Except the truth was, she didn’t, she realized as she collapsed at her kitchen table, her head in her hands as a sob broke through. She didn’t know how to get through this alone. God, if only one of her friends would suddenly show up at her door…
A loud pounding startled her tears away, and she shot out of her chair. It had to be Reese. She was one of those people who had a sort of sixth sense about people as much as she did about animals.
She tugged the belt on her robe tighter as she ran to the door and flung it open—and found Brody on the other side.
“Claudia? Lord, what’s happened?”
She could only stand mutely and shake her head.
He stepped inside, and she didn’t have it in her to stop him as he grabbed her by the shoulders, peering into her face.
“You’re white as a sheet. And you’ve been crying? What’s going on?”
Again, all she could do was shake her head as she tried to pull away from him, but he held on tight. Finally she said, “Let me go.”
He dropped his hands instantly, as if he’d been stung.
“Did I… did I hurt you?” he asked.
“No. No. But you will.”
“I will… what? What are you talking about?”
She put her hands on his chest, intending to push him toward the door, but she felt his heart beating beneath his t-shirt, and it was too much for her. She sagged against him.
“You have to go,” she told him. “You have to go. Before it gets any worse.”
He took her hands in his and held on tight. “What are you talking about? Before what gets worse? Claudia, I don’t understand.”
“But you will. When you look back at this… these whole four weeks, and think of me, you’ll know this is for the best. You’ll appreciate that I let you go before you felt you… owed me anything.”
He was quiet for several seconds, then he wrapped her up in his arms, and she really started to cry; he felt so good. Warm and safe. The only man she’d ever felt safe with.
“You don’t need to do this,” he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion. “We can work this out. Just talk to me. When have you ever not been able to talk to me?”
With a jolt, she realized he was right. She could say anything to him. It had always been like that with him, even when they’d barely known each other. Even when it came to kink or sex, which had surprised her after years with Kenny, who thought a woman speaking about those things was vulgar. But with Brody, she’d never really had to censor herself. But this was something completely different.
“I-I don’t know how to have this conversation,” she admitted.
“Okay. Let me help you. Let’s sit down.”
She let him lead her to the couch, where they sat next to each other.
“Is it okay if I touch you?”
“You always touch me,” she said, confused.
“Yeah. But this isn’t an ‘always’ kind of moment, is it?”
“No, you’re right. But it’s not new. These are not new thoughts I’m having. They’re simply things I’ve shoved to the back of my mind so I wouldn’t have to face them.”
“Things like what?”
“Things like reality,” she said with more force than she’d meant to.
“You’re still worried about our age difference?”
She nodded, hating the idea of saying it aloud to him.
