“And you had every reason to be.”
Silence fell between us for a moment.
Then she shook her head slightly, disbelief returning.
“You still haven’t answered the question.”
“Which one?”
“What the hell you’re doing here?”
I held her gaze without hesitation.
“My name opened a lot of doors,” I said simply. “Turns out universities get very cooperative when a professor with my record asks about working abroad.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“You’re telling me you moved here—”
“Correct.”
Her expression turned incredulous.
“That’s insane.”
“Probably.”
“You uprooted your entire career for this?”
“For you.”
The honesty weighed heavily. She stared at me as if I had just said something completely irrational.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No,” I said, holding her gaze. “Not yet. Maybe with time.”
I stepped closer until the distance between us had almost disappeared.
“I expect you to understand it.”
Her breathing had slowed. Anger still lived in her eyes, with a familiar flicker beneath it now.
“And what exactly do you think happens next?” she asked.
I considered the question for a moment.
“I figure out whether you’re happy,” I said.
Her brows drew together.
“And if I am?”
My jaw tightened slightly.
“Then maybe,” I said slowly, “I’ll walk away.”
The possibility tasted like poison.
