“I wanted to tell you. More than anything. Why do you think I nearly walked out that first night we were together?”
“Yeah, there’s the operative word. Nearly. Maybe you should take up acting since you had me fooled this whole time.”
“I was going to tell you right then. That’s why I stayed. I was going to tell you, but I saw your face and it about killed me. I didn’t want to make you cry. I don’t ever want to make you upset. I care about you too much. I love you, dammit. That wasn’t bullshit. I love you.”
Since she couldn’t pass him to get to the closet she grabbed a pair of jeans on the bed and yanked them on, commando style. “Yeah, great way to go about not making me upset.” She zipped up and marched to the bathroom where she gathered her toiletries and marched back to her suitcase.
“Stop packing,” he shouted. “Would you stop fucking packing? You’re not leaving.”
“One of us is definitely leaving.”
Troy ran his hands through his hair. Unfuckingbelievable. “Fine. Then I’ll go. You stay.” He grabbed his duffel bag from the closet and started tossing his shit inside. “Yes, I should’ve told you, okay. I know that. There was never a good time. I was afraid if I told you during the car ride you’d have gotten out in Middle America. And once we got here, Zach came into the picture and I sure as hell hadn’t planned on that.”
“Well, we have that in common. Neither one of us planned on a few things.” She faced him, lifted her hands in the air, then dropped them on her head. “I can’t believe... I’ve got nothing. No words. I am beyond words.” She threw her underwear and pajamas into the suitcase.
“Stop packing, dammit. I told you I’d go. Just stay here and cool off, okay?”
“Cool off?” Her succinct words had the precision of a bullet to his heart. “Did you just tell me to ‘cool off’?” She got in his face. “I’ve got two words for you. Fuck off. How’s that?”
He’d never seen her like this. “Look, I know you’re pissed. You have every right to be. But I quit with Ari after that night with you. Then I called Sophia and quit with her.” He snagged a T-shirt from the bottom of the bed and whipped it on.
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God! Ari doesn’t even know who you are. He thinks you’re a bodyguard.” She went to her first suitcase and zipped it up. “Beautiful. Just beautiful. I should feel better knowing you lie to everyone, not only me.”
“Stop packing your damn suitcases. I’m leaving, okay?”
She faced him, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes like blue steel. “Fine.” She ran a hand through her hair.
Troy shook his head, frustration eating at him like a virus, but he gathered more of his things and tossed them into his bag. “I know you never slept with Ari. I know you never wanted to or planned to. I told Sophia I quit because I met you. The real Julie Fraser. And you know me. You know more about me than anyone. I’ve never talked to anyone the way I talked to you. Yeah, okay. I should’ve told you sooner. I’m sorry. I am so fucking sorry, because I wanted to avoid this very thing. I want to keep you safe and not having you with me means you’re open to someone getting at you without my protection. I can’t stand that.”
“Guess you should’ve thought of that before you started keeping secrets.”
Whomp. It was like a hit to the chest. Deep and hard. With no mercy, no remorse.
He threw the last few things in his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Don’t go anywhere. Don’t call anybody. Please, Julie. Take the time you need to be pissed at me, fine, but don’t put yourself in danger because you’re angry with me. Please.”
“Now is not really a good time to be telling me what to do. No one followed us here so no one knows where I am. I’m fairly certain I could leave and manage to lay low enough where no one is going to recognize me. You lost any and all rights to an opinion in my life when you lied to me.” She headed out of the room and he followed. Without a glance backward, she opened the front door and waited, stonefaced and steaming.