She shrugged, the grin on her face taunting him. He wouldn’t admit he was impressed by her stance. “You’re telling yourself that because you’re too afraid to give me a chance.”
“I’m not afraid of shit,” he said, his laugh almost cruel. “You’ve got rainbows and sunshine in your eyes and, sweetie, it’s been way too many years since I’ve seen or felt any of that. Trust me, you don’t want me to take it away from you because just being in my presence will. Do us both a favor and wipe it from your mind.”
“I can’t,” she said. “But talking to you is like banging my head on a wall. I want to do it, I really do, but then you’ll think you have to save me again and maybe I’m sick of you seeing me only in that light.”
She turned on her heel, grabbed her purse, threw it on her shoulder and stalked out.
He wanted to call her back.
To tell her he didn’t mean to be a dick.
But hedidmean it.
Hewantedto push her away.
He wasn’t lying when he said he’d suck the light and joy out of her.
She didn’t deserve that to happen.
He let out a breath, hit the lights and climbed into his truck, then drove to the gates on the property to shut them for the night.
If his parents or Reenie weren’t here, even Ford, they’d let themselves in with the code, but he always locked the property down at night to not have to worry about trespassers.
He climbed back into his truck and drove to his house alone.
Where he’d be for years if he kept this shit up.
Yet he couldn’t get out of his own way.
13
HAVE TO GO BACK
Meredith let out a shout once she was on the road.
She was afraid if she’d done it in the parking lot, or even driving off the property, Clay would hear and have to come rescue her from her own frustration.
What was wrong with her?
Did she always have a tiny crush on Clay when she was younger?
Yeah, but she never thought much of it.
But the minute she saw him again, her body told her what her brain could never push aside.
That phantom weight.
For her, it wasn’t so heavy of a load that she needed it gone. It was more of a comfort to let her know she could still feel something.
That there was hope for her to find what she’d been looking for.
The thing with Fredrick. She’d held on way too long hoping to find her person.
Watching the happy couple today told her she couldn’t give up.
Maybe it pushed her more than it should have with Clay.
No maybe about it.
