I…am I seeing something that isn’t here?” Trent asked.
For a second she thought about lying. It would be easier to say she felt nothing for him. To say that leaving wasn’t going to shatter her heart into a million pieces. To push down her emotions and protect herself with falsities.
But what kind of person would that make her?
“I care about you, too, Trent. A lot.” She blinked back the prickly feeling in her eyes, determined to be honest but strong. “These last few weeks have been incredible.”
“But?”
“I can’t stay.” Her voice trembled. “I know you don’t understand the relationship I have with my family. It’s messy and imperfect and…yes, it’s difficult. For someone who had such loving parents, of course you would find my situation strange. But all my life I wanted to make my dad proud, and even though it never seems to turn out right…I can’t give up now.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. She could see he was closing himself off, shutters going up and locks engaging and walls fortifying around him. “I understand.”
“You don’t, really. But that’s okay.” She attempted a watery smile, but her lips refused to turn up. Inside, it felt like her heart was slowly being chipped away, each word cleaving off another piece until there was nothing left but an unrecognizable lump. “It’s something I have to do for myself.”
Something that looked a whole lot like respect flickered in his eyes. “So this is it.”
“It’s okay if you don’t want me in the house tonight,” she said, biting down on her lip. “Maybe I could crash at Maddy’s place. I can pack up and—”
“No, this was supposed to be your holiday. Not mine.” He reached out and touched the side of her face, and for a second Cora wanted to snatch all her words back and promise him everything. “I’ll head out tonight and give you some space to pack. I can take you to the airport the day after tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said softly.
“I know. I want to.” He dropped his hand. “Someone needs to see you off.”
That was Trent in a nutshell. Even after she’d rejected him, pushed him away…he was still here, helping her. Being a good person. It was a good thing she wasn’t staying, because Trent deserved someone who would sacrifice everything for him.
“You’re going to make someone very happy one day,” she said.
But Trent didn’t reply. He simply nodded and walked toward the house, leaving the beautiful picnic spread behind him as though it now meant nothing. A sinking sensation settled in the pit of Cora’s stomach. Saying goodbye would be brutal, but it was for the best.
This was never meant to be anything permanent, and all the wishing in the world wasn’t going to change that.
She knelt down onto the picnic blanket and began to pack up the food. It seemed like such a waste to leave it there, though she was sure Joe would have enjoyed the feast. She put lids on the dips and closed the strawberry container. As she was cleaning up, she came across a slim black box. It was beautifully flocked, and the velvet almost melted under her touch.
Cora’s gaze drifted to the house. Should she open it? Or would it only make things harder in two days when she would leave Australia for good?
She couldn’t find it in herself to peek. Because her control was balancing on a knife’s edge as it was, and her grip on her childhood dream felt looser and more precarious than ever. If she looked and her heart exploded…
No, she couldn’t stay. The hard part was over; now it was time to go home and think about how she could put her life back together.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two weeks later…
Trent had been wandering around like a sleep-deprived zombie ever since Cora had left. He’d put on a happy face at her going-away party and forced himself not to drag her out of the check-in line at the airport. Ever since, he’d been exhausted. Not to mention that he was couch surfing again now that Liv was home.
Despite her teasing him about squatting in her house, she’d offered for Trent to stay a while longer, but everywhere he looked he saw Cora—in the shower, in the spare bedroom, at the dining room table, on the quaint little chairs under the veranda out back. He sketched her into any room with vivid details so realistic, he could almost smell her perfume in the