Youre done with the Valley? Youre done with me? Fine, thats fine, because Im done with you. Youll be lucky to last a month in New York, hacking away at that crap you write. So when you come crawling back here, dont call me. Dont speak to me. Because youre right about one thing, Hawke—theres nothing for you here anymore.“
She shoved past him and fled.
Shed forgotten her hat, she realized as she watched herself run out of the house. A snowball winged by one of the Dobson boyssplatted in the middle of her back, but she didnt notice.
She didnt feel the cold, or the tears streaming down her face.
She felt nothing. Hed made her nothing.
How could she
have forgotten? How could she have forgiven?
She didnt see then, nor did she see now, that hed stood in the narrow window of the dormer and watched her go.
SHE woke to thin autumn sunlight, her cheeks wet, her skin chilled.
The grief was so real, so fresh, she rolled away, curled up in a ball and prayed for it to pass.
She couldnt, wouldnt, go through this again. Had she worked so hard to get over him, to push herself out of the grief and misery and hurt only to lay herself open to it all again?
Was she that weak, that stupid?
Maybe she was, when it came to Jordan. Maybe she was just that weak and stupid. But she didnt have to be.
She eased out of bed and left him sleeping. She pulled on a robe, a kind of armor, then headed to the kitchen for coffee.
Moe scrambled up from the foot of the bed and bounded after her. With his leash between his teeth, he danced in place in the kitchen.
“Not yet, Moe.” She bent to bury her face in his fur. “Im not up to it yet.”
Sensing trouble, he whined, then dropped the leash to lick her face. “Youre a good dog, arent you? Been chasing rabbits, huh? Thats okay, Ive been chasing something, too. Neither one of us is ever going to catch it.”
She drank the coffee where she stood, and was pouring a second cup when she heard Jordans footsteps.
Hed pulled on his clothes, but still looked sleepily rumpled. He grunted when Moes paws hit his chest, and managed to nip the coffee mug out of Danas hand. He drank deep.
“Thanks.” He handed it back, then stooped to pick up Moes leash. The act had Moe running around them in desperate circles.
“Want me to take him out?”
“Yes. You can take him back to Flynns.”
“Sure. Want to go for a run before breakfast?” he said to Moe as he clipped on the leash. “Yeah, you bet.”
“I dont want you to come back here.”
“Hmm?” He glanced up, saw her face. “What did you say?”
“I dont want you to come back here. Not this morning, not ever.”
“Down, Moe.” Something in the quiet tone had the dog obeying. “Did I sleep through an argument, or… Kane,” he said and gripped Danas arm. “What did he do?”
“It has nothing to do with him. Its about me this time. I made a mistake letting you back in. Im correcting it.”
“What the hell brought this on? Last night—”
“We have great sex.” She shrugged, sipped her coffee. “Thats not enough for me. Or maybe its too much for me. Either way it doesnt work. You ripped me to pieces once.”