“That still sounds like you regret sleeping with me.”
“No—” He took a breath, then tried again, in a more level voice. “No. I meant, I don’t want to go through what happens next. When the window closes, and you go back to your real life.”
Shiloh felt on display. Braless and barefooted. She crossed her arms. “Are we talking about now or then?”
Cary’s eyes flashed. “Both! I’m never a real option for you, Shiloh. I thought maybe tonight would be different—that we could meet each other in a new place, that maybe you still had feelings for me...”
“I have nothingbutfeelings for you.”
He laughed, joylessly. “You’ve already decided I’m a one-night stand!”
She felt so confused. “Isn’tthis a one-night stand? Aren’t you only in Omaha for the night?”
He glared at her. “Is that the only reason you’re interested?”
“No.”
“Because you only seem to be interested in me when I’m walking away.”
“Cary.” She shook her head. “That’s not fair.”
“You pretended like it never happened!” His voice was extra quiet, like he was trying not to shout.
She jabbed a finger at him. “No,youpretended like it never happened!”
“You couldn’twaitto tell me it was nothing, Shiloh. Before we even had a chance.”
“I was giving you anout! Which you immediately took. You didn’t even kiss me goodbye!”
“That’s not how it happened!”
“Don’t tell me how it happened—I was there!”
“You micromanaged every moment.” He was looking away from her, counting on his fingers. “Youdecided we should have sex.Youdecided what it meant. You told me how tofeel.”
She scoffed. “I sound pretty terrible—why are you even here?”
He looked at her again, seething. “You said it wasnothing.”
“No, Cary, I said Ilovedyou!”
“I loved you, too!”
“You didn’t say that—you’ve never said that.”
“I wrote you a letter!”
“You brokeupwith me in a letter.”
“How could Ibreak upwith you? We were never together!”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, “but you sure fucking did it anyway.”
“Don’t swear at me.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
He stood up. “I won’t. This is— I’m going home now. You don’t have to drive me. I’ll walk.”
