She tried turning her head, but he grasped her jaw. “You deserve someone who can give you everything.”
Roxanne once again remembered what her brother had said.
“Then be that person for me.”
His jaw squared, and his features tensed. “It’s not that easy.”
“But it is, Jonah.” She laughed without an ounce of humor. If anything, it was a nervous frustration. “You may love me, but you certainly don’t get me. There’s nothing you could share with me that could change how I feel about you.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
They were at a stalemate. She couldn’t get him to open up. If he didn’t want to, he wouldn’t.
“Then I should go.”
“Rox.” His brows furrowed.
“All or nothing, Jonah. Either you let me have all of you…the bad, the ugly, the worst you got? Or nothing. Because I want it all.” She sniffled, not even realizing that she was sobbing until that very moment. It was almost a shock to feel the tears streaming down to her chin.
“It’ll change us.” He whispered.
“It’ll make us stronger.”
“It could ruin us,” he countered.
“There’s nousunless you let me in.”
Jonah stepped back, putting distance between them. Neither of them spoke, but continued to stare at one another. Whatever he was holding back, had to be given on his terms. And that wouldn’t happen. Not tonight.
Roxanne drew a breath, swiped her damp cheeks and straightened her shoulders.
“Bye, Jonah.” She opened the door and walked out. In the back of her mind, she wanted him to chase after her.
He didn’t.
****
Two days later, Jonah sat in the chair at his desk piled with invoices, notes and pictures of potential projects. He had calls to make, deadlines to meet, and bookkeeping that his accountant demanded yesterday. None of that seemed to matter as he stared at the picture of him and Roxanne on his phone from the night of his brother’s homecoming dance. For all the time they’d spent together, this was the only one he had.
She was leaning her back against his chest with a bright smile. He wasn’t as carefree as she was, but he recognized something on his face he hadn’t seen in years. Joyful peace.
“Hey.”
Jonah spun in his chair watching Holden slowly inch through the garage. His face was pale, with bags under his eyes to rival a man three decades older, and with a look ofutter defeat. Two days later and Holden was still nursing his hangover.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I made a bad life choice.”
Thank God for Holden.He could always count on his brother for comic relief, even in a weathered state.
The knock on the door had Holden jerking his head and then squeezing his eyes shut. Yeah, he was still feeling the effects of partying too hard. Jonah had given him the mandatory parental speech in the morning, but he took it easy on him. It had been a while, but Jonah had been in his position a time or two when he was younger.
Kenzie walked in smiling at Holden.
“Hi.”
He lifted his hand and waved without an ounce of enthusiasm. It was the polar opposite of how he usually reacted around the beautiful woman.
