Cammy let out a long, shaky sigh, her chest tightening with the weight of inevitability. She had known—deep down—that Ric would say those words. She had prepared herself for it, braced for the possibility. And yet, hearing them aloud still stung like salt in an open wound.
She didn't want this. Not from him. Not now. If there was a sliver of hope, she wanted him to heal, to move on... to find someone who could offer him the happiness she never could.
If there was any mercy left in the world, she wanted to keep what was left of their friendship untouched by the firestorm of her life. Ric didn't deserve to be dragged into the chaos she was drowning in.
"Ric..." she said softly, her voice trembling like glass on the edge of shattering.
"You're not thinking clearly. I knew—somewhere in my gut—that you'd want to help me. That's exactly why I asked you to come with me. But not to step into the fire... not to sacrifice yourself."
