to stay. I want to go. And you aren’t throwing me out. And I won’t be in the street.” I hesitated, then swallowed. He still hadn’t moved.
“Let me go, Lucas,” I finally said.
His jaw tightened, and he stepped aside, watching me pass through. I hefted the unwieldy load and dropped them at the front door while I fished out my keys.
I turned back to him. “I’ll, uh. Is it okay if I keep the rest of my stuff here for a little while? Until I figure out where it’s going?”
His face was expressionless, those eyes still burning, his body language was stiff, defensive, with tense shoulders and stiff arms and clenched fists. “That’s fine.”
“This is for the best. And now you can back to your single life as quick as you want.”
He blinked. “I’ll have the divorce papers drawn up and ready to sign when you get back from Canada.”
I probably should thank him for that. After all, it would likely be a bit of a hassle to wade through the legal paperwork. I should have thanked him, yeah. But I couldn’t.
“Goodbye.” And I left.
A half hour later I was stepping out of the car into the parking lot at Heath’s condo.
I heaved a sigh, then pulled the bags out of my trunk. This was for the best, as I’d told Lucas. The clean break would give me time. For what, I didn’t know but… Time healed wounds, didn’t it?
Heath greeted me by pulling me into a big bear hug and fixed me some of my favorite tea. We caught up on the latest goings on and I explained to him why I was there.
“So what does this all mean?” Heath said. “I mean… You’ve got the green card, he’s got the job. Everything worked out just like you wanted, right? Why are you looking so damn sad?”
I studied him over the top of my mug while I took a long sip of the fragrant, hot liquid. Damn, I missed tea. Real tea, not the usual American facsimile.
“Damn this is imported, isn’t it? It’s so good.” As good a way as any to sidestep a question.
He frowned. “You totally fell for him, didn’t you?”
I blinked. Wow, there was no preamble, no warning. That accusation just thrown out there like that, ringing off the walls and flat surfaces of his condo.
I shook my head. “I don’t—”
He grinned. “Yeah, you do. What happened when you told him?”
I took a deep breath and let it go. “He went and walked the dog and was gone for an hour. Then we just didn’t talk about it.”
“Hmm.” Heath scratched his goatee. “Classic case of denial.”
“Denial of what? He doesn’t have anything to deny.”
He looked at me like an idiot. “Oh no? Girl, every time we’ve all been together, I’ve watched him. That guy is bonkers for you. Has been since long before this marriage thing. Why would he have gone for it otherwise?”
I shook my head. “He needed me in the country so I could help him get his job. I mean, it’s really nice of you to say this, Heath. But right now I can’t be like some lovesick sorority girl with daisy petals in my hand saying ‘He loves me, he loves me not.’ I can’t play that game. Not with everything I’ve got going on.”
Heath looked at me, completely lost. “I think you need to fill me in.”
So I took an hour—and another full cup of tea—to catch him up on everything. My brother’s visit. The reason why I had to go to Canada. Everything.
“Holy shit,” he muttered when I was done. “That’s…” he shook his head. “Girl if it wasn’t such short notice, I’d take the time off and go up with you. You could show me around. I’ve never been.”
I leaned in to give him a big hug. “I’d love it. But you know what? I think I’m getting used to the idea. It isn’t my favorite, but I’m just going to go up there and get it done and stop being afraid. And stop having to run away. Like a badass.”
He gave me a hug. “I’m sorry about the unwanted love advice. I don’t know why I always end up in this position of romantic advisor, lately, but there ya go. Blame it on Mia.”
I laughed. “Poor Mia.”
He made a face. “No, poor me. Mia’s just fine. But seriously, someday soon, one of you girls needs to become my romantic advisor when I meet the hot hunky man of