All Chapters of The Goodbye He Never Saw Coming : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

NATH I'm horrified. The thought that Mike tried to kill Treasure sits in my chest like a stone, heavy and cold, pressing against my ribs until it's hard to breathe. Just hours ago, everything felt perfect. Winter and I had finally said the words out loud, the ones that change everything, the ones that make this real. She loves me. And for the first time since this whole charade began, I felt like we had a real chance. A future beyond this resort. Beyond the lies and the games and the pretending. But now, standing at the edge of the pool watching Mike's hands on Winter's shoulders, that cold fear creeps back in like fog rolling over still water. Somewhere in the distance, soft music drifts from the resort's outdoor bar, romantic and slow, mocking me with its sweetness. I know it's irrational. I know Winter loves me. We just spent hours proving it to each other in every way possible. But seeing Mike touch her, seeing him lean in close and whisper things I can't hear, makes m

TREASURE I'm in Blair's car, driving, minding my own business, probably thinking about how I'm going to build my empire and become the next billionaire CEO, when I notice a truck barreling toward me. Not just any truck. A massive, eighteen-wheeler, "I-eat-small-cars-for-breakfast" kind of truck. My first thought is: Rude. My second thought is: Oh God, I'm going to die. I glance in the rearview mirror and see another truck coming up behind me. Fast. Aggressively fast. Like it has a personal vendetta against my existence. Oh, fantastic. We're doing a sandwich situation. How delightfully original. My heart starts pounding like it's trying to audition for a drum solo. The trucks are closing in from both sides, and I'm the very unfortunate filling in what's about to become the world's saddest vehicle burrito. "Is this the end?" I think, gripping the steering wheel so hard I'm pretty sure I'm leaving permanent fingerprints. And then, I think: Mike, you dramatic bastard. I

WINTER After dropping Treasure back home, we begin the drive back to the resort, and I finally feel like I can breathe again. The heaviness in my chest is gone. That crushing weight that's been sitting on my lungs since I got the call about Treasure's accident has lifted. I feel lighter. Almost floaty, actually. Like someone untied a concrete block from my ankles. Although I really, really want to confront Olivia right now. I want to march up to her, reveal her psychotic face to everyone, and watch the police drag her away in handcuffs while I eat popcorn and narrate her crimes like a true crime podcast host. But I trust Nath. He said he would take care of everything and get justice for Treasure, and I believe him. Mostly because he's annoyingly competent at everything, and also because if I confront Olivia myself, I might actually commit a crime, and orange is not my color. I lean against Nath's shoulder, breathing in his scent...something clean and expensive that I can't

WINTER I take the rose to my nose and inhale deeply. The scent is delicate, sweet, almost impossibly romantic. Like someone bottled the concept of "perfect moment" and turned it into a flower. And then the tears start falling. I can't help it. They just come, streaming down my face like I'm in some kind of emotional commercial for jewelry or life insurance or something equally sentimental. Nath is still singing at this point, his voice wrapping around me like the world's most expensive blanket. He gets up from his knee, moves closer, and gently wipes the tears from my eyes with his thumb. His touch is so tender it makes me want to cry more, which is counterproductive but also completely unavoidable. He continues to sing, his eyes never leaving mine as he takes my hand and gradually leads me up onto the stage with him. Oh God. We're on stage now. In front of everyone. This is happening. I'm hyperaware of every single person watching us. The weight of their stares presses again

OLIVIA I watch him kneel. I watch Nathaniel Cole get down on one knee in front of Winter and offer her that stupid rose like she's some kind of princess. My fingers dig into the tablecloth so hard I think the fabric might rip. Everyone around me is sighing. Swooning. Whispering about how romantic it is. How lucky Winter is. How every woman in the room wishes they were her. I want to scream. Nath is still singing, his voice deep and rich, his eyes locked on Winter like she's the only person in the entire world. And Winter, that pathetic little mouse, is standing there crying like she's just won the lottery. Which, apparently, she has. When he slips that ring on her finger, the whole room erupts in applause. People are standing. Clapping. Cheering like they've just witnessed some kind of miracle. I stay seated, my jaw clenched so tight I think my teeth might crack. A ring. He gives her an actual ring. Not like the cheap thing Mike gave her years ago. This one looks expensive.