Hadley opened her mouth, but no words came out. She rubbed her forehead. “I guess that’s something.”
Her office phone rang.
“Do you need to get that?” he asked.
“No, it’s more reporters. Probably looking for a statement about your interview.”
“Not clients?”
Hope flared in her gaze but quickly died. “I spoke to the three earlier.”
He flinched. “Only three?”
She nodded once.
Blaise felt nauseous. “Dash and Wes are quoted in the interview. Both praise your matchmaking abilities.”
She inhaled slowly. “I’ll thank them for that.”
“I hope the interview helps. There are other things I will do.” Blaise hated how the light in her eyes had dimmed. Worse was knowing he’d done that to her. “If we—”
“There is no we.” Her tone was hard and hit him like a punch to the gut. “You made that clear in Las Vegas. You were pretending. That’s all.”
He hung his head with shame. Yes, he’d said that, but he hadn’t meant it. “I was wrong. I was too upset to see what was right in front of my face.”
Defiance in her eyes, she raised her chin. “What would that be?”
“You.” The word seemed to hang in the air. “I didn’t want to fall for you. I never planned on falling for anyone. Opening myself up the way I did. Allowing myself to be vulnerable. Hurt. Abandoned. I had enough of that with my mom and dad. But you. You broke through. You made me feel. Made me believe that I was worth more than my account balances. And then you chose Wes.”
She didn’t say a word, so he would keep going.
“I mean, you didn’t choose Wes, but I thought you were picking him over me. The same way my parents picked heroin over me. And I lost it. Because even though I’m older now, and should be more mature, I’m still that little boy who wants someone to want him. To pick him over everything and everyone else. To make him feel like he’s number one.”
She blinked several times. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Then let me talk. I miss you, Hadley.” Blaise poured his emotions into his words. “I can’t take back what happened. I would if I could. But please understand how sorry I am. I don’t care about the bet. But losing you has devastated me.”
She closed her eyes. Exhaling, she opened them. “I was trying to do the right thing for your friend. I never meant to trigger a reaction from you. But what you said, how you reacted. Yes, we started off pretending, but I thought things changed pretty quickly. They did for me, so I broke the rules. I was happy to do that because I believed your feelings were the same as mine.”
“Please. Let me make it up to you.” He wasn’t above begging. If she wanted him to grovel, he would. “Not just for your business. But you. I hate that I hurt you.”
“Hurt?” Her gaze hardened and gleamed, cutting him to the core. “I'm heartbroken. I convinced myself you were different. That we had something special.”
“We do.” He didn’t want to lose her. “If we can start over—”
“It’s too late.” The words, full of angst and sadness, tumbled out of her mouth. “I appreciate you doing the interview, and I hope it helps. But whether or not it does, I have to start over with my business. Save it. For myself and my family. That will take everything I have. There won’t be anything left of me to give.”
He stiffened. “What are you saying?”
“Goodbye.” Hadley’s voice shook. “I’m sorry you made a wasted trip to San Francisco. I know how valuable your time is.”
He could barely breathe. “You’re valuable to me.”
She shook her head. “You’ll find somebody else. Someone more convenient, who can give you the time you need and make you the priority you want to be in her life.”
“I want you.”
Her gaze locked on his. “Sometimes what we want isn’t what we need.”
