Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires #3) by Lauren Asher

If this is the last hug I am going to get from him, then I might as well enjoy it. I lean into his touch, taking a deep breath of his scent, memorizing the notes of citrus and something distinctly him.

My ear presses against his chest. I listen to the sound of his erratic heartbeat and allow the steady thump to ground me.

I trace over the spot above his heart with my index finger. “Did you even want to get sober or were you also just doing that as part of the will?”

“What did you say?” His grasp slips before he corrects himself, securing me to his chest like he is afraid I might run off if he doesn’t.

My fingers dig into his shirt, clasping on to the fabric. “Was this all some intricate plan to get me to let my guard down and sell the house faster?”

“What? No. Why would you even…” His brows tug together before they rise to his hairline. “The conversation outside. Shit—” He pulls back.

“Forget I asked. I don’t care.”

“I care.”

My eyes shut from the pain slicing through my heart. I want to believe him. I really do. Yet I’m not sure I will ever be able to again. He has too much at stake that is contingent on my compliance. With the kind of pressure he is under, I’m sure he might say anything to make sure I don’t back out of the plan to sell the house.

I won’t. Whatever dreams I had about the home aren’t worth the heartache attached to the man who owns half of it.

I push against his chest. It’s a weak shove, but he releases me regardless.

“I want you gone from the guesthouse before I wake up in the morning.” My voice cracks toward the end.

His frown deepens. “We can work this out together. Just let me get help and we—”

“There is no we. You made sure of that the moment you decided to lie to my face repeatedly, making me believe in some fantasy that wasn’t even real.”

To his credit, he takes my blow without blinking. “What we have is real.”

“Yeah, a real mistake. And one I don’t plan on repeating with you ever again.”

He recoils as if I physically hit him.

I turn and leave before I lose my nerve. Cal remains at the end of the dock, his eyes burning a hole into my back as I walk away. Each step feels as if I am traveling through quicksand. My legs barely cooperate as I leave behind the only man I ever truly loved.

I give him one last glance over my shoulder. “And when you leave Lake Wisteria this time, don’t bother returning. It’s not like you have any reason to come back anyway.”

His face crumples like a crushed soda can, matching how my heart feels.

I turn away and take the long way back to the guesthouse. Despite every cell in my body begging me to stop, I hold my head high and march into the house like a soldier, ignoring the ache in my chest from where Cal ripped my heart out.

It’s not until I crawl into bed that I give in to the tears. I cover my face with a pillow that smells like Cal, which only makes me sob harder. For Cami. For me. And for everything and everyone who has taken advantage of us and the love we are so willing to share.

The only person I can count on to make our dreams come true is myself, and it’s time I learned that lesson once and for all.





I fight everything in me not to take off after Lana. My hands twitch and my legs shake with the urge to grab her and force her to hear me out. To prove that I love her enough to fight for us and our happy ending.

Unfortunately, I know our situation can’t be fixed with words when she thinks I’m a liar.

That’s because you are.

No. I never lied outright, although weaving a story of half-truths doesn’t make me any better. If anything, I feel shittier, knowing regardless of my intentions, the result is still the same.

I hurt her.

When you leave Lake Wisteria this time, don’t bother returning. It’s not like you have any reason to come back anyway. Her voice, strong and fearless despite the tremble of her chin, replays in my head.

Lana couldn’t be more wrong, even if she has every reason to believe she is right. So long as she and Cami are here, I have every reason to return and fight for the people I love. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to prove to her that my inheritance has nothing to do with the way I feel about her and my reason for getting sober.

But how?

I run my hands through my hair, tugging at the strands to center myself. The bite of pain grounds me for a moment and eases the panic building in my chest. However, the relief is temporary as I come to grips with one of the last things she said.

I want you gone from the guesthouse before I wake up in the morning.

I don’t want to go, but sticking around and upsetting Lana any more isn’t an option. It will kill me to leave, knowing she most likely thinks the worst of me, but I can’t think of a better punishment for hurting her.

It’s what you deserve.

I sleep like absolute shit. My mind doesn’t stop running, and I end up tossing and turning for a majority of the evening. By the time five a.m. rolls around, I call it a night and wake up. My head pounds, so I swallow a few pain relievers and get to work packing up my belongings before Lana wakes up. I focus on the task until it is complete, and my luggage looks about ready to pop.

My room appears the same way it did when I first arrived—empty and lacking any life. The only thing that sticks out is the photo I left behind on the bed.