“I’m sorry.”
“Fucking trouble magnet,” he mutters.
“Do you think they know where I live?”
“They tracked you here, so yeah.Probably.”
“Fuck.”
“Maybe it’s time to move back home, Neva.”
I shake my head.“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re there and I can’t.”
“You can’t what?”
“Be there with you but not with you.I can’t watch you with other women and pretend it doesn’t hurt.I can’t pretend that I don’t love you.And the fucked-up thing is I know you feel it.You want me.”
I stare at him for a beat, wishing he’d say something.Anything.
My heart leaps to my throat and stalls there as the silence stretches between us.
“You know why.”
I shake my head as tears burn at the backs of my eyelids.“Yeah.You’re scared.Maybe they should have called you Lion because you’re a coward.”
“I don’t do relationships.You know that, and I’d hurt you, and you’d hate me.It wouldn’t be good, Bean.”
“You don’t know that.”
He stands up.
A tear trickles down my cheek.I want him to kiss me so badly it fucking hurts.
And when I think that just maybe he might, he reaches around me for a pillow.Wordlessly, he shoos Mr.Tinkles off the couch and turns out the light.
“Get some sleep, Neva.The road should reopen tomorrow.”
“Fuck you, Ice.”I lay down, turning my back to him.
Chapter Nine
Iwakeupinthe middle of the night, fucking freezing.My back hurts, and I feel lousy for hurting Neva.It had to be done.I was on the verge of crossing a line with her, and one of us needed to put a stop to it.
I scrub a palm over my face and go to the bathroom.The light switch doesn’t work.Fuck.The power is out.No wonder it’s so fucking cold.
I piss in the dark and nearly scream when Mr.Tinkles brushes over my foot.Damn cat.He scratches around in his litter box.I shake my head and wash my hands in the icy water.
Neva must be freezing.I stumble back toward the bed and feel around for her.I find her awake, teeth chattering.“I’ll go see if there’s anyone in the office.There must be a generator for nights like this.”
“Don’t go.”
“I’ll be back before you have time to miss me.”
“What if they’re out there, waiting for you to leave me alone?”
