his vindictive ex-girlfriend.
Mia didn’t know what to do. Obviously, what he’d heard—what he’d thought he heard—had dredged up his old trauma. He wasn’t in control right now, that much was clear. The emotions he kept so tightly locked down had flared up and detonated all over both of them. How was she supposed to get through to him when he wasn’t being rational or thinking clearly?
She sucked in a shaking breath and tried again, swallowing her own hurt feelings. “I wasn’t talking about you, Josh. I was talking about some goon my sister’s sleeping with.”
He heaved out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Oh come on. You expect me to believe that?”
His sneering tone cut deep into her heart, bleeding away the last reserves of her patience. When she spoke, her voice was as hard and cold as the look in his eyes. “Actually, yes. I do. Why wouldn’t you believe me? What have I ever done to make you think I could be so callous and cruel?”
For a second, some of his anger seemed to seep away as he let out a long, ragged breath. A knife-edge of hope flared inside her, but it only left another laceration when his expression slammed shut, all trace of emotion replaced by a terrifying blankness.
“You think I don’t know what you think of me? What your whole family thinks of me?” The perfect flatness of his tone was betrayed by a heartrending tremor. “Why wouldn’t you make fun of me to your sister after you let your dad practically call me an ignorant hick to my face? Did you think I was too stupid to notice the way you’ve been pulling away from me since that night? It’s obvious you’re embarrassed by me. I’m just some dumb redneck, not smart enough or sophisticated enough for you. I’ll do well enough to pass the time while you’re stuck in this shithole town, but that’s all.”
Mia stared at him, stricken. There was enough truth in his words to gnaw at her. She had hated the idea of being stuck here. And he was right that she hadn’t defended him to her father. And lately she had been pulling away.
Even though she’d had what felt like good reasons for all of it, she hadn’t appreciated how it must have made him feel.
“I realize I’m just a pit stop,” he ground out, “but you could at least treat me with a little respect while you’re enjoying my bed.”
“I knew it,” she fired back. Her throat burned as her eyes prickled with hot tears. “I knew you weren’t fine about all this.”
“Of course I’m not fine with it!” His voice grew rough as it gained volume. “But what am I supposed to do? Be the asshole who makes you feel bad about the success you’re about to have? Complaining about it isn’t going to change your mind about leaving.”
Mia reeled as this latest revelation sank in. Everything she’d thought about them was wrong. She hadn’t understood Josh any more than she’d understood any of her other failed relationships. Her legs felt weak underneath her. She made her way to the couch and sank down. “You could have at least been honest about how you felt.”
“What, the way you’re always so honest about your feelings?”
It was a direct hit. A shot of acid that burned its way down her throat and left her stomach churning with shame.
“You know,” he continued, sounding almost calm now, “I’ve been consoling myself with the thought that at least you liked me enough to spend this time with me. Even if that’s all I ever get of you, at least I had that much.” Pain lashed his face, twisting his mouth into a bitter shape. “But I was kidding myself, wasn’t I? You never cared at all.”
“That’s not true.” Her voice cracked on the last word. “I wish you’d believe me.”
“I don’t think I can.”
She couldn’t even blame him. Not after everything he’d been through.
In the end, that was what made her decision for her. He’d already been hurt enough for one lifetime. She couldn’t stand the thought of causing him even more pain. It was too much to bear. Josh deserved to be happy, and he’d never be happy with her.
Why try to fix something when you knew it was only going to get broken again? Better to let them stay broken so Josh could at least start to move on.
Mia marshaled her strength and got to her feet. Forced herself to look him