“What happens next?” Liv leans over my shoulder, and I stop paying attention to the screen in front of me.
“We don’t have cameras inside the offices. Our guy must’ve snuck in the public entrance and retrieved his package somewhere.”
Her hair falls over her shoulder, brushing against my ear.
“So, we’ve got nothing?”
“I’ll send the fingerprints to the lab. This guy isn’t in the system, but I’ll at least match them to the other evidence he’s left behind to start building a case.”
She smells like vanilla and green tea.
“What should I do?” They continue to converse over my shoulder, and I can’t untangle myself from her proximity.
“All we can do is wait, but you’ll be out of town for a bit, so that’ll help. Give this guy time to get antsy and slip up.”
Out of town.
Because she’s getting married.
I struggle to come up with anything to say the entire drive back to her cottage. I feel her subtle glances in my direction, but I’m afraid that if I look at her directly, I’ll blurt something out that I’ll regret.
Don’t marry him.
Don’t do this.
I wouldn’t regret it because the thoughts are untrue, I’d regret it because of the position I’d be putting her in. I’ve put her through enough for one lifetime, and I want her to be happy.
Even if it doesn’t include me, killing me inside, that’s my burden to bear.
“I won’t need a ride for a while,” she says once I park.
I squeeze my eyes shut, willing away the nausea I’m experiencing. “About two weeks, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nod stiffly as she shuts her door, and I watch her walk across her porch. “Liv, wait!”
She spins to face me, and I’m already across the driveway. “Can we talk?”
“About what?”
“I don’t know. This.” I motion between us.
“What about this?”
“I finally got you back, Liv. I feel like I’m losing you, again.”
“I’m not a toy, Hayes.”
“You know that isn’t what I mean.”
“What do you want me to say?”
That you won’t marry him.“Are you happy?”
“What? Of course, I am.”
“Have you gotten everything you’ve wanted in life?”
