"It doesn't matter what you have to say." Grant turned away from her, bracing his hands on the workbench. "Nothing you say right now is going to change what happened yesterday. Nothing you say is going to make me feel less stupid for believing this was real when we both knew it wasn't."
"I did believe it. I meant it when I said it?—"
"I'm sure you did." Grant's shoulders were rigid. "And I'm sure tomorrow something else will come up and you'll mean that too. And the day after that, and the day after that. It's who you are, Riley. It's what you do. You mean well and then life gets in the way and the rest of us are left waiting."
Riley couldn't breathe. Couldn't think past the pain radiating through her chest. "That's not who I want to be."
"Then maybe you should think about that." Grant straightened but didn't turn around. "Maybe you should figure out what you actually want instead of making promises you can't keep."
"I'm trying to tell you?—"
"I don't want to hear it. Not tonight." Grant's voice was tired. Defeated in a way that was worse than the anger. "I need space, Riley. I need to not do this right now."
"How much space? How long?"
"I don't know." Grant finally turned to look at her, and the exhaustion in his eyes made Riley want to cry. "I just know I can't have this conversation tonight. I can't listen to you explain why yesterday happened and try to figure out if I believe you'll be different next time. I don't have it in me."
"Grant, please?—"
"Please just go." His voice was quiet. Broken. "Please."
Riley stood frozen, her heart hammering, tears burning behind her eyes. She wanted to scream at him. Wanted to grab him and force him to listen. Wanted to tell him she'd quit, that she'd chosen him, that she was staying.
But his face was closed off, his body turned away from her, and Riley knew—knew—that nothing she said right now would get through.
"Okay," she whispered.
Grant didn't respond.
Riley turned and walked out of the barn on shaking legs. The cold air hit her like a slap, but she barely felt it. She made it to her car before the tears started.
Riley drove back through town with tears streaming down her face, barely seeing the road. She'd come here to fix things. To tell him she'd quit her job. To show him she was choosing him, choosing this, choosing them.
But he wouldn't let her speak. Wouldn't let her explain. Had thrown their whole relationship back in her face like it meant nothing.
Fake. It was supposed to be fake.
When she pulled into her parents' driveway, the lights were still on. Riley sat in the car for a long moment, trying to pull herself together. Trying to breathe past the ache in her chest.
She couldn't.
When she walked through the door, her mom looked up from the couch where she'd been reading and immediately set down her book.
"Riley? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
Riley's face crumpled. She stood there in the entryway crying, and Carol was there in an instant, pulling Riley into her arms, not asking questions. Just holding her.
When the worst of it had passed, Carol led Riley to the kitchen. The kettle was already on—her mom must have started it when she heard Riley come in. Carol pulled down mugs and tea bags while Riley sat at the table, trying to find words.
"It was supposed to be fake," Riley said finally.
Carol paused, tea bag in hand. "What was?"
"Grant and me. The whole dating thing." Riley wiped at her eyes. "At the reunion, everyone kept teasing me about being so independent, about always being alone. It was this running joke—Riley Monroe, too busy for a relationship. Too focused on her career to settle down." Her voice shook. "And Grant heard them giving me a hard time, and he offered to pretend. Just for the reunion. Just so people would stop."
Carol set down the tea bag and sat across from her, silent.
"And then it worked so well that we kept going. Through all the holiday events. Christmas. Everything." Riley's throat tightened. "Except somewhere along the way it stopped being fake. At least for me. I fell for him all over again. Like I was sixteen and stupid and completely in love with Grant Lawson."
