“You’re not going anywhere.” I pointed a finger at him. “After everything I’ve been through, I deserve two minutes of your time. And I swear if you drive off right now, I will just walk back to the B and B.”
Ramsay slammed the driver’s-side door shut, his belligerence clear, and gestured for me to lead the way into the bungalow.
Despite my need to be in control of the conversation, as soon as I saw the sofa, I lowered myself into it and released the breath I’d been holding.
Ramsay stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed over his chest. He swept his gaze over the room, taking in the photos and artwork and clutter of ornaments that had belonged to Taran’s mom. She hadn’t had the heart to go through any of it yet, but I was hoping once I was better, I could help her with that.
Finally, his attention returned to me. “Do you need anything?”
“Answers.”
At his instant closed expression, I huffed bitterly, “I don’t expect answers regarding Shawn Prescott or Halston. I know I’m not going to get them. But I want answers about us.”
He remained expressionless, not even shifting his feet. “It was a casual thing between us.”
Even though I’d suspected it was coming since the moment we’d left the hospital, it still hurt like a motherfucker. Yet I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of crying. Even if I needed more than that. I needed to knowwhy. “So … when you said it was more than just sex between us … what did that mean for you?”
That muscle in his jaw ticked and he made an exasperated sound. “Can we not do this?”
“You want to end it without an explanation?”
“I just did.” His gaze returned to mine. Cold. Glacial, even. “I told you when we started sleeping together that it was all you’d get from me. It ran its course. We’re done.”
“You must think I’m an idiot.” My expression clearly advertised my disgust because his features hardened and he looked out the window to avoid me. “Suddenly after I get stabbed and you go off doing God knows what on my behalf, it’s over? You don’t do what you’ve done for someone who is only afuck.” Tears threatened now, but I held on tight to them, forcing them down.
“And what have I done?” His question was gruff.
He still wouldn’t look at me.
“I don’t know the details. But it couldn’t have been easy. You had to use some major resources to find Prescott that fast.”
“What do you want from me?” Ramsay’s head whipped toward me. “I’m trying to bow out of this without fucking hurting you!”
“You don’t think this is hurting me?”
His shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Silver. I am. But I told you. I warned you. I do life alone.” With that, he exhaled a shaky sigh. “I don’t want things to be strange between us. I’d rather we part as … friends.”
Friends?
He wanted to part as friends?
I let out a slightly hysterical huff of laughter. “Okay,” I said, sharp sarcasm stinging my words. “Let’s be friends. Maybe we can get coffee sometime and you can tell me about your latest casual fuck and how she compares to me. Sound fun?”
Ramsay had the audacity to give me a wounded look before turning toward the door and saying over his shoulder, “I’m not doing this.”
“You’re a coward!” I called after him. “When it matters the most, you’re a coward!”
Taran’s front door slammed shut so hard behind him, the walls shook.
34.Tierney
The beautiful thing about small-town living was that everyone rallied around each other during difficult times. The entire community had my back and were looking out for me as another week passed in my recovery.
That didn’t mean they weren’t gossiping among themselves now that it was public knowledge my affair with Ramsay was over.
The not-so-beautiful thing about small-town living was that everyone was in everyone else’s business.
It was interesting to me from a human perspective that no one gave me pitying looks when I returned wounded from being stabbed on Main Street by an “assassin for hire.” No, they’d looked at me like I’d survived a war.
