Maybe I’m hoping for a reaction.
Maybe I’m hoping he’ll say anything—push back, tell me it’s a mistake, tell me we could run this place together even if I’m based in Austin.
His eyes search mine, but the steel-gray storm I’ve grown weak for is gone—replaced by distance. By something hollow.
He just stares back at me, trapped by whatever still holds him in place, unwilling to reach for more.
And that’s when I understand the real problem.
It isn’t him hesitating. Or this conversation.
It’s the fantasy we let ourselves believe.
The idea that one night could be enough—for Gage to lower his walls, confess his past, and suddenly let everything fall into place.
A dream we clung to because it was easier than the truth. Because the truth is, we never reached the root of this. We never said the things that actually mattered.
Maybe this is what happens when no one says the words that matter most.
He sighs and nods, his throat bobbing as the vein in his neck pulses.
“I think you should do what’s right for you,” he says softly.
And that’s it.
He’s letting me walk away.
I don’t manage to hold it together until I’m out of the office. Tears blur my vision as I make it back to the house, to my room, shutting the door behind me.
My heart tightens as the realization settles in.
He ended things without ever saying it out loud.
What did I do? Why is he doing this?
The questions pile up—no answers, no explanations for why Gage keeps hurting me, or why I keep coming back. Why am I putting myself through this?
But I know the answer.
I think I’ve known it for a while now.
I love him.
Despite everything, I still love him—because a life without Gage Hollis doesn’t feel like a life at all. Just an existence. And no matter how much it hurts, I meant what I said in the office.
I have to do what’s best for me.
I reach for the card with Roger’s name on it. I hesitate—but only for a moment. I can’t afford to lose my resolve now.
I dial. He answers immediately.
“Roger West.”
I swallow. “Mr. West, it’s Sloane Carter from Hollis Ranch. Are you still interested in those shares?”
“Absolutely, Miss Carter,” he says, his tone shifting instantly. “I’m actually in Bell River. We can meet and talk numbers if you’d like.”
I nod, even though he can’t see me.
