I grit my teeth.
There’s a lot of truth to what he’s saying. But that doesn’t make it easier for me to accept it. I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand. "Please. I’ve made up my mind. This… Whatever it is, is over. I shouldn’t have agreed to spend the last few hours with you. It’s time I take you home."
11
James
"So, this is it?" She stares straight ahead through the windshield of the car.
I drove her home through the silent streets of the city, hoping to prolong the time I had with her.
But it's just four a.m. The streets are hushed. Any scattered traffic has melted away. It's that hour when even insomniacs finally fall asleep. It's as if the entire city is holding its breath. Which is the only reason my chest felt too tight.
I made it to her address in less than half the time it’d normally take me. And cursed the fact that I couldn’t find any further excuse to spend more time with her.
I parked in front of her apartment block, and neither of us moved for a few seconds. Then I unlocked the car doors. That broke the silence.
She turns to me. "You sure you don’t want to come in?"
I half smile. "Nice try, but no."
She sighs. "You’re obstinate."
"And you’re beautiful."
She flushes. "You shouldn’t say things like that, especially when you’ve made it clear, you don’t want anything to do with me."
I frown. The hurt in her voice twists my guts and settles uncomfortably in my belly.
"You understand why though, don’t you?"
"Because of your misplaced sense of responsibility?"
My lips twitch. How I love her feistiness. The way she doesn't back down. How she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, holds her ground without flinching. How she screws up her eyes when she smiles. The sense of wonder on her face when I showed her my favorite part of the city. How her green eyes shine like emeralds when she's turned on, how she blushes prettily.
She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. And no one can come close to her.
I’ll never forget her. And I’m walking away from her. I set my jaw. Iwillwalk away from her. I have to. It’s what’s best for both of us.
I’m not in the right frame of mind to have someone in my life. And she… She’s just starting her’s.
"Because it’s the right thing to do," I murmur.
Her lips turn down. "Didn’t think you’d turn out to be this decent."
"Oh, I’m not." I squeeze my fingers around the steering wheel to stop myself from reaching for her. "But on this occasion… It's too important."
Her chest rises and falls. Her chin trembles. Then she gives a firm nod and composes herself. "Right then." She holds out a hand.
I glance at it, then back at her face.
She sees the determination on my features, and her jaw drops. "Not even a handshake?"
"Not even a handshake." Because if I touch her, I will not let her go. And I can’t do that. I push my door open, step around the car, and hold her door open. She lowers her feet to the ground. I shut the door behind her, walk her to the entrance of the building. She keys in a code, and the door unlocks. She pushes the door open, turns to face me. "Thanks for walking me to my doorstep."
"You’re welcome." I tilt my head. "If things had been different?—"
"But they’re not." She swallows. "Goodbye, James."
