I didn’t know. The thought felt like it was ripped from the deepest part of him.
“We’re good in the only area that matters, though,” he said instead, letting his eyes linger insultingly on her chest.
It was exactly the fuel she’d needed. “See that? That is why someone like me would never be with someone like you. You’re all about the short-term gratification of sex and don’t have a clue about how to build something lasting. How to build something that matters.”
“You’re absolutely right, Princess. Perhaps I should just get myself a journal and start writing a bunch of arbitrary goals that I’ll fail miserably at.”
“I am not failing at my goals.” She jabbed a finger at him. “I intentionally set them aside to get some perspective.”
“And did you?” he asked in a low voice. “Did you get perspective?”
Come on, Brynn, he silently coaxed her. Dig beneath that pretty, boring surface.
She opened her mouth before closing it quickly and staring blankly over his shoulder. His heart sank. She wasn’t going to reach for it—wasn’t going to reach for him.
“So what’s next, then? You go back to your boring routine and spend your life covering up your tattoo? Covering up the past few weeks?” Covering up who you really are?
“Why are you acting like this?” she asked irritably. “I haven’t once indicated that this was anything but a phase. I even set an end date.”
“Which isn’t for another six days.”
He’d been counting. Carefully.
She shrugged. “What difference does it make? Today or next week…it’ll end the same.”
He tilted his head back, reading between the lines. It would end with her finding some boring lawyer with a briefcase and him trying to fill the void with an endless string of women who weren’t Brynn. Who would never be Brynn.
He tried one more time, taking a small step forward. “Brynny, it’s okay to just let yourself be. Nobody’s going to criticize the real you, if you don’t criticize the real you.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
Her eyes shuttered completely, and she took a step backward. “You don’t know everything about me,” she snapped.
So tell me.
But she didn’t.
“Got it,” he said with a nod. “So if we happen to be in the yard at the same time, I’ll just wave, then? Or do I pretend you’re not there?”
She sighed. “Will…”
“How about if we’re getting the mail at the same time? Should I compliment the good condition of your front lawn? Because God knows I won’t have access to your other lawn…”
“Hey!”
“Well, what’s it going to be, Brynn?” he asked, keeping his voice low even though his temper was straining. “You’re clearly in charge here, so I’d love to know what it says in your little planner about what happens now.”
“I thought…” She pursed her lips. “I thought we could just go back to the way we were.”
He snorted. “At each other’s throats, dripping with sexual tension?”
“It wasn’t just sexual tension. You’ve always hated me. It’s not until I let you into my pants that you’ve pretended to be nice.”
You stupid little fool.
“Right. Well, thank God I don’t have to hide my dislike anymore,” he said in a low voice.
“Thank God,” she said, her voice faint.