I nearly dropped the phone. She’d answered.
“Kennedy. I’m so happy to hear you.” The pressure on my chest eased, and I felt like I could breathe again. “I’ve been so worried. Is everything all right?”
“No, it’s not.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She sounded as though she’d been crying. “Everything is wrong.”
I felt a twinge in my heart. I hated the despair and defeat lacing her tone. “What’s going on, baby? Tell me.”
She sniffled, and released a hiccupping sob. “You’re going to hate me.”
“Never,” I vowed, even as my stomach churned with fear. “It’s not possible. Please tell me what’s happened.”
She took a shuddering breath. “Things have changed. I’ve decided to stay in L.A.”
My mouth slackened, and my free hand fell to my side. “What? No. Why? Is it your parents? Did they put you up to this? Talk to me, Kenz.”
For a long moment, she didn’t speak, and then I realized she was silently crying.
“If someone tried to push you into staying, don’t let them,” I insisted. “Remember how happy you were here.”
There was another wet sniff, and then she came through loud and clear. “It’s not my parents. This is all coming from me. I can’t move away from my family. They need me.”
“But I need you too,” I said in disbelief. “You love it here. You love me. I know you do.”
“I’m really sorry to hurt you.” Her voice was tight and watery. “I wish it didn’t have to happen this way.”
“It doesn’t.” My mind raced as I thought through the options. I didn’t understand what was going on. Sure, I’d been worried about her silence, but I hadn’t seen this coming. Despite the niggles of fear, deep down I’d trusted her. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry, but you and Destiny Falls just aren’t in my future.”
My mouth clapped shut.
Oh no, not again.
I finally got it. I was being dumped by a city girl who’d decided that a country boy and his quiet hometown weren’t good enough for her. It was Zoe all over again.
At least Kennedy had the guts to say it to my face.
But I wasn’t going to give up easily. We had something special.
“I’ll fly over there,” I said. “I’ll book a flight right now, and when I get to L.A., we can talk about it. If you really hate the idea of coming back here, maybe I can move there. At least give me the chance to think about it.” I couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving the place that was so much a part of me, and for anyone else, I wouldn’t even make the offer, but Kennedy might be worth the sacrifice.
She laughed bitterly. “You’d hate L.A. You’ve said a thousand times how much you loathe the city, and that Destiny Falls is the only place you could be happy.”
“Yeah, but that was when I thought I could have youandbe in Destiny Falls. Now you’re telling me I have to choose. Let me decide for myself which choice I want to make.”
“I’m not asking you to choose.” Her tone was heavy, but firm. “We’re over. I know that’s not what you wanted. It’s not what I wanted either. But it is what it is.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she continued, “The life you’re offering can’t make me happy, and the one I’m offering would make you miserable. There’s no point dragging it out. Let’s cut our losses.”
The life you’re offering can’t make me happy.
Whoever wrote that rhyme about “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me” clearly never had their heart torn apart by a woman, because this hurt like hell.
“Is that really what you want?” I asked.
“It is.”
The fact I didn’t hear any doubt in her voice flayed me.
“Okay, then. Guess it’s over.”