“Real fucking funny.” Leaning against the counter, I crossed my legs at the ankles, blocking the space in front of me. “Why don’t you just say what you want to say?”
“And what’s that?” he goaded, walking toward me. He stopped on the other side of the kitchen island, resting his forearms on the white granite. “Since you’re clearly the expert on my feelings.”
“Just go to fucking camp. We’ll talk when you get home.”
“No,” he insisted. “You started this. Hell, the other day you started it, too, and I let it go. But what the hell is going on? You’re a different person lately, and I don’t know what to do.”
“You don’t have to do a fucking thing.”
“Is this what I should expect for the rest of my life? You changing your moods like the fucking wind without any explanation whatsoever. And I just have to deal with it? It’s how it was with my father, and I can’t do it again. I won’t. So if we’re gonna do this the right way, if we’re gonna stay together and make it work for real, then this”—he motioned between us, an angry sadness filling his eyes—“whatever this is that’s going on can’t happen like this. I won’t take you not talking to me.”
“The rest of our lives,” I murmured, letting the weight of it all pummel me in the chest. This was it. It was the rest of my life. Jude was the only man I’d ever love, and Simon was my own flesh. How was I supposed to choose? “I can’t . . .”
My words faded into the canyon spreading between us.
He banged his fists down on the counter, jarring the entire kitchen, and rocking me to the core. “Then fucking don’t!” he boomed.
Fury bubbled in my chest. “Fine,” I said decidedly. “When you get home, you won’t have me and my asshole mood swings to worry about anymore.”
“Of course.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “That’s your go-to, isn’t it? Things get a little difficult and you run.” He turned his back on me and walked to the front door. Pausing briefly to pick up his bag, he stopped with his hand above the doorknob. When he turned back to face me, I thought he would sayWe’ll talk laterorWe need some time to cool down. I’ll see you after campso when he said, “You’re a fucking coward,” before softly closing the door behind him, I didn’t know what the fuck to do with my life.
