Page 67 of The Wrong One

“Ramsey is your brother, right?” Caroline asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“He doesn’t approve of the guy?”

“Not even a little,” I muttered.

“Why?” Lena asked. “Is your new man a jerk? Brothers are always just a little extra. I imagine your brother is going to be more protective given your recent situation.”

“Exactly,” I said.

“Cam is Ramsey’s best friend,” Emmy explained.

“Sibling relationships can be complicated,” Julia said. “Maybe he just needs some time to come around. You deserve happiness, and if Cam makes you happy, that’s what matters.”

“I shouldn’t let my brother’s disapproval dampen my spirits, but it has,” I said. “Cam and Ramsey are business partners. We all work together. Ramsey has always been very protective. I’ve known Cam for most of my life. Cam was a lot like my brother. They were a little on the wild side. They used to date a lot. I know Cam’s past, but I also know he isn’t that guy anymore. I truly believe he’s changed. He’s ready to settle down. This is my life, and I deserve to be happy.”

“Ramsey found out?” Emmy asked with concern.

“You won’t believe what happened.” I sighed. “It’s been a hell of a last few days. My ex showed up at our lab.”

Emmy’s eyes widened, her hand instinctively reaching for mine. “No way! What did he want?”

I sighed, a mix of frustration, anger, and pain coursing through me. “He claimed he wanted closure, but it felt more like an attempt to disrupt my life. I’ve moved on, and he just couldn’t accept it.”

Emmy leaned forward, her expression one of concern. “Did he cause any trouble?”

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as I remembered every detail of the confrontation. “He was aggressive, shouting accusations and stirring up a scene. Ramsey and Cam came in and things got very ugly.”

Caroline’s eyebrows shot up, her voice tinged with urgency. “Oh no, did they get into a fight?”

My lips curved into a wry smile, mingling with a hint of pride. “Almost. Ramsey, always the protector, stood up for me. It was tense, but thankfully, the situation diffused before it escalated any further. I had to call Security. There was a brief moment when I thought Ramsey was going to kill him, but it ended up being just a minor kerfuffle. That wasn’t the worst part.”

“It certainly sounds bad,” Emmy groaned.

“Patrick outed me and Cam to my brother,” I said.

“How did Patrick know?”

“He didn’t,” I answered. “At least, not that I told him. He was just taking a wild shot, but it landed. He accused me of having the hots for Cam. He said I came here from California with the intention of hooking up with him. Ramsey couldn’t have been told in a worse way.”

“Are you okay?” Emmy asked, her voice laced with empathy.

“I am. It was a shock. He pissed me off enough I was able to stand up to the asshole and really give him a piece of my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever think of him again. He made me see how fake all of that was. We were never truly in love. We were in love with the idea of being the cool couple that everyone loved. We looked good together and maybe in the beginning we were happy, but we were just never meant to be. I lost myself when I was with him. I changed to be the woman I thought he needed.”

“I completely understand that,” Caroline said. “I nearly made the same mistake. My personal experience says getting your heart smashed is the best way to find the man who’s supposed to have it. The guy who can put it all back together is the one you’re supposed to be with.”

I raised my glass. “To moving forward and leaving the past where it belongs.”

Together, we clinked our cups in a toast. In that moment, surrounded by the unwavering support of my new friends, I knew that no matter the challenges that lay ahead, I would face them with the fortitude of a woman who had triumphed over heartbreak and emerged stronger on the other side. I was not going to be left shattered again. Not like that.

“Have you tried to talk to Ramsey?” Emmy asked. “I would think he could see how much you love Cam—and you do love him, right?”

I smiled. “As it turns out, I think I do. I think I always have.”

“Your brother couldn’t possibly try and deny that,” Lena said. “Love doesn’t come around all that often. If this guy is good to you and you love each other, I don’t think it should matter if he’s your brother’s friend or not.”

“I agree,” I said. “Unfortunately, my brother has his own ideas. He is pretty certain there will never be a man good enough for me. He’s loved Cam like a brother for as long as I can remember. He lets Cam be an uncle to Lily. If he trusts him with his daughter, why can’t he trust me with Cam?”

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