a good idea.”
My heart stops. “What wasn’t a good idea?”
“Us,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to keep seeing each other. I still want to be a part of Cole’s life, be his father… but, aside from that, I think it would be best if we were just friends.” He licks his lips and looks at me as though I should happily agree with his statement and go on my merry way.
“After—” My voice breaks, so I clear my throat and lick my lips before I continue. “I told you after you came back that we shouldn’t pursue any kind of romantic relationship.” My voice raises a few octaves. “You were the one who convinced me it would be okay, that this would work. You were the one who came on to me. You—you know what? I’d like you to leave now.”
We finally have our son back safe and sound and he’s leaving me—us—again?
I turn to the kitchen and stalk back upstairs, paying no mind to the awful racket I’m making. My temper reaches a boiling point when I see his clothes strewn all over my room. I lose a growl at the sight and stalk to my closet where his giant duffle bags have taken up residence.
I hear him enter the room, but I ignore that. Instead, I grab his duffle bags and toss them on the bed. I go to my dresser and open each of the drawers he’s taken over, tossing his things on the bed. Dresser finished, I do the same with the toiletries in the bathroom and the clothes hanging up in my closet.
Nearly two years, I think. Two years of waiting on this man and his wavering sense of duty and complete inability to commit to anything. I am so done with all of it.
I had thought before about whether or not there was a time limit on love. No, I realize, there’s not, but there sure as hell is a limit on the amount of shit one person is willing to take to be with another. And I have had more than my fill. In fact, I’m full to bursting.
Ben watches solemnly and silently from the doorway as I throw a fit of epic proportions. If I had just a hair of Walker blood in me, I would have done the outrageous thing and thrown all of his crap out of the window. Instead, my motherly instincts force me to at least toss his things in his bags. When every last trace of him is gone, I drop each bag at his feet and give him my fiercest look.
“I have errands to run tomorrow. If you’d like to keep Cole while I do, I can drop him off at your parents or wherever else you need me to. Around noon, if that works for you, and I’ll pick him up tomorrow night around six.”
He only nods, and his lack of response and the fact that he can shut down so easily when my heart feels like it’s withering in my chest pisses me off even more.
I charge past him and back down the stairs. I can hear him behind me, lifting his bags and following. The sound of his steps down the stairs echo with finality.
I reach the front door and hold it open for him, but he stops walking and turns toward me. “I know I’m no good for you, Livvie. I told you that when this first started. The only thing I ever wanted to do for you was keep you safe and be there for you. I just realized that I can’t be the man you need, the man you deserve. It’s better that we let this go now before it’s too late. If it weren’t for me, he would have never been taken in the first place.”
It’s then that the pieces click together. “You think that Cole getting kidnapped was your fault?” Now, I hurt for him instead of me.
His face is hard. Unreadable. “I told you that you wouldn’t understand. You don’t know what it’s like to lose people that you’re responsible for. I can’t let my failures or my weakness be the reason that he’s hurt again, Livvie. If I hadn’t been distracted by those fuckin’ fireworks, this never would have happened.”
“Ben, we were both there. There were a million people around us. It wasn’t your fault. The person that kidnapped him is to blame, not you.”
“I’m not going to argue about