“Mav, please, talk to me,” I said as I rubbed my hands up and down his arms. His skin was tight and cold.
“Nothing to talk about.”
“I’ll come with you,” I said as I released him and began gathering my clothes. I started making plans in my head as I yanked on my pants.
“Eli-”
I shook my head and said, “No, it’s fine. I’ll have Brennan watch Baby and I’m sure I can find someone to take my shift at the hospital. If not, they’ll be okay without me for a few days…”
“Eli.”
I kept talking since I knew what the tone in Mav’s voice meant. “Do you think Ronan would mind taking Baby home for me so Brennan can pick him up?”
“Damn it, Eli! I don’t want you to come!”
I froze at that because I hadn’t expected him to come right out and say it. His voice was cold and dead. I turned around and saw that he’d managed to pull his pants on, but nothing else.
“Mav, you shouldn’t do this alone.”
“I’ve been doing this shit alone my entire fucking life! You really think I’m going to change all that for you? Because you’re a good fuck?”
Pain ripped through my insides at the words and even though I tried to tell myself he was just lashing out and didn’t mean them, I felt tears sting my eyes.
“Just go home,” Mav bit out, more quietly this time and then he disappeared into the bathroom. I flinched when I heard the lock engage. I hadn’t noticed Baby moving back and forth between us, but when I sat down on the edge of the bed, the dog shoved his nose against my lax fingers. I managed to get dressed despite the sudden physical ache in my body and when Mav didn’t come out of the bathroom, I went to the living room to get my car keys and the small overnight bag I’d packed the day before when we’d picked up Baby. I sat down on the couch in the hopes that Mav might come out, which he eventually did a few minutes later, but as soon as he saw me through the double doors leading to the bedroom, he slid them closed. The fact that he didn’t lock them meant nothing. Hell, it was probably because they didn’t lock. Either way, he’d already locked me out of his heart.
I felt tears gathering in my eyes as I stood and went to the door. “Baby,” I called. My dog was standing in front of the bedroom door whining incessantly and I felt tears slide down my cheeks.
He doesn’t want us, I said silently to the dog.
“Baby, come,” I said quietly and the big dog instantly came to me. I snapped on his leash and pulled open the front door, but nearly had a heart attack when I almost ran right into Ronan. He grabbed me before our bodies could collide and then gently released me. His eyes shifted from me to the bedroom and then back to me. He looked angry and I tried to discreetly step around him so I could make my escape. But he grabbed my arm and gently forced me back into the room.
“Sit,” he said as he pointed to the couch. I wanted to both laugh and cry when Baby instantly sat down at Ronan’s firm command.
“He asked me to leave,” I started to say, but stopped when Ronan’s features grew even tighter. I wiped at my face and went to sit on the couch. Baby came with me and jumped up onto the plush piece of furniture. I was glad to have something to hold on to when he lay down across my lap. I snuck glances at Ronan as he strode to the bedroom doors, but he didn’t bother knocking. He just slid them open and walked right in before closing them behind him. I considered sneaking out while Ronan was preoccupied with Mav, but thought better of it. Ronan didn’t seem like the best guy to piss off.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
No, I stayed because some perverse part of me kept hoping that Mav would walk through those doors, take me in his arms and tell me he was sorry and ask me to stay.
“Not likely,” I whispered to myself as I remembered Mav’s cruel words about just being a good fuck. More tears welled in my eyes and I didn’t even bother to try and stop them as I buried my face in Baby’s soft fur.
Chapter Seventeen
Mav
My insides bled as I heard the doors behind me slide open, but I steeled myself for what I needed to do. “I told you I don’t want you here anymore.”
“It’s me.”
I glanced up from the browser on my phone that I’d been using to try to find the next flight out and saw Ronan pushing the double doors closed. I assumed his presence meant that Eli hadn’t waited for him so I said, “He probably just left. You should be able to catch up to him in the garage.”