Gage kept running. Rylee and the kid were better off without him. That was a simple fact of life that he couldn’t argue with, even if he wanted to.
He was nobody. He was a shadow running through the night, a pathetic fool who couldn’t stand up and do the decent thing, even just this one time.
His heart cried out, and his bear echoed, a mournful sound caught in his chest because he refused to acknowledge it, let alone speak it.
It was the litany of his broken heart, the essence of his bear’s soul dying because it lived for its mate … and its cubs.
Gage knew that he loved her and that he had caused her irreparable harm. But he had to keep running.
Because if I stay, I’ll hurt her even worse. Better to go now and be done with it. She’s free of me. That’s how it should be.
FOURTEEN
RYLEE
Rylee held herself together, as solid as a marble statue, while Gage walked out the door. She kept her eyes hard, and her mouth twisted, ready to hurl more ugly words at him if he dared to speak to her again.
Her anger lasted as long as it took her to bolt the door. She pulled across every last chain and sliding lock, making sure he couldn’t get in even with a key. Her hands trembled as she pulled the last bolt, her breath coming in small, harsh gasps.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! What the fuck?
Tears poured down her cheeks. She couldn’t hold them in anymore. Her hands grasped the wooden door as if it were Gage’s chest…as if she could make him come back and be all the things she needed him to be.
Instead of a fucking coward!
Her knees gave way. She managed to turn around and press her back to the door, and slid slowly down. Rylee wrapped her arms around her knees and cried, rocking slightly.
How dare he? Trap him?
The ugly words wouldn’t stop spinning through her mind. The worst thing was she wasn’t done. She wanted to turn all her tears and sorrow into rage and hurl it at him like a great weapon. Maybe he would understand just how much he’d hurt her if she could do that.
Rylee wrapped her arms around her belly, a low wail spilling from her lips. She left one hand on her belly, and the other covered her face. The tears just wouldn’t stop. Hot and bitter, they poured down her cheeks, making her eyes sting.
Fuck this!
Rylee got up slowly. She staggered across the room and grabbed her purse from the counter. As she headed to her room, she pulled out her phone and stared at the screen.
She thought about texting Gage. Thoughts ran through her mind, ugly ones. Eventually, she let the phone slip from her fingers.
What does it matter? He’s gone, really gone. Why the hell would I want him to stay?
The moan slipped out of her again as the tears ran freely down her cheeks. That was the problem. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him to be excited. Instead, he’d accused her of trapping him.
As if having a baby was the worst possible punishment in the world.
She curled up, her arms around her belly. She shook her head as the tears kept coming.
Don’t worry. We have each other, and we always will. I love you. I want you. We don’t need him.
Rylee believed those words. She truly did.
They still made her cry even harder. She reached blindly for a blanket, pulling it over herself and wrapping it over her head. In the warm, comforting darkness, she cried, letting her deep sadness flow through her body.
She had never, ever been as broken as this.
The darkness of sleep came, slowly creeping over her as she exhausted herself crying. She welcomed the darkness, hoping that the morning would be brighter or at least less painful.
When she blinked open her eyes, Rylee was confused by how dark it was. Then, she realized she still had the blanket over her head. She clawed her way out into the morning light, her spirits lifted by the glow.