“It was the truth, wasn’t it?” Anna asked defiantly.
“A very selective truth,” I spat out. “You knew damn well my chances of ever touching you again with a ten-foot pole were zero on a good day, and most of my days are bad.”
“Still.” Anna opened the door to her Jaguar, slipping inside. “It was worth it. Because now I know without a doubt you’re porking the client, and that’s one hell of a juicy headline. Thanks, pal.”
I pushed the door open, expecting carnage. At the very least, a heavy piece of furniture thrown in my direction.
Instead, I found a human-sized lump on the couch, lying in front of a turned-off TV. She didn’t move until I closed the door, making myself known.
She sat upright, wiping her face on her sleeve.
“I can explain,” I said, not because that’s what men usually said, but because I really, honestly could. There was a good explanation to all of this.
Hallie stood up, making her way upstairs. I followed her, jarred by her lack of response. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do.
“Is it weird that I don’t want you to?” she finally said. “I kind of feel like this is a golden opportunity to cut the cord. It should’ve happened long ago. In fact, I can’t believe we’ve made it this far.”
Was she talking about my post as her bodyguard or about fucking each other’s brains out? Either way, I didn’t like the implication. I wasn’t done with her. Not by a long mile.
She pushed the door to her room open, stepping into her walk-in closet. There, she grabbed out a couple large suitcases, flung them open, and began throwing clothes into them.
“Are you leaving?” I placed an elbow on her wall.
“Eventually.” She tossed a few gowns into the open jaws of her suitcase. “Once I figure out where I’m going.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“No need.” She flung more shirts into a suitcase, still not looking at me. “I’m sure my parents won’t mind you quitting the job at this point. Or, if you still want Dad’s connections, just stay here and we’ll pretend you’re still protecting me. It’d throw the Russians off my scent, anyway.”
She wasn’t wrong.
And still.And still.
“You think I’d stay without you?” Why did it sound so hideous, the idea of being without her? “Is that how you know me?”
Still packing, she said, “I don’t know the first thing about you. That’s the problem.”
“Of course, you know me.”
Or at least, she knew me more than everyone else.
She turned around to face me, clutching a skirt between her fingers. “Fine. You’re right. I do know you. Which is why I know you’ll listen to me this time. I want you to leave. I need to think. I need to be by myself. We’ve been stuck together for weeks now. Or is it months? How long has it been?” She let out a brittle chuckle. “Everything’s been a blur since you stormed into my world. I don’t remember my life without you. Which scares me. I want you to respect my boundaries for once and leave. Don’t call Max, either. I want to be alone.”
“You can’t—”
“You saw firsthand how everybody I know let me down,” she cut me off, her eyes pink, her chin wobbly. “Please. You fucked up. You fuckedher. For once in your life, do something altruistic. Let me go.”
“Hallie…”
Nothing else came out. She was right. Nobody respected her wishes. And if I chose not to leave her, I’d be doing the same. But how could I walk away when I knew she could be in danger?
“Leave,” she said quietly. “For me,” she added. “For us.”
I closed my eyes.
I wanted to explain so badly. But she asked me not to. And I couldn’t be one of those people who didn’t give two shits about what she wanted. She deserved better.
“Four hours,” I heard myself say, each word tasting like metal in my mouth. “I’m giving you four hours to cool down. Because you’re right. I do respect your wishes, and if I could take things back…” I faltered. “I would take back our entire beginning. Re-do it.”