His lips twist, a frown appearing over his brows. “I’ll call Ava once we’ve told your dad.”

“You don’t want to go see her and your dad? Tell them face-to-face?”

“No. I have no desire to see either of them. Honestly, I have no clue where they are. But wherever it is, you can bet your ass, they definitely aren’t together. I’ll call Ava, tell her that we’re married and that I’m staying in Malibu with you. I’ll let her relay the message to Eric.”

“How do you think she’ll take it that you’re not going to Harvard?”

“Honestly, I don’t think she’ll give a shit about me not going to Harvard. That’s Eric’s thing. Always has been. All Gunners have to go to Harvard,” he says in a harder, deeper voice, mimicking his father. “Me not going to work at the studio? Ava won’t like that one bit. She and Eric both. But like I give a shit. I have you, and the rest can just go to hell.” He reaches for my hand, threading his fingers through mine.

We drive the rest of the way home, our fingers entwined together.

We pull up outside my apartment building and get out of the truck.

I meet Adam around the back as he’s getting my travel bag from the trunk. I catch sight of the garment bag containing my wedding dress and get butterflies in my stomach. The dress is going back to the beach house. I didn’t think showing up at home with it would be a good idea.

Then, I’m reminded that I have to tell my dad that we’re married, and those butterflies turn to a sick feeling.

“I think we should just go to the beach house now, and I’ll tell Dad tomorrow.”

Adam laughs softly. “It’s going to be fine, babe.” He puts my travel bag down and takes me in his arms. “We’re gonna go in there and tell your dad. He’s probably going to yell. But I’ll tell him how much I love you and that I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you and taking care of you. And he’ll see that I mean it and that we’re meant to be together. Then, he’ll calm down, and everything will be okay.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It will be. In a few hours, you’ll look back at this moment and say, ‘God, Adam, you were so right. You’re such a genius.”

“More like cocky, I’d say.”

“Oh, I’m definitely cocky.” He pushes his hips into mine.

I slap his ass with my hand, and he chuckles deeply.

“Fuck, babe, that felt good.”

“You’re incorrigible.” I laugh as I pull away from him.

“It’s your fault,” he says, picking up my overnight bag. “Because you’re so damn hot.”

As I walk toward my building, I throw him a sexy look over my shoulder. My feet hit the stairs, and the nerves come back with a vengeance.

“Go on,” Adam urges with a push on my ass.

Taking a deep breath, I walk up the steps.

I feel like I’m walking the green mile as I walk toward my front door. My dad’s not a bad guy. He’s the best dad a girl could ask for. But I’ve never lied to him before—at least not a big lie and especially not a whopper like this.

The reality of what I’ve done is sinking in now.

Before, I was too high on the thought of marrying Adam. I was floating on a cloud.

But now, that cloud has bumped me straight back to earth.

“Ready?” Adam says when I stop outside the door.

I glance back at him. “No.” I give a weak smile. “But I have to tell him. Let’s get this over with.”

I unlock the door, letting us in. The minute I step inside the apartment, I just know something’s wrong. I can feel it, like a chill on my skin seeping to my bones. The air feels solemn. I can taste its acridity in my mouth.

I can only remember two times when I felt like this before.

The first was when I was taken into a room at school and told that my parents had been in a car accident and that my mother hadn’t made it. The second was the first day we found out that Casey had a brain tumor.

Turning into the living room, I put my handbag down, and I’m met with my dad, who is sitting on the sofa. He lifts his eyes to mine, and I just know.

“Where’s Casey?” My voice shakes a little, as my eyes work the room for a sign of her.

“She’s in her room, lying down.”

I exhale, but I don’t relax. “Dad…what’s wrong?”

Adam stands behind me, putting his hands on my arms.

Dad lets out a breath and presses his hand on his knee. Then, he looks up at me. “The appointment we had scheduled for next week for Casey’s scan results…well, the doctor’s office called first thing this morning and asked us to come in today instead.” He blows out another breath. “We just got back from there.”

“What did the doctor say, Daddy?” My eyes start to sting with tears.

He bows his head, taking in a deep breath. Then, his head starts to shake from side to side as he lifts it, looking back at me. “I didn’t call you ’cause I knew you were already on your way back, and I didn’t want to worry you in case it was nothing.”

“But it’s something.”

He nods a solemn movement. “The chemo hasn’t worked, Evie. The tumor’s grown. They’re…they’re stopping Casey’s treatment.”

Oh God, no.

“No.” I gasp. Tears start to run down my face.

Adam’s hands grip me tighter, pulling me back to him.

“No, there has to be something they can do. Wh-what about more chemo or a new drug they could try, or a clinical trial? There has to be something!”

Dad shakes his head again. “Dr. Hemmings told me he would check again on the national database for a clinical trial. But he told us not to pin too many of our hopes on it.” Dad blows out a breath. “You know how much Dr. Hemmings loves Casey. If there were something he could do for her, he would.”

Everyone loves Casey. No one more than Dad and me though.

“Daddy…”

“I’m sorry, baby.” He gets to his feet. “It’s not the doctor’s fault. He’s done everything he can for her. He’ll keep her on the drugs to make her as comfortable as possible until…”

She dies.

“No.” I turn in Adam’s arms, and he wraps them around me. I sob in his shirt.

Adam holds me tight, not saying a word. What could he say that would make this right?

Casey is going to die.

I’m going to lose my sister.

I curl my fingers into Adam’s shirt, clinging to him.

How can I go from being so happy to feeling the worst I have ever felt in my life?

This is worse than when Mom died because Casey is still here. She’s so young, and we’re going to have to watch her die.

I feel my dad’s presence behind me.

His hand touches my back. “Evie.”

Adam releases me, and I turn to my dad. He’s not crying. He’s being strong. But I can see in his eyes that it’s killing him.

I fall into his arms. “We can’t just let her die.” I cry. “We have to do something.”

“If I could do something, baby, I would. I swear to you.”

I blink up at him. “How…long?”