“What else are we going to talk about, Maisie? A friendship? I don’t want that from you.”
“Wow, thanks for letting me know after all this time.” I shakemy head in disbelief. “And besides, I just want to be civil for tomorrow.”
“Too fucking bad. I want you, and you’re at my place. So come inside and let me undo ... this.” He gestures to me and I shake my head.
“You’re unreasonable. Empty purchases and dinners aren’t gonna make up for what you did.”
“What? Hating you? Or finally putting my foot down about you and Nate?”
I take a step back. I know which one it is.
“I should’ve known.” He starts to pace. “I should have seen that you’d always choose him. Even after everything ...”
“After everything? Like leaving me alone for weeks at a time? Like trying to override who I am so I suit you?”
“I tried to make it work!”
“This isn’t how it works!” I snap.
“And you would know, huh? Because of Nate?”
“I would.”
“Fine then. Go find him. I bet he’ll love to hear you out after he walked away from you.”
I flinch at the words. I’m still struggling to understand why he walked away at all. “Nate and I are none of your business.”
“Oh, I made it my business. I’ve watched that lovesick puppyfollow you around for years. And that? Him walking away? That’s a first.”
It is. Iknowit is. “Whatever.” I pull out my phone to call a ride, but it’s almost dead. I’d forgotten to charge it the night before because I was busy with Nate.
God, will I get that again? Last night alone feels like a different world.
In a rush, I put in my location and Nate’s address. I need to talk to him.Now.
“You know what I think?”
“I-I don’t care what you think.”
“I have a feeling he thought you two were finally heading toward being something more. I have a feeling he got his hopes up. I mean, why wouldn’t he? You look likethis, and you’re single. And then you get back to the airport and you give me a chance.” He laughs. “And you broke his heart.”
“The chance was to talk, which you ruined, by the way.”
“Yeah, and I bet you made thatveryclear, judging by the way he reacted.”
“I—no, he would know ...” I trail off, thinking about what I’ve said and done over the last few days. Us being physical was new. Did we ever talk about the future?
All I’d said was I’d take what he would give me.
Fuck,I never said the words.
“That’s right,” Rob said cruelly. “You messed it up.”
“Fuck off,” I snap.
“You know, I thought it was fun when I was dating you, but this is actually better. You burned your bridge with him. I should’ve let you vacation with him a long time ago.”
“You’re an asshole.”
