Analyzing was what he did.It’s what made him and his brother millions of dollars but right now he wished he could turn it off, even as his thoughts raced.
Because it was something in the air that told him he was the only one in this glorious piece of architecture.
But he couldn’t stop himself from checking the bedroom.
Seeing the rumpled sheets, his heart dropped to the floor.He bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to confirm his feelings.
Determined to prove himself wrong, he raced into the bathroom, telling himself that she was in the shower.
Empty.
His stomach sunk to the floor; he swallowed bile.
Grabbing her make-up bag off the counter, he told himself that maybe she was in the hot tub.
A flutter of hope threaded its way through his dread and he tried to push it back.
He desperately wanted to believe that there was a misunderstanding, to deny what all his senses and his past experience screamed at him.
Why she’d be in the hot tub without him didn’t make any sense but nonetheless he checked the hot tub.
Empty.
Retracing his steps, he checked his study.Maybe she’d seen the office door closed and decided to wait for him there.
His two armchairs were empty.
He didn’t smell the usual delicious aroma that indicated Josie was in the kitchen and even as he strolled that way, following the gentle curve of the house, he pulled his cell out of his pocket, bringing up the security feed.
With his heart in his throat, he watched Josie walk down the long driveway, past his house to the sidewalk before she disappeared from view.
“Fuck!”He bit his knuckle, stopping himself from throwing his phone.
Giving into his emotions wouldn’t help him.
But he couldn’t help the crushing sense of rejection that slammed into him.
Why did she leave?His mind couldn’t access his usual logic to work out the why.Suddenly, it was Trixie all over again, leaving him.
But that’s not Josie.
Deep in his bones, he knew Josie was his and knew that she wouldn’t hurt him.His logic started to claw through his anguish.
Ares forced himself to drink a glass of water to stop pacing and ran the possibilities through his mind.Maybe her mother called and she had to leave?Maybe something happened with Avery’s mother?Maybe the asshole’s restaurant that she worked out of burned down?
All those explanations felt hollow because he didn’t understand why she didn’t wait for him to be done in his office.
There had to be an explanation.
One that made sense.
Something that explained why she left that isn’t because she never wanted to see him again.
Ares pushed his hurt and anger as far as he could and noticed things he hadn’t when he first entered the kitchen.
The espresso machine he fought with was all set up, the cups underneath the shiny new nozzles.
His laptop.
