Because you fucked it up, Sam.She pushed that away.This wasn’t about her.
“We tried our best, but we can’t make Bo be on our side.The prosecution rests tomorrow.Defense starts next week.We’ve got the weekend to figure it out on our own, but Bo was a… a shot in the dark.Bo was right last night.He doesn’t know Dad or Mom.He’s notinvolved.He’s connected by some DNA.That doesn’t require him to care.”
“You’ve given up on him so easily.”Maybe that wasn’t a fair accusation, but it felt stark right now.How much she’d believed Bo was some kind of thread, and Nate had just been… going along.“This wasyouridea.”
“And it didn’t work.”Nate shrugged.“I’m not going to go begging to make it work.”
“Even to ensure your dad goes to jail?”Sam asked incredulously.
Like pride had anyplacehere.What the hell was he talking about?
“People have to want to help, Sam.You can’t make them.I’d think you of all people would understand that by now.”
But she didn’t.At all.“You didn’t want to help at first.I dragged you here last spring after my father was arrested.You wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t begged for your help.None of this would be happening if I hadn’t gone aroundbegging, Nate.”
He studied her, so damn unreadable.“And the people who helped wanted to, deep down.Me included.Bo doesn’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Fine.You want to go after him even though I’m guessingsorrymeans he got the hell out of Montana?”Temper crackled, though he kept his tone even.He gestured at the door.“Have at.Christ.”
“Nate…” She didn’t know what to say to him.“Did something happen at court?”
“No.Nothing in particular.They finished up with the experts.Tomorrow, Vanderbilt will rest his case.Monday, the defense will start.”He let out a sigh.“We’re out of time, Sam.”
She didn’t want to believe that was true, but unless Bo had stuck around town—and Nate was right, the sorry combined with checking out of the hotel meant he hadn’t—there was no real chance to get through to him in time.
She looked at her phone.The begging message.Maybe it was pointless, but she hit send anyway.Then figured her only other option was putting it aside.
“You’re probably hungry.”Tomorrow would be hard.Next week would be worse.And without Bo?She just didn’t know what to do, but at least she could take care of him while she figured it out.“Let me run down to the diner and grab something for dinner.”
He didn’t agree with her.She might have gone ahead and left anyway, but there was something about the way he was holding himself, staring at his desk.His eyebrows drawn together, like he was thinking some problem through.
“I might just… go back to the rental cabin,” he said, not looking at her.“I’ve got packing to do anyway.Stuff to figure out for the house.Closing will be here before I know it.”
Sam couldn’t breathe for far too long.It was like being stabbed, she was pretty sure.The way the pain jammed hard and deep and then sent an odd dizzying numbness through her entire body.
After staying here every single night, he was going back to his rental cabin.He was leaving her alone.He was putting distance between them.
She wanted tobeghim not to do that, and the idea of begging inthiscontext terrified her.Would she never learn?
Everything crumbled in the face of the truth.
She tried to sayokay.Tried to blink back the tears filling her eyes.She managed not to cry, but she couldn’t form a word.Even though she should have been prepared for this, might have if it hadn’t gone on so long.
He finally looked at her.She wanted to look away.To put on a brave face.To make it allfine.But she felt absolutely frozen.She couldn’t seem to get any messages to her limbs tomove.
She’dknownthis was coming, and she’d let herself forget.
But Nate didn’t walk out the door.With stormy eyes and a scowl on his face he crossed the room to her.He gripped her chin, but it wasn’t romantic.It wasn’t an apology.She wasn’t surewhatit was.He looked mad, but she wasn’t sure at who or what exactly.She wasn’t sureheknew.
“I need to work some stuff out on my own.In my own head, my own space.That is not a reflection ofanythinggoing on between us.”
She wanted to believe him.He wasn’t a liar.He wasn’tmaking upneeding some alone time.But she knew what space meant.
Aunt Lisa had wanted space.Aly had wantedspaceway back when.Everyone wantedspace, and then they realized she was always,alwaysthe problem.
“Sam.”
