He looked so worried that I couldn’t bear to look at him. This was the cold, hard reminder of what I was to Kane. I was still on a cloud of happiness, and all he could think about was the horrifying possibility that he might have gotten me pregnant.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I’m on the pill. You don’t have to worry, Kane.”
I moved to get up, but he stopped me.
“That isn’t what I meant.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me softly. “I just want you to know, I’m clean. I don’t ever, you know… without a condom. This was the first time…”
He stumbled over the words and it was kind of adorable. I’d never seen this side of Kane before. I relaxed against him and he pulled down the covers, cocooning us inside. I curled up against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart against my cheek. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.
“That was…” He cleared his throat.
A part of me wondered if he regretted it. If he worried I was going to go all stage five clinger on him. But I wanted him to know that wasn’t the case as much as it hurt. Come Monday, I’d still be on a plane to Florida. And my heart would be broken, but at least I’d have the memories. I wanted to make the most of the time we had together.
“That was fun,” I said.
He stiffened against me, and we were both quiet. The word didn’t do it justice, and we both knew it. But this was how Kane operated. He didn’t get serious, and he made that very clear with the women he dated.
“Aspen, I…”
I pressed my lips against his and closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling.
“Kane, let’s just have this one night,” I pleaded. “We don’t have to talk about it. I’m leaving, so things aren’t going to be weird. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye.”
If I didn’t know any better, I thought I saw hurt flash through his eyes. But a moment later it was gone.
“You’re right,” he whispered against my lips. “If tonight is all we have, we better make it count.”
Chapter Eight
I woke to sunlight streaming through the window.
Kane was still asleep, his breathing heavy and relaxed. He looked so beautiful that for a moment, I just stared at him, committing every detail to memory. I didn’t know how I was going to walk away from him. I didn’t know how I would survive.
But I needed to. And for my self-preservation, I needed to do it before he woke up. It was the only way.
So I placed the softest of kisses against his cheek and whispered the only truth that I knew.
“I love you, Kane Stryker. I’m going to miss the hell out of you.”
A tear slid down my cheek as I climbed out of bed and tiptoed down the hall, collecting my clothing as I went. Kane had a landline, so I used that to call for a tow truck. Then I opened my purse and stared at the letter.
There was no point in leaving my resignation now. I thought it would only make it worse if I did. So instead, I scrawled a note for him.
Kane,
Thank you for the best night of my life.
Aspen
It would probably freak him out. But I didn’t care. I would be long gone. So with a deep breath and more confidence than I felt, I walked out the door. And out of Kane’s life. For good.
***
My dad drove to meet me at the tow truck company. I gave him the appropriate smiles and hugs, but even still, he knew something was off. I’d been quiet the entire drive back to Hartford. And when we pulled into the driveway of my childhood home, he turned off the ignition and looked over at me.
“You know you don’t have to do this, honey.”
“What do you mean dad?” I asked.
