Her Scream in the Silence (Carly Moore #2) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,54
eyes pleading with me. “I’m askin’ you to trust me, Carly.”
“So I’m just supposed to accept that I shared everything with you and you’re not going to tell me anything?” I asked, incredulous.
“I know it sounds bad.”
I couldn’t believe we were having the exact same conversation again, and in public no less. I shook my head. “I’m not doin’ this.”
“Were you with Marco today?”
My mouth dropped open. “I never took you for the controlling type, Wyatt Drummond.”
“And I never thought you’d be shallow enough to stage something with Marco in an attempt to make me jealous and force my hand.”
I gasped and I could see the instant regret in his eyes.
“Do you really think so little of me?” I asked, my voice breaking.
He cringed and ran his hand over his head. “No. But…if you…”
I shook my head, fighting tears. “You need to go.”
“Carly.”
“No. You need to go. Now.”
“I didn’t mean it, Carly. I was angry and hurt, and I—”
“I’m hurt too, and you don’t see me accusing you of awful things.”
“Aren’t you, though?” he asked. “I did everything in my power to save and protect you. If that doesn’t earn your trust, what will?”
He had a point, and my heart broke. “I trust you with my life, Wyatt. I have no doubt you would take a bullet for me, but you know that men have lied and kept secrets from me. You know how much that has hurt me. The only way we can make this work is if you’re open and honest with me, yet you refuse to do that. Hell, I don’t even know about your past girlfriends, because ninety percent of your life is a mystery you’re keeping in a locked vault.”
His jaw twitched, but he remained silent.
“I like you, Wyatt. I like you more than I’ve ever liked a man before, but I have to be smart. I have to protect my heart. And my life. Which means that unless you start sharing things, we’re not going to work, so we might as well call it now.”
His eyes turned glassy, and my chest hurt so much I struggled to draw a breath.
He gave me a soft nod before sliding off the stool. When he walked out the door, he took most of my heart with him.
“Where are the orders, Carly?” Ruth bellowed as she approached the bar. “I’ve got some thirsty customers, your section is completely uncovered after Max’s disappearin’ act, and you’re havin’ a heart-to-heart with your boyfriend?”
She was right. We’d chosen a completely inappropriate time and place for our conversation, even if Jerry was the only person within earshot.
Her eyes widened when she saw my face. “Oh shit. What happened?”
Shaking my head, I started pulling beers again. “Sorry. You’re right about all of it. I’ll catch up. Give me a moment.”
“What did he do?” she asked in a semi-growl.
“We just figured out that we’re not gonna work,” I said, placing a mug on the bar. “Better to find out now than later.”
Her scowl told me she wasn’t falling for my explanation, but we were too busy for a longer talk.
I ignored her and poured all my energy into filling the drink orders. Max returned about twenty minutes later, and it was hard to gauge how his walk with Greta had gone based on the solemn look on his face. She might have confided why she was upset, or she might have given him the brush-off.
He slipped behind the counter to take my place, not offering any information. I was too busy trying to contain my own heartache to stick around and ask.
Plastering on my brightest smile, I touched base with my tables, offering free baskets of wings and fries to soothe some irritated patrons. Within a half hour, all was well and my tables were happy and pleasantly inebriated.
I couldn’t help wondering how they were getting home since there were no taxis or Ubers in Drum.
Max sent Ruth home around eleven since she had been there all day and was working the lunch shift the next day. We were still busy after she left, but Max sent Tiny home too, and he and I managed the crowd until he kicked the stragglers out at two a.m. He still hadn’t said more than a word to me, so as soon as he locked the front door, I called out, “You’ve been keepin’ me in suspense all night, Max. Tell me what happened.”
“What happened is I made a shit-ton of money tonight. That’s what happened.”