Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,82
someone as important to him as Mrs. Powell.
Leaving his office, he searched the cabin for her. She must have overheard the conversation and he needed her to know that this decision regarding the foundation wasn’t her fault in any way.
He scanned the living room and kitchen, but didn’t see her.
“She went outside with her phone,” Selena said, appearing in the hallway behind him.
“Is she okay?” A heads-up about what to expect would be appreciated.
“Mostly confused I think, but what you said in there meant a lot to her. I could tell,” she said.
He nodded before heading outside. He heard her voice at the back of the cabin and slowed his pace, listening to the one side of her telephone call.
“Yeah...that’s good to hear. Thank you. I, uh, couldn’t have survived this without you,” she was saying.
His chest tightened. Eoghan? Her co-worker. She’d said there was nothing serious between them, but her tone now as she thanked the guy suggested otherwise. Levi had always taken a back seat to his best friend, but he’d be damned if he lost Leslie to some guy in LA he knew she didn’t have real feelings for.
She had feelings for him. Fear was preventing her from admitting it. He could sense her attraction and affection growing the more they were together. It had become more than physical for her too. They’d been friends for so long, they knew one another, trusted one another, mutually respected one another. All of that, combined with the intense sexual chemistry they had, made for the basis of something real.
“We will head back tomorrow,” he heard her say and he felt the kick to his gut. She was leaving. He’d always known she would and she’d given him the heads-up that it would be soon, but he couldn’t help but think that Mrs. Powell’s appearance was the cause for her decision right now. No doubt any guilt or second-guessing that she’d been repressing the last few days being with him was all coming back.
She disconnected the call and he cleared his throat and took several steps toward her, not wanting to startle her or let her know he’d been listening.
She turned and he searched her face for any indication that there was still a hope for them, that she hadn’t started rebuilding the walls he’d fought to tear down, but there was none. “Hi,” she said. “Um, I’m sorry about all of that.”
“Hey, none of that was your fault. You okay?” he asked, reaching out to touch her arms.
She folded them and he slowly let his hands fall away. Body language spoke volumes and hers said they wouldn’t be tearing the clothes off one another again anytime soon.
Ever?
“Yeah. Fine.” She coughed. “I just spoke to Eoghan. They have the guy being charged on several accounts—harassment, breaking and entering... Selena should be safe to go back.”
He nodded slowly. “So, you’re leaving.”
“Tomorrow morning, we will head back. There’s no point in staying any longer.”
Ouch.
“I mean, it’s a long drive and it’s time to face the music,” she said in an attempt to soften the blow a little too late.
It was a long drive and she did need to get back there, but he knew the real reason she was suddenly so eager to go. “Look, I’m sorry about Mrs. Powell,” he said quickly.
She held up a hand to stop him. “It’s fine. Actually it’s not fine that I created this problem between you two.”
That’s what she thought? Of course she’d internalize it and use it as a reason to back away from him. “You didn’t. I needed her to know how important you are to me, and it may not have been the way I would have liked her to find out but I’m glad that it’s out there now.” Keeping his love for her a secret all these years had gotten him nowhere. She knew the truth now and he was no longer hiding it.
“I appreciate you standing up for me, but it really wasn’t necessary,” she said. “This foundation is important and I really hope that you two can work this out...after I’m gone.”
He swallowed hard. So that was it. She’d gotten a reminder of the biggest reason of all that they shouldn’t be together and she was using it because she was afraid of what they had. She was running away again. Denying how she felt and pushing down the feelings was her way of dealing with issues when things got too hard.