“So awful,” she murmured.
“It was.”
“Thanks for sharing her with me.” Megan rested a hand on his leg and put the album back in the box. As she climbed to her feet, there was something in her eyes Jake hadn’t seen there in a long time…not since she used to comb her hair over the side of her face to hide her scar.
They watched TV and went to bed together like they always did, but something was different, something had changed. Megan was distant. She almost seemed…hurt. But why? By the time he woke beside her the next morning, he’d convinced himself it was just a weird reaction to seeing photos of his wedding to Alana. But when he tried to kiss her and she rolled away, he knew it was something more.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
She kept her back to him. “I just…”
“Tell me.” Because she was starting to scare him.
“I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a bitch, but you’re still in love with your wife.”
“What?” He sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “I mean, of course I’ll always love her in some way, but it has nothing to do with the love I feel for you.”
Megan rolled to face him, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Last night, you said she was perfect, and you know what? You’re right. Shewasperfect. How could I ever compete with that?” She pressed a hand against the scarred side of her face. “Maybe it’s what drew us to each other in the first place—all this fucking tragedy—or maybe you’re only attracted to me because you feel sorry for me, or—”
“I’m going to stop you right there.” His stomach had gone sour. “There’s nothing tragic about you, Megan, and as for your scars, I don’t even think about them. Do you realize how many scars I have from a lifetime spent working with horses? You think I care about an imperfection in your skin?”
She turned away. “I don’t know what to think.”
An uncomfortable heat spread across his skin. “I think you’re being ridiculous right now.”
“Am I?” She sat up to face him. “Because half the town can barely stand to look at me. Are you sure you’re not with me because I take the attention offyou?”
“Well that’s pretty fucking insulting.” He stared at her for a long minute as anger warred with hurt inside him.
She slid out of bed and started pulling on clothes. “I should go.”
“The hell you should.” He strode to his dresser and pulled on a fresh pair of boxers. Barnaby watched from his dog bed, ears pinned at the harsh words being exchanged. “Obviously, we have some things to talk about.”
“I just…I think maybe we jumped into this too quickly,” she said quietly.
“Well, we’re here now, and I don’t think I’m the one having trouble with it. Maybe you need to take a harder look at yourself, Megan.” They faced each other across the bedroom.
Her cheeks were pink, her eyes wide and glossy. “So, that’s how you want to play this? Pin it on me?”
“You know what, maybe we do need some time apart.” He pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. “Let me know when you’re ready to talk about what’s really going on here.”
And with that, he stormed out of the bedroom, out of the house, not slowing until he’d reached the barn.
