didn’t once mention it to me, though you had plenty of opportunities. You had all evening to say something. Maybe if we’d talked, I wouldn’t have been so floored at what happened tonight.”
“Were you? Because from what I’ve seen, it hasn’t bothered you at all.” He’d been the life of the party, making everyone laugh and charming her parents and all their friends.
“Of course it bothers me. I care about you, but I was also ready for it. I always knew you would leave. I didn’t know it would be so soon. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?”
It frustrated her, but there was only one answer. “Yes.”
“Then tell me how I’m the bad guy for trying to not make this hard on you.”
She wanted to cry but she couldn’t. Not in front of him. She knew what he would do. He would hold her, and he might even tell her what she wanted to hear, but it would be pity. He was a deeply sympathetic man. “It almost feels like you want me to go.”
“Of course I don’t want you to go,” he replied, his voice hoarse. “I don’t know. Maybe I do because I know if you stay, you’ll regret it. If you stay here for me, you’ll resent me for the rest of your life because you’ll never know what you could have accomplished somewhere else. You know in the end you’re going to walk out that door and you won’t look back.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. “Have you even considered the idea that you could come with me? I know it’s probably way too soon, but we could try.”
He stood, running a frustrated hand over his hair. “You would regret that, too. Look, this has been a real good time.”
“Don’t.” She stood and faced him. “Don’t you even go there, Guidry. I told you my feelings for you were real.”
“I should go.”
She’d thought he was staying the night, but it seemed like everything had changed for him the moment he’d found out there was a possibility she could leave. He wasn’t even willing to try? She’d thought he at least cared about her. “I don’t understand any of this. We were fine four hours ago.”
He moved in and suddenly his hands cupped her cheeks and he leaned down, brushing her forehead with his lips. “I think it’s best if I go now. I think . . . well, I should go.”
She stepped back, completely gutted. “Yes. You should go. I’ve got things to do. If I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon, I should pack.” Daisy was standing at her feet, looking up like she knew something had gone wrong. Oh, what would she do with Daisy?
“I’ll take Daisy and Sunny until you get back,” he said. “Can your landlady let me in tomorrow afternoon? I’ll pick them up and take them to my place.”
She watched as he started for the door.
How could this be happening? How could her heart be breaking like this? She hadn’t hurt this much when she’d made the decision to divorce. That had been an almost easy thing to decide.
This felt wrong.
“I love you, Zep.” It was the truth. It was simple and real and true.
He walked out the door. Had he even heard her?
And the tears finally came.
* * *
* * *
I love you, Zep.
He sat in the cab of his truck, the words he’d longed to hear echoing in his head over and over again.
He’d had to walk out or he would have stayed with her, given her the words back and held her. He wouldn’t have been able to leave her.
He would have become a millstone around her neck, dragging her down for mistakes he’d made in the past.
The look on her face . . . he might never stop seeing that look on her face.
A light shone in his rearview and he winced as he realized it was Remy and Lisa dropping off his mother. They’d stayed behind to help Seraphina and Harry clean everything up.
He should have driven around or gone straight up to his apartment over the garage. Not that it would have worked. The minute his mother saw his truck, she would have known something was wrong.
He shoved his pain down deep and did the only thing he could. He got out of the truck and waved his brother’s way.
Remy rolled down his window. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you were staying with Roxie.”