Page 30 of My Girl to Protect
“I got a job offer,” I say. “Arranged by my brother.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me.
I continue, “Private security. Good pay. Solid work.”
“That’s good,” she says, but there’s hesitation in her voice.
“It’s in San Francisco.”
The words settle between us. I watch her closely.
“You’d have to move,” she says quietly.
“Yeah.” Silence. “I don’t want to go without you,” I add.
Her eyes flicker in surprise. “You’d…want me to come?” she asks.
I give her a look. “Of course, I’m not leaving you here.”
Her answer is immediate. “Yes,” she says, smiling.
I frown. “Are you sure?” I ask.
She nods. “My mom hasn’t called me,” she says slowly. “Not once. I thought she would at least try,” she continues. “But…nothing.” Her hurt is tangible. “And this place…” She glances around the room slightly. “Is not a real home.”
My chest tightens. She looks back at me. “If you go,” she says, her voice steadier now, “I’ll go with you.”
Something in me locks into place. “I'll take the job,” I say. “We leave. Start fresh. No looking back. Is that okay?”
Her eyes soften, and she nods. That’s it. Decision made.
I pull her into me again, holding her close, my hand settling at the back of her head. She relaxes into me instantly. Like she belongs there.
And truly, she does.
Epilogue
Cammi
One year later
San Francisco still doesn’t feel real sometimes.
“Cammi, table four needs another latte!”
“I’ve got it,” I call back, grabbing the cup before the foam settles too much.
The café smells like roasted beans and cinnamon. Soft music hums in the background, with sunlight spilling through the wide windows like something out of a dream I never thought I’d get to live.
“Careful,” Bella, my coworker, teases as I pass her. “You’re smiling again.”
“I always smile,” I shoot back.
“Not like that,” she says, grinning knowingly. “That’s the ‘I’m in love, and my life is perfect’ smile.”
Heat creeps into my cheeks. “Shut up,” I mumble, but I’m laughing.
Because she’s not wrong. Not even a little. I have a new family to love now—Noah’s family. His younger brother is just like him. Quiet and mischievous. And his sister, although twoyears younger than me at seventeen, has become one of my closest friends.
