“Adam…” The tips of her fingers dug into her biceps so hard, they were turning white. Even worse, when I swept my gaze to her face, her eyes were shining. “I don’t want to do this. We don’t need to do this. This isn’t a breakup. This is two people whose friendship has played out going their separate ways. I really wish—” She bit down on her bottom lip and turned away.
“I’m not touching all the bullshit you just spouted. What do you really wish?”
She released a shuddering breath and rolled her shoulders. “I wish you’d listen for once and give me what I’m asking. I don’t want this whole scene.”
I huffed, pissed off. “So, I’m one of them now? You’re adding me to the list of men you tear through and spit out?” I threw my arms out. “No thank you. I do not accept. You don’t get to add me to that list when I didn’t even get my dick wet. Unless you’re going to fuck me before youfuckme, you’re not doing this. I’m not letting you.”
And that was the moment I’d gone too far. It always happened. My temper, my mouth, my idiot words—they ran away from me and I’d dig my own damn grave. In this case, I’d closed the casket lid to punctuate the end of the funeral Adelaide had thrown for us.
Her jaw worked, but she wouldn’t look at me. “Get out, Adam.”
“Baddie—”
Every muscle in her body locked and went rigid. “Get the fuck out, Adam!”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” I went to her, ate up the space I’d been giving her, gripping her shoulders. “Adelaide, fucking please. Give me something here. Tell me what I did. I’m begging you.”
She finally gave me her eyes. Long, thick lashes held wet droplets. More tears welled, ready to spill.
“Don’t do this,” I said softly. “I missed the hell out of you. You can’t expect me to walk away from you when it’s been two months and I’ve been missing you the whole time.”
Her nostrils flared. That twitchy mouth of hers pulled down. “This isn’t aboutyou. This is aboutmetelling you I want nothing to do with you anymore. Get the hell out of my apartment, Adam.” She shoved my chest. “Get out!”
The shove didn’t make me stumble. It was the ire behind her words. The sheer hatred had me falling back a step, then another, until I was at the door. The last thing I wanted to do was leave, but I knew this song and dance. It’d happened a thousand other times. But I never expected it to happen with Adelaide.Never.
The door was open, so I stood there, giving myself a second to accept that I was giving her what she’d asked for—no, demanded.
Adelaide Zala Goodman wouldn’t turn her head to watch me go. Her long, graceful form was as solid as marble. One year, we’d been friends, and now, it was like looking at a stranger.
I grabbed the knob, pulling the door halfway closed. “We were blooming, weren’t we, Adelaide?”
Her head whipped around to see me, one foot in the hall, one out. Her chin lowered.
“No, Adam. We were fading from the beginning. Now, we’re gone.”
A humorless laugh pushed up from my buckling chest. “Right. That’s right. I’d say goodbye, but I know how much you hate those.”
I closed the door with a soft click.
Then I took the wrapped package from my pocket, laid it on her welcome mat, and walked away—exactly like she wanted me to.