“No, thank you.”
Scott came through the gate and grabbed my hand, tears in his eyes. “Please don’t push me away. Please. Let me explain.”
I ripped my hand away from his. “I believed you. I thought you loved me. I thought you liked our little town. But you were using all of us. You didn’t care at all. Does Carol even know you are using her, too?”
“Carol knows.”
I felt the air sucked out of me. “Wow, just me then.” Did Carol know he was using me? What about her wanting me to take over? I looked at the house and the future I was planning only hours before. I set the last brick in place around my heart. I turned and walked a few steps down the street. I would have the Uber pick me up at the gas station on the corner.
“Marissa, I was going to sell and leave. But I changed my mind. My dream was wrong . . . I was wrong.” I looked back at him, his mouth pulled down, his hands in fists. His eyes were worried and pleading. “I made a mistake, but that mistake allowed me to get to know you, to love you.” He whispered and reached for me. I shook my head.
“No,” I stepped further away. “I made the mistake. I trusted you. I thought the future could be worth planning for, hoping for. I was wrong.” There was no way I could see him after this. Ever. I wasn’t strong enough. “Scott, I quit.”
“Please, wait.” He crumpled in defeat. “I haven’t signed the contract with the Raymond & Johnson Law Firm, and I wasn’t going to.” He ran his hand through his blond curls. “I was thinking, what if instead we run the B&B together? We could fill it up with all the babies you want, wear matching costumes, and live happily ever after. I had the wrong plan.”
I started walking backwards; the sucker punch turned into a knife. I couldn’t be what he wanted . . . ever. I couldn’t have the fairytale ending. I was broken. “It’s okay Scott. This is for the best.” I took a deep breath, shoving down the pain. “I haven’t told you everything about me either. That vision you saw of us with kids and the perfect life. That’s not real.”
“It's real. I know it can be.” Scott stepped towards me with his hands extended.
“No. It can’t.” I straightened my shoulders. “Scott, I can’t have kids. After the accident, things were . . . too damaged to repair.” I watched as the hurt and confusion registered on his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I guess we both had secrets.” I caved in on myself. “I was foolish to believe we could have worked. Sell the B&B or whatever, get the dream job, have the life you want. Don’t worry, I won’t hold you back.”
“Marissa, please, wait. At least let me give you a ride.” I could tell it took every bit of willpower for him to not run after me.
I closed my eyes. If I looked at him, I would break. “That’s okay. I will call an Uber.”I needed to get away. Needed to run.
When I peeked at him, his head was down. He looked defeated. “Please Marissa, don’t do this. Let’s talk it through. We can figure it out.” Even now, he was beautiful. Even now, I wanted to soothe his pain and tell him it was all okay and let him in. I couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t be trusted. What we had wasn’t real. I bricked my pain back behind a wall and turned and ran towards the gas station.
“Don’t call me!” I yelled over my shoulder.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
SCOTT
Ugh!
I had the wrong plan, but if she would just let me explain . . . I watched Marissa until I could no longer see her. I didn’t want her paying for an Uber home, but there was no way she would take a ride from me. Watching Marissa run away caused my pain to turn into anger. Anger at Michael for his big mouth. Anger at the world for showing me something good and then ripping it away. Anger at me and my stupid plans.
She couldn’t have kids. The plan I envisioned was wrong again. Why hadn’t she told me before?
I rushed inside. Michael was blocking my way into the living room. “Dude, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was the same woman.”
I shoved him out of my way. “Of course you didn’t. You’re always looking for the next joke. Always needing to be the center of attention,” I growled. I headed for the kitchen.Mom or Dad would give her a ride. There was no way I would ask Michael for help.
“Yeah, well, you and your ridiculous plans are easy to make a joke of.” Michael glared at me. “Did you really start dating the woman you were using to further your career? And I thought I was bad with women.” He shoved me back. I turned, ready to lash into him with every ounce of pain and anger that radiated through my body.
“Boys! That’s enough!” We both looked to the kitchen doorway, where Mom untied her apron and threw it across a nearby chair. “You’re old enough to control your tempers. Stop acting like toddlers. Now, what’s going on?” She put her hands on her hips.
I turned to my mom. “I need your help.”
She stepped toward me.
“Please.”
She looked around. “Where is Marissa?”
