“No. I don’t want to be blamed later if you decide you actually want them.”
“I won’t change my mind.”
Her mother huffed. “Honestly, Aspen, I don’t know why you’re so difficult. Do you know what I sacrificed to have you and raise you? A lot. And now you’re forcing me to keep clutter that isn’t mine.”
She massaged her temple. She’d heard similar spiels before. Heck, she could just about recite it word for word.
The funny thing was, this was her mother beingnice. When she wasn’t nice, Aspen often needed to block her number for a few days just to get a break from the threats and curses.
She looked back at her laptop. Everything was annoying today…and it had all started with those damn flowers.
“Fine,” Aspen finally cut in. “I’ll text you my address now.”
“Good.”
Then her mother hung up. She just freaking hung up. No “goodbye.” No “have a good day.” Nothing.
Un-freaking-believable.
CHAPTER 4
Aspen watched through the window as Dylan’s gray Toyota Tacoma reversed out of the driveway. Fear pitted her belly. A fear that ran so deep it made her feel physically sick. Every part of her wanted to just go. Leave her things in his house and get out. But she had to be smart. She had to get everything she owned out of his house so she never had to come back. She had to be done with him for good.
His truck disappeared down the street, but still, she didn’t move right away. She had to be sure he was gone. Because if he caught her leaving with all her things…
A shudder rolled through her body. No. He wouldn’t catch her.
Two entire minutes ticked by, and in those minutes, the silence beat into her. Almost absently, she ran her fingers over the place on her arm he’d just grabbed. She cringed at the dull ache. It would bruise. It had bruised last time.
Now,Aspenwhispered to herself. You have to move now.
Straightening her spine, she forced her feet to cross the living room into the bedroom. They’d been dating less than a year. She didn’t have a lot in the house. Little bits and pieces here and there. Spare deodorant. A couple pieces of clothing.She needed all of it. She needed Dylan to have no reason to come to her. No possessions to return. No messages to pass along.
She grabbed a couple of T-shirts and some leggings from a drawer. The drawer Dylan had emptied for her. She could still remember the smile that had stretched her face when he’d shown her. She’d been excited that he’d made room for her in his house.
That was before any of this had started.
Stupid. So stupid. He’d been so good at hiding the ugly parts of himself. The angry parts. The downright scary. But she still should have seen the warning signs. The loss of temper. The raised voice.
She threw the clothes into a bag before checking the laundry basket, then under the bed. When she was sure everything was clear, she moved into the bathroom. Her deodorant sat on the counter. Moisturizer and some concealer in the drawers.
There shouldn’t be so much here. There shouldn’t be anything here. She should have left long ago.
Weak. She felt so weak and stupid and pathetic for staying. She’d always prided herself on her strength, but maybe she’d never been as strong as she’d thought.
Sudden tears pressed to her eyes, and she scrunched them shut.She didn’t want to cry. He didn’t deserve her tears.
She grabbed everything that was hers from the bathroom and dropped it into the bag on the bed.
Next, she moved into the living room and set her bag on the couch. A charger and a couple of things in the kitchen…then she’d be gone.
Her fingers shook as she pulled the charger from the wall. In the kitchen, she grabbed her mug and a Thermos.
There. That was everything. In a few hours, Dylan would return to his house and there’d be no sign that she’d been hereapart from the note. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. The edges were scuffed and the page crinkled from spending too long hidden away.
She’d written it days ago. But only now, after their disastrous morning, did she have the strength to leave it. The morning when he’d grabbed her arm for telling him she wasn’t staying over that night. Yelled at her like she was nothing. Like she was a possession of his.
She set the note onto the kitchen island.
