, no matter how much my manager tried to hype me up about it.

I just wanted to be with Levi.

I let the treacherous thought cross my mind as I finished zipping up my last suitcase. I was never going to be with Levi. I was never even going to talk to him again. And the sooner I accepted that, the easier things were going to be?—

Shit.

My phone is ringing.

I picked it up, half expecting it to be my manager. “Hey, I just finished packing. I should be heading back soon. I just need to bring everything to my car?—”

“Cameron! Oh, thank God!” Teddy’s voice sounded frantic. “I need your help! My bike crapped out on me on this trail. Can you come pick me up? I didn’t bring enough water for a walk back and I don’t want to pass out by trying it.”

“That’s really more of Levi’s department?—”

“I think his phone is off the hook or something!” Teddy replied. “And his cell doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Shit. What do you need me to do?”

“Here, I’ll send you the coordinates. Just put them into your GPS.”

“Got it. I’ll be right there.”

I impatiently waited on Teddy’s text. When I received it, I immediately went into action, rushing out to my parked car. Even as I drove to Teddy’s location, Levi was on my mind. I wondered why he wasn’t reachable, worried that he’d decided to close Big Sky Rescue. But why wasn’t his cell working either?

Was Levi okay?

I tried and failed to stop thinking about Levi. But by the time I reached Teddy’s location, I was completely frantic, my thoughts spiraling towards the worst-case scenario. Had Levi gone out on some hike and needed rescuing himself? How long had he been M.I.A.? How many supplies had he packed, when was the last time anyone had seen him?—

“Teddy?” I stepped out of my car, trying to quiet my thoughts. I looked around, noticing how quiet and calm everything seemed to be. “Teddy, where are you?”

There was no response.

I checked the coordinates he’d sent again, even re-entering them on my phone. Just then, a familiar truck pulled up a few feet away, Levi at the wheel. He had a serious look on his face, his brow creased in thought. When he spotted me, his expression shifted into confusion, but he didn’t leave the scene. Instead, he parked right next to me and got out of his car, too.

“Where’s Teddy?” he asked. “Have you already found him?”

“I think he sent us the wrong location,” I replied. “I called out for him but didn’t hear anything?—”

“Maybe he passed out from the pain.”

“From the pain?”

“Yeah. He said he ran over something with his bike, and it sent him flying. He was worried he broke an arm.”

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