Blythe told him she would and hung up the phone.
When she got there, she put her Oldsmobile in park and hurried inside. She sat at the kitchen table and waited for the three amigos to get home. She wondered what Justin had done when she left. He’d hurt her feelings, but he wasn’t wrong. She regretted storming out of the room like a child, but letting go of her pride wasn’t going to be easy.
“Lythie!” Addie and Evie came running through the screen door. They hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks, and it felt so good to squeeze them again.
Chris followed behind. “You girls can talk to Blythe when I’m finished. Go upstairs and play for a bit.” When they were out of earshot, he pulled out a chair and sat next to her.
“What’s going on? I can tell you’re upset.”
Blythe spilled her guts while her uncle listened. She cried, and Chris held her hand the entire time.
“The thing is, everything he said was true. I’m not sure I even know myself anymore. ”
“Shit.” Chris leaned back in his chair and groaned. “I get it. I do. These things take time, and no one’s timeline is the same. But you have to figure this out.” He paused before asking, “You stormed off and just left him standing there? Are you going to go back and talk to him?”
“I think I need some space. The apartment isn’t done yet. Can I come back here for a little while? Just until it’s finished?”
Chris huffed a sigh. “He deserves an explanation, Lythie. He deserves a lot more than what you’ve given him today. I think you need to go back, get your things if you’re dead set on it, but don’t come back until you’ve straightened some shit out with him while you’re at it.”
She knew he was right.
It didn’t take away her feelings, though. She was still angry, hurt, and wanted to hide. But those feelings weren’t easy to dig through. The negative self-talk and deprecation felt like it was coming from someone else…but it was her own voice telling her how small she was.
JUSTIN
The emptiness in his gigantic house felt all consuming. How could emptiness consume you? That would indicate emptiness wasn’t empty at all. To be empty, you would have to be filled with nothing, but Justin felt filled with everything. Maybe there was a better word for it…
Whatever it was, the emotion was bubbling at the surface.
Justin heard the front door open and shut quietly. He knew who it was. Her footsteps walking down the entryway hall told him whose face he was about to see. He was sitting on the sofa, his position pointing toward where she would soon round the corner into the living room.
“Sugar.” His tone was flat and melancholy, and the way he said her name felt all wrong.
He watched as she slowly moved toward him, stopping before she reached the back of the large sectional couch. Her eyes met his, and she stood there a few more beats before finally breaking the silence.
“Justin, I’m sorry about the way I stormed off earlier. I shouldn’t have done it like that. I’ve been at Silo Springs, talking to Chris. I’ve decided to go back and stay there for a little while. I think, under the circumstances, it would be best for us both.”
He stared into her eyes, not blinking, never looking away. She really thought this was the solution?
He already knew she wouldn’t budge on her decision. There was no point in arguing. She was stubborn as hell. Once she made up her mind, she was going to do it, no matter the cost.
“I still want to move into the apartment and continue working with the business. I’ll just stay with Chris and the girls until everything’s finished and I can move in. I’ll come back to work on whatever I need to in the meantime, and all of your client calls are forwarded to my work phone, so everything will continue without a hitch.”
Was she fucking kidding? Was this a breakup?
“Okay. I just have one question.” Justin stood, taking large strides to meet her. “Why?”
She went stiff. He knew she had an answer, but would she be honest and admit the truth? Her frame loosened, and her chin raised higher.
“Because I don’t even know who I am anymore. I used to—but after everything that happened… I jumped into things too soon with you. I let my guard down too fast. I let myself get too comfortable, and look what happened. You want more from me than I can give, and I can’t do that to you anymore.”
Justin towered over her, his broad shoulders square and ready for the fight. His voice was deep in his throat with a bite to it when he finally said, “No—you’re not doing anything to me. You’re doing it to yourself. You’re letting him steal everything from you, Blythe! Your confidence, your strength, everything I fucking love about you. And you’re letting him steal everything we could have together. I’m a patient man. I’ll wait. I don’t needto have you naked and tangled up to know I love you. I knew it the first time I stared into those gorgeous green eyes, and I know you felt it, too. But I won’t have some invisible jackass, whose face I’ve never had the pleasure of smashing in, stand between me and the love of my life!”
He watched her catch her breath. He didn’t plan on confessing his love during a fight—but if this was his only chance, then to fucking hell with it.
“There, I said it. Blythe Harper, you are the goddamn love of my life, and I would walk through fucking fire to stand in your presence! If I’m not that for you, then tell me now, so I can pick my heart up off the fucking floor and watch you walk away. It’ll be as good as meat in a grinder, but I’ll live with it because I want you to be happy!”
Blythe stepped back, moving away from his enormous body.
