Kelly shook her head, refusing to accept his reassurance.
"You don't know that. You never met Lori. You don't know my family. You don't know me."
The words stung more than they should have, but he couldn’t completely argue. A month ago, they’d been strangers in a high-rise building.
"Kelly," he tried one more time, keeping his voice gentle. "I understand you're upset, but pushing me away isn't going to solve anything. Let’s sit down. Just talk. I’ll listen."
"It will solve one thing," she replied, wiping angrily at her tears. "It'll give me space to think without you standing there making excuses."
Ben felt his own anger flare again. He wasn't making excuses; he was trying to explain. There was a difference, but Kellyseemed determined not to see it. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth, fighting back words he might regret later.
"Fine," he said after a moment, forcing his voice to remain calm. "If space is what you need, I can give you that. But this conversation isn't over."
Kelly turned away from him, arms wrapped around herself as if warding off a chill. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was distant and controlled.
"It might be."
The words hit Ben with unexpected force. He hadn’t realized she had the power to hurt him so deeply.
But she did. His feelings for her ran deep, despite not having known each other for months or years. Something about her unique combination of toughness and vulnerability called out to him, reaching for his heart.
"I don't want you here right now," Kelly said, her voice low but firm.
She wasn't looking at him anymore, her gaze fixed on some point beyond his shoulder. The finality in her tone left no room for argument.
Ben opened his mouth to protest, to reason with her, but stopped himself. What would be the point? She had made up her mind, at least for tonight, and he recognized the futility of pushing further.
"Okay," he said, struggling to keep his voice neutral. "I'll go, but I'm taking the car."
The practicality of the situation asserted itself through his hurt feelings. They were still in Bergen, miles from New York, with only one rental car between them. His shoulders slumped slightly as he processed what this meant. He would need to find a hotel for the night.
And maybe change his return flight tickets to an earlier date.
Kelly remained motionless, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Fine. Take it."
"Text me tomorrow when you're ready to talk," he offered, still hoping this was a temporary break, a cooling-off period rather than a definitive end.
"It's too late for talking," Kelly replied, her voice cold and distant.
Ben felt his stomach tighten at her words. Too late? How had they gone from making love on couch cushions to this stark finality so quickly?
It wasn’t the first time he’d had a relationship end, but for some reason, this one hurt much more. He nodded once, accepting the reality of the situation if not its logic.
"I need to get my things."
Moving with deliberate calm, Ben walked to the bedroom where his suitcase lay open on the floor. He gathered his clothes, folding each item with mechanical precision before placing it in the bag. His toiletries came next, collected from the bathroom counter.
Through it all, he maintained a facade of composure, though his hands trembled slightly as he zipped the suitcase closed. He could feel Kelly watching him from the doorway, her presence a silent weight in the room. She stood with her arms crossed, refusing to look directly at him. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.
What would his father do in this situation? If he called Seth Reilly at this exact moment, what advice would his dad give?
Probably give her the space she wanted while making sure she knew he was still there if needed. Seth Reilly had never believed in forcing confrontations, especially with women.
"Give them room to breathe, son," he'd said more than once. "Most problems look different after a good night's sleep."
Ben hoped that was true in this case, though a nagging doubt told him this wasn't a simple misunderstanding that would disappear with morning light. This was something…more. He didn’t know exactly what, but Kelly was lashing out like a wounded animal. Lori? Her family? Or maybe it was about him, after all. He just might be a piece of shit,
He couldn’t rule that option out.
