“Yeah. It did.”
“I’m sure. She came afteryou, right? She wantedyou. You’re irresistible. You had nothing to do with it.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Astrid sniffed. “So you didn’t bet me you could get into Claire’s pants before the wedding?”
It took Claire a few seconds to realize what Astrid had said, the words settling around the room like a sudden snow shower in April—quiet and cold and shocking.
Claire turned to look at Delilah. “You... you did what?”
Delilah pressed her eyes closed. “That’s not what happened.”
“Hang on, hang on,” Iris said. “Delilahbetyou she could sleep with Claire?”
“The morning of the brunch,” Astrid said, gesturing at Claire. “She said you were looking well, and I told her to stay the hell away from you and she justgrinned. Like it was a joke. Then she bet me she could get you in her bed in two weeks’ time.”
“And you took it?” Iris said, her mouth gaping.
“No! I told her to go fuck herself.”
“That’s not what happened,” Delilah said again, but her voice sounded frail, unsure.
“So you didn’t try to sleep with Claire just to get under my skin?” Astrid asked.
“You’re twisting it around,” Delilah said.
“Am I?”
“Wait,” Iris said, stepping farther into the room. “This can’t be right. What are we missing?” She frowned at Delilah, hurt furrowing her brow.
And still, Delilah said nothing. Nothing in defense. No explanation. She just stood there, her arms crossed, her eyes on the floor, teeth worrying at her bottom lip like she was trying to think of what to say. But if she evenhadto think,hadto worry, then...
Claire couldn’t process this. She turned to look at the woman she’d just begged to bemorewith her. The woman she couldn’t stop thinking about, couldn’t imagine letting go back to New York without a plan to be in each other’s lives. She knew Delilah was rough around the edges. She knew Delilah was brash and brazen, and she actually loved all that about her. Plus, underneath all that, Delilah was... She was soft. And gentle and considerate and brave. She was real. It had all felt so real.
Itwasreal.
Wasn’t it?
But now, the truth of how unfeasible their whole relationship was settled on Claire’s shoulders.
Claire had asked Delilah to stay. To try. To figure it out together.
And Delilah... hadn’t said yes. She’d kissed Claire, touched her so gently and tenderly it made Claire’s throat tighten just remembering it, but she hadn’t said yes. Because she couldn’t. Moreover, shedidn’t want to. Delilah was always going to leave, just like Josh, just like Claire’s father. Regardless of how this started, no matter what she felt for Delilah or what she had hoped might happen, she couldn’t give her heart to someone else just to have them disappear on her again.
Whatever this was between them—sex,more, nothing—it was over.
Because Delilah Green would never stay in Bright Falls for Claire Sutherland.
“Claire,” Delilah said. “Please, can we—”
But Claire held up her hand, cutting Delilah off. Delilah flinched like she’d been slapped, and that’s what it felt like to Claire too—her palm smarting, fingers shaking, adrenaline rushing through her veins.
Finally, Delilah nodded once, her jaw tight, and walked toward the hallway.
“Go ahead and walk away,” Astrid said quietly. “It’s what you do best.”
Delilah paused in the doorway, her shoulders up around her ears. Claire wanted to scream,no, no, no, this wasn’t right, but it was. It was, because Delilah didn’t turn around, she didn’t stay, she didn’t push.
